Bristol World Naked Bike Ride FAQ

This is arguably the question that is most frequently asked by people after their first World Naked Bike Ride! The answer is to check out the list of rides on the main WNBR website, and see if there's one you can get to that is still to run. WNBR was conceived as an annual event, but rides occur at different times in different places, and many places now run a second ride in a year, to cater for people who are unable to attend the main ride. (Or who are just very keen!)

To celebrate cycling and the human body. The ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, and is a protest against oil dependency.

In the UK, unless there's an intent to cause alarm or distress, there's nothing illegal about simply being naked in a public place. The Bristol WNBR has taken place every year (except during Covid lockdowns) for about 20 years. The ride route, date, etc. are shared with the police beforehand, and the ride organisers usually have a direct line to a local police liaison officer. The Bristol WNBR typically comprises over a hundred people with flowers, bubbles, body paint, colourful flags, and so on, and the overwhelming majority of onlookers see the ride as the entertaining pageant that it is. The number and diversity of participants makes it very obvious that there is no lewd or offensive intent. Bristol ride organisers have received praise from the police for conducting the ride responsibly, safely and professionally.

For both women and men, riding naked isn't any less physically comfortable than riding clothed, in fact it can be more comfortable. If it rains, it turns out that people are waterproof. But don't forget your sunscreen! Obviously if you fall off, it's probably going to hurt more, so don't do that. We recommend that you wear a cycle helmet and footwear. Even if you have smooth bike pedals, there might be sharp objects lying about on city streets.

The ride route and pace is deliberately chosen with less able riders in mind, it's not strenuous at all for the average person. We have a number of regular riders who are less able, and many elderly participants. That said, if you are seriously infirm, it may not be for you — please use common sense!

The team of experienced ride marshals all carry two-way radios and mobile phones. Their main job is to keep the riders safe, and they take that job extremely seriously.

The ride dress code is 'bare as you dare'. No-one will pressure or judge you. Wear as little as you can while still feeling comfortable about it. You won't be excluded, or alone, if you're partially or even fully clothed. (Please avoid sexualised outfits like fetish wear, though. We're not generally a prudish or judgemental bunch, but remember it's a family-friendly ride.)

Last year, people came wearing shorts, bra-tops, swim-wear, body paint/masks, etc. While we encourage you to challenge yourself — and you will probably get more out of the experience if you do — there will be plenty of people who will cycle fully nude, so don't feel that it is your duty to do so. Many people do find that they get more confident as the ride progresses, peeling off as they go. Look online for photos and videos of past rides to get an idea of the variety of outfits, body paints, and states of dress.

Surprisingly not — people participate on skates, skateboards, unicycles, trikes, recumbents, etc. You probably won't be able to keep up on foot if you're not a capable distance runner, but we've had that too. Any kind of human-powered transport that can keep up is fine. (Don't worry, you won't be excluded if your bike has electric assist!).

Just like it does with clothes but a bit cooler. Most riders also find it exhilarating, liberating, empowering... and downright hilarious! This account from a first-timer is fairly typical.

Great! Please come to the ride! We'll all be there to ride with you in celebration of your body's strength and individuality. People of all ages, sizes, builds and appearances ride on World Naked Bike Ride. At the ride, you'll be treated with dignity and respect no matter what your body looks like.

One of the amazing impacts of this ride is to show the world how varied real bodies can be; unlike the photoshopped images that flood the media and cause so much insecurity.

Indeed they will! Some people fear that they will catch something from the seat or make the seat dirty just by sitting on it naked. Unless you (or your seat) have particularly terrible hygiene already, there won't be a problem. There hasn't been a single report of this problem occurring in the many years of people cycling in the nude.

For those that are still worried, here's the simple solution. Before the ride — 1. Have a wash. 2. clean off your seat, and/or put a cloth or towel over your seat.

You can always rent or borrow one for the day! Ask your friends or try your nearest bike hire shop.

Please be creative and colourful in expressing yourself! Body painting, customising your bike, and other creative expression is strongly encouraged!

This year the Bristol ride is back at its old base, the Full Moon & Attic Bar, in Stoke's Croft, Bristol. Find it on Google Maps, or via the rather approriate What Three Words park.that.fear.

Regulars of the Bristol ride will be used to this venue - last year, unforeseen circumstances had us re-locate to the PRSC space, and PRSC were very accomodating, however, our lovely ride ambassador Fran asked the Moon if they'd missed us, they said they had, so we're back there this year!

Naturally, there is an expectation of good behaviour. This should not, and probably doesn't, need saying, but to be crystal clear, we will not tolerate, even slightly, any lewd, offensive, drunken, dangerous or otherwise inappropriate behaviour, before, during or after the ride. Ride marshals have a direct line to local constabulary and anyone behaving badly will be asked to leave and never return, and if they refuse, they will be removed, by the police if necessary. Nudity does not equal sex, nor is it any form of invitation or excuse.

The Moon usually serves drinks and meals after the ride through an outdoor bar, and they usually make an area available to naked riders that has toilets and space to get body-painted. However, any riders wishing to enter the main bar, accommodation reception, etc, MUST be clothed. There will be adequate signs on the day. Please respect the venue's wishes, they are lovely people who do great food and drinks, we are determined to be courteous and respectful guests.

Bristol WNBR has a long tradition of, and reputation for, excellent behaviour. We expect courtesy and respect from participants. The ride is a public event, taking place in a shared and public/family space.

The ride route is decided close to the ride date, and an outline route is usually made available via social media. The detailed route can, and often does, vary somewhat on the day because of contingencies. Ride marshals pre-check the route on the day and re-direct around any unforeseen hazards, like un-announced events occupying parts of the route, road closures or works, and so on.

Yes. WNBR is designed to be family-friendly, although it's relatively unusual for children to participate as independent riders.

Children and non-independent teenagers are not expected to participate without supervision by a parent or legal guardian. WNBR does not provide child care or babysitting services. It's important for the safety of the riders that they stick together in a large group. Stragglers or people who drop out are expected to be prepared to dress and make their way home or back to the assembly point or a scheduled rest stop. Obviously, a child can't be left on their own if they have a problem with their bike or get tired or bored.

WNBR has a policy of not allowing promoters directly to recruit children to participate in rides. Children who are interested in participating should speak with their parents or legal guardians.

Riders are advised to make sure their bike is in good serviceable condition and that they themselves are fit and able enough to complete the ride. All riders are advised to carry at least a minimal set of clothes with them so that if they do have to drop out, they can do so without having to traipse naked and alone though the city streets (which is not recommended). Minor running repairs can often be made at the roadside or at rest stops, but anything major and for you, the ride is over. Ride marshals all have two-way radios, and back-markers are there to ensure that no-one is left behind by mistake. If you do somehow find yourself detached from the main ride, please get dressed and make your way back to the start/finish point or the next rest stop. If you have to leave the ride for any reason, please make a ride marshal aware that you are leaving. There is no roll-call or signup, riders participate individually and at their own risk. Parents or guardians take full responsibility for any children in their care.

WNBR is an event which encourages participation, but if you're unable, or not ready, to join the ride, do still feel free to come along, see what it's all about, and cheer the riders on! The assembly point before and after the ride, however, is very limited in size, and the Bristol ride restricts entry to actual participants (riders, their kids/partners, ride support staff). Even if there were room to accommodate spectators, the assembly point is not the place for them. Many riders need/prefer a private space to prepare, get body-painted, relax, etc.

It's worth noting, though, that it's not at all unheard of for people to join the ride partway around! Sometimes people arrive too late for the start, sometimes they just get caught up in the exuberant mood — the ride is an amazing experience!

We recommend bringing something that communicates the messages of the ride (opposition to oil dependency, promotion of cycling, and celebration of our bodies). You could paint the message onto your body, and many people like to attach flags/placards to their bikes. Popular slogans include "NOW you can see me!", "curb car culture", "celebrate body freedom", "more ass, less gas!", use your imagination! Keep it inoffensive, though. One particularly dedicated body-painter showed up painted to resemble a crash test dummy a few years back. Keep it light, though! For the avoidance of doubt, we won't be gluing ourselves to anything, destroying anything, nor getting in the way of any ambulances, we're not that kind of a protest.

On very rare occasions, an onlooker, especially if drunk, may behave in an aggressive or confrontational way. We ask riders not to respond aggressively should that happen, but react, if at all, with good humour, and move swiftly on. Keep it light and positive, in line with the mood of the ride overall. (We are protesting about car dominance, but we're not being aggressive about it. Ironically, car drivers are often among the most enthusiastic when it comes to cheering us on!)

If any onlooker (or participant) seriously misbehaves towards anyone, the ride marshals will have no hesitation in asking the police to deal with the perpetrator, if need be.

