PHILADELPHIA– Hundreds of people in various stages of undress rode through the streets of Philadelphia on Saturday night to cheers from spectators during the 15th annual Philly Naked Bike Ride.
The annual bike ride, which was launched in 2009, aims to promote cycling as an important means of transport and fuel-conscious consumption. It also aims to encourage a positive attitude towards one’s own body. However, the organisers stress that participants do not have to ride completely naked, telling them to “be as naked as they dare”.
Organizers said the ride was not limited to bicycles, but that “all forms of human-powered transportation” such as roller skates, skateboards and scooters were welcome. They also pointed to a code of conduct that prohibits any kind of physical or sexual harassment.
The route changes every year but usually takes in the city’s landmarks. This year, riders gathered in the city’s large Fairmount Park, some getting body paint applied, before setting off on a 12-mile course down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, past historic City Hall to posh Rittenhouse Square and then into South Philadelphia before heading north again around the U.S. Mint and finishing in a West Philadelphia park near Drexel University.
The ride used to take place in September, often in temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but so many naked riders reported being cold that it was moved to August a few years ago. The 2020 ride was canceled due to the pandemic.
