On Saturday, candid cyclists gathered in San Francisco to take part in the World Naked Bike Ride. How did it go? Don't ask us. This editor is saddled with red hair and thus diaphanous skin. There's not high enough SPF in the world to get us on a bike at noon with our blinding, milky flesh on display for the world to see. Perish the thought. Immediately. However, according to worldnakedbikeride.org, the fleshy ride was a smash.
We had a sizable turnout, compared to last March, of 50 or more riders with a nice mix of genders and ages. It was a nice mellow group. Most of the riders went naked including several women despite the cold coastal breezes at times. When riding further from the coastline the weather was actually quite pleasant. This year we road traffic-heavy Van Ness Street, the main route to the Golden Gate Bridge. We received loads of smiles, laughs, thumbs ups, honks and cheers even when the group took up one entire lane of traffic. Most passengers in passing cars had their iPhones out taking pictures. The new route up and over Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world, was much better than last June. Most riders were able to ride to the top without walking. All-and-all a very successful ride.
The next World Naked Bike Ride goes down, if you will, on June 11, Saturday. at noon. Riders will meet at the north end of Justin Herman Plaza near Market and the Embarcadero, across from the Ferry Building.
For those of you not in the know, World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) is billed as an "international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport (the vast majority on bicycles, but some on skateboards, rollerblades and roller skates), to deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."
Local photographer Generik11 (Erik Wilson) snapped a few shots of the riders in their birthday suits. Enjoy. Also: NSFW. (Check out more images here.)