Well, yes. Everyone has a phone with a camera, and something as unusual as a hundred plus mostly naked cyclists going past is likely to have a lot of people reaching for them. If you have an awkward home or work situation and don't want to be recognised, it's probably as well to disguise yourself with body paints, maybe a covid mask, wig, etc. Although there's always plausible deniability — for most people, it's surprising how many other people there are out there who look just like them at a distance.

There will obviously be fellow riders with cameras, and they are asked to seek permission before photographing people, particularly in or around the assembly areas or rest stops.

WNBR events are sometimes covered by local news or documentary teams taking pictures and video, but they are generally considerate professional people and will try to keep your wishes in mind when covering the event. You can see many of their images on the WNBR website and related publicity, which is sometimes shared with other related non-profit groups.

Generally, yes, but you are asked to respect people's personal space, and to ask permission before taking photos of individual riders. Riders are encouraged to report to a ride marshal if anyone is behaving aggressively or suspiciously, or making them feel uncomfortable. If someone asks you not to photograph them, then don't.

It's hard to know the ratio in advance, but people of all genders and identities take part and all are welcome and celebrated.

Bristol WNBR typically has more men than women overall, but not overwhelmingly so — a large and growing number of women participate each year. Many WNBR regulars and organisers are women, and the Bristol ride leader has been a woman for the last few years. Women, in particular, usually find WNBR a very confidence building and affirming experience, and tend to return year on year. Search for videos online of past Bristol rides, with participants describing why they take part and how they feel about it. If you're a woman wondering about joining the ride, bite the bullet, bring some friends, and let's try to outnumber the men for a change!

People are offended by all kinds of harmless things, people and ideas. People have been offended by cartoons, farting, rock'n'roll, science, books, equality, sex education, tattoos, dancing, the peace movement, environmentalists, droopy pants, body hair, head hair, shaving, too much clothing, too little clothing, Teletubbies, dinosaurs, and most likely even you, at some point. The vast majority of onlookers find the WNBR entertaining, sometimes baffling, but seldom offensive. The occasional person will claim to be offended by their own shadow.

People should not avoid riding bicycles because they are afraid of negligent drivers. People should not avoid getting naked in public or at home because of their fear of paedophiles and perverts or prying neighbours. Who wins when you change the way you live out of fear? Problem behaviour can be dealt with directly by confronting people who are behaving inappropriately and alerting law enforcement authorities if the behaviour continues to be suspicious or the individual becomes a threat.

The idea that somehow children are negatively affected by non-sexualised nudity is a myth. Children are more likely to be curious if nudity is discouraged in their family, but generally it's a non-issue. Indeed there's plenty to suggest that children whose parents are particularly repressive tend to harbour deep insecurities and unhealthy attitudes in later life. With the best will in the world, advertising, television and the Internet ensure that all children are exposed frequently to impossible body ideals, the "pornification" of nudity, and images of sexualised violence and exploitation. Non-sexual nudity is just people being people, without all that, and represents a healthy counter-influence. WNBR participants are all shapes, sizes and ages, and the message they all send is "hey, I'm happy to me, happy to be alive in my unique and imperfect skin."

A frequently-seen slogan on WNBR rides is "nude not crude!" — the reference is to crude oil, but applies equally to crude manners. There is nothing crude about being comfortable with your body.

See also:

Wikipedia's article on Issues in social nudity.

If you know about a child who is in immediate danger or risk, call the police.

Online (e.g. social media) incidents should also be reported to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre or call +44 (0)870 000 3344.

The Bristol WNBR team will report any suspicious or disturbing behaviour to the police.

We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.

Having fun and doing public outreach are not mutually exclusive goals. People see us on the streets and you can see the gears turning in their heads. People see a large group of cyclists and they think to themselves, what is this, why are they doing that? It won't take long for them to figure out that by doing something different, by immersing ourselves in lanes intended for cars and not for bicycles, by tossing our clothes and rejecting our shame, we are protesting a way of life which needs to be abandoned.

We paint our bodies with political messages or beautiful designs to complement our forms. We pass out flyers informing the public about our message. We use portable public address systems or raise our voices and chant in unison

Getting people to laugh and smile is a great way to connect and share ideas in a non-threatening way. We realise there will always be the occasional grinch that just can't share the road with cyclists or stand the sight of a natural human being. Fortunately for us, their numbers are decreasing and ours are increasing.

