On Saturday 20 June, don’t be taken aback if, while doing your shopping, you find yourself face to face with a peloton of nude cyclists. The World Naked Bikeride (WNBR) is coming to Cambridge for the first time this year, starting from Parker’s Piece (Regent Street entrance) then taking a seven-mile route around the city centre.
Already a common fixture in cities like Manchester and London, the WNBR aims to draw attention – no, not to the bits and pieces on show – but to the vulnerability of cyclists on today’s roads, plus the negative consequences of our dependence on cars, such as the rising levels of emissions. Cyclists needn’t go the ‘full monty’ however: bikinis, shorts, body paint, creatively-placed leaves etc are all allowed.
“The World Naked Bike Ride is a novel way of calling attention to the planets problems with a particularly powerful message against our increasing dependency on oil and the car culture that leaves cyclists so vulnerable,” says Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP. “It’s vital that we all cut down on our oil usage and make changes to our lifestyle. By ditching the car for a bike or public transport we can all make a real difference.”
