Attention, good people of St. Louis who like the environment, cycling, nudity and body acceptance: The day is finally here! Saturday is the St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride, and organizers expect it to be bigger and better than ever.
The event is an opportunity for you to strip down -- all the way down, if you'd like, since nudity is a protected free-speech in the "protest" context -- and celebrate your bodies and your bikes all over the city.
For your convenience, we've got the route for you below and some answers to a handful of important FAQs, (Is biking nude uncomfortable?!)
See also: - 2013 World Naked Bike Ride In St. Louis Set For July 27 (PHOTOS) - Bare As You Dare: Take Off Your Clothes Tonight And Talk About Body Image - Nude Portrait Vandalized Outside White Flag Projects Art Gallery
The group posted this handy map from a ride volunteer:
You can bookmark it, or send the map to your phone here, via mapmyride.com.
There are specific directions here alongside another map as well as here on the World Naked Bike Ride route page.
The gathering begins Saturday at 6 p.m. at the South Grand Parking Lot (3500 Hartford Street) and then departs at 8 p.m. sharp, organizers say.
The route is fourteen miles and will take around one-and-a-half to two hours, depending on pace.
Some helpful FAQs are below, but first, to get you pumped up, here are some neat videos from last year that the group posted on its Facebook page this week.
Time lapse:
And some raw footage:
Some FAQs, courtesy of a recent WNBR e-mail blast:
• We highly encourage HELMETS and LIGHTS!
• We encourage riders to go as bare as they dare; going completely naked is by no means required. All states of dress & undress and creative coverings welcome!
• We do ask the riders to cover up (at least minimally) during the pre-ride gathering to be considerate of our neighbors.
• We ask that photographers and press help create a safe space by being respectful and asking CONSENT to photograph, and encouraging others to do so! We have asked all official photographers and press who have contacted us beforehand to wear some sort of media ID (shirts, badges, etc), and to ask permission before taking photos.
• Yes, this is FREE! No, you don't need to register! But please RSVP to our Facebook event here! And we will warmly welcome any donations (cash only) for future WNBRs.
• No arrests have been made in the last 5 years due to nudity or participation in the ride. However, if you choose to bare it all, do so at your own risk, cooperate with the police, and we advise you to bring something to cover up for your journey home!
• We've heard mixed reviews on comfort while riding naked. For most it doesn't seem to be an issue - and it's so much fun!
• This ride is RAIN or SHINE. We hope it will SHINE but who can tell. Either way we hope you join us!
• Why do we do this? To protest OIL & CAR DEPENDENCY, raise awareness of CYCLIST RIGHTS & VULNERABILITY ON THE ROAD, and advocate POSITIVE BODY IMAGE.
Another neat tidbit -- the bike ride will have a live artist on the scene. Sneak peek here via Facebook:
And just in case you still need more reasons to be excited, we've got some nice body-positive NSFW photos for you below, from our photographer on scene at last year's ride:
Continue for more photos. (NSFW!!)