We are not stopping traffic, we are traffic! Critical Mass and other cycle activism groups promote awareness of cyclists out of necessity — many cyclists are seriously injured and killed by careless drivers. That includes commuters, students, children, police officers on bicycles. Everybody is at risk in a society that promotes car culture over walking, cycling and sustainable transport.

Many roads were not built for bicycle traffic, many communities were not designed to take advantage of the world's most efficient means of personal transport. Instead, we have subordinated our common sense and community values to the requirements of large, expensive, dangerous, loud and polluting vehicles. Oil has become one of our most important commodities despite its inherent costs of war and innocent lives. No wild area is seen as too pristine to mine for this "black gold". This must change.

Like Critical Mass, WNBR aims to promote bicycle transportation and recreation, and environmentally-responsible, sustainable solutions to living in the 21st Century. Who can turn down the opportunity to be free of emissions, cars and shame?

The Bristol World Naked Bike Ride moves as a large single group through the city, and does not meaningfully disrupt other traffic. It can take a while for over a hundred cyclists to cross junctions, but we're talking a minute or two, at worst. Ride marshals make sure that riders move very swiftly aside to make way for any emergency vehicles. Unlike cars, cycles can do this even in narrow streets.

Short answer: no.

Longer answer, well, possibly, if you do something to deserve it. The one and only arrest I've ever personally seen on a Bristol WNBR was of an extremely drunk non-participant who thought that a bunch of people preparing to set off naked on bikes was an excuse for him to strip off and behave in a sexually aggressive manner towards one of our ride marshals. He was detained until the police arrived (three minutes later) to take him away. Experience suggests that you are extremely unlikely to be arrested while participating normally in a WNBR. Obviously it doesn't put you above the law or common sense — it's not impossible to get arrested, if you behave badly enough, but the police aren't going to randomly arrest any participants. While the police have ever more powers to arrest protestors on ever more vague and insubstantial grounds, WNBR are not "trouble makers". Indeed one year, we somewhat defused a tense situation between the demonstrators and counter-demonstrators of another, completely unrelated protest. A bunch of people in balaclavas looking to start trouble found themselves seriously upstaged by over a hundred mostly naked people bowling through on bikes, with flowers and peace flags and bubble machines and a carefree, joyous attitude.

Police do not want to be seen groundlessly confronting a large group of peaceful naked people, we don't cause them any trouble and they have better things to do.

We strongly urge all riders to disengage with the best possible humour in the event of meeting any aggression. It is disarming to just laugh and leave. Keep it light, loud and proud.

Non-sexualised, colourful and creative nakedness in uptight societies is a refreshing way to remind people of some of the fundamental freedoms of life that people have collectively handed over, without really thinking of the consequences. Its about body-positive values: living a healthy life in tune with, not against, our environment; respecting the natural beauty and diversity of human bodies; and establishing and projecting a positive self-image and rejecting shame.

World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) is about protesting oil dependency and celebrating the power and individuality of our bodies. Naked bicycle people power!

WNBR is highly infectious. Its message and image has immediate widespread appeal. It operates on a simple, scaleable model, relies on grassroots promotion, and integrates easily into collaborative projects and interests in the vast majority of progressive communities across the globe. It is no wonder that events are rapidly spreading to other cities all over the globe!

WNBR is not just a great event for spectators, visiting tourists and the general public, it is an amazing experience that everybody can either participate in, witness or support at whatever level they are comfortable.

People love the idea of participating in a ride that celebrates the natural beauty of the human body, the shameless freedom and innocent sensual pleasure from not wearing clothes while travelling pollution-free through the breeze through our communities.

They also enjoy engaging the public in a cheerful, light-hearted way about a very serious threat to the entire globe – oil dependency and car culture. For some it is also a great feeling to stick it to the man, to challenge the status quo, and raise the blood pressure of prudes and gas guzzlers alike. We have noticed that the same people who support the oil industry and a culture of complacency on important environmental issues tend to also be repressive of other peoples' personal freedom.

Others see it as delivering a very powerful, life-affirming, basic message:

Bristol WNBR has pages on facebook and Instagram.

People who support the message of WNBR are invited to join the main discussion group at https://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldNakedBikeRide/

Visit the WNBR past events page. Search online for coverage of past Bristol rides.

Bristol WNBR is often covered by local, and occasionally by national, news organisations. See the WNBR media coverage page for a more international perspective.

See the main WNBR website's History section.

People from all walks of life and beliefs. We have families with children, engineers, university professors, carpenters, environmentalