York Naked Bike Ride 2023 is set to return to the historic city this June as they head on a 5-mile bike ride past some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Taking place on the 10th of June, the event, which has a clothing-optional policy, will see hundreds of cyclists ride through the city completely nude, covered in body paint or partially dressed in a protest against oil dependency and car culture.
Cyclists decorate their bodies and bikes with messages of protest, and this will be the first time the event will be staged in York, North Yorkshire since 2019.
Starting at the Fulford side of the Millenium Bridge in York, the bike ride will set off at 4:15pm and will pass through the city centre around 5pm before heading back to the Millenium Bridge for 5:30pm.
The naked part of the bike ride is optional with no pressure to wear more or less than you wish, say organisers. So, if you’d like to take part but don’t want to shed your clothes that’s fine.
Anna Semlyen, one of the organisers, says it’s about promoting cycling as a green form of transport: “The bicycle is amazing, because we are riding our bikes instead of being in cars, all sorts of resources are freed up, like fuel, like road space, we are not very dangerous as cyclists.”
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She also says they want to raise awareness of body positivity: “It’s a proper celebration of the physical body, the beauty of the physical form that is our human body, there is nothing unusual about having a body, we have all got one.”
Campaigners say being naked sends a message to road users about the vulnerability of cyclists: “Cyclists really are just going about our everyday lives, in our everyday clothes. Being naked is partly about the media hook, but it’s also partly about gosh, we are just people, notice us as people.”
The ride is free of charge and everyone is welcome, although minors must be accompanied by a parent of guardian. Bikes must be in good working order and the ride will happen come rain or shine.
There will be traffic control via North Yorkshire Police. If you’d like to find out more head over to the Facebook page here.
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Feature Image Credit: Photo © Matt Crypto (cc-by-sa/2.0)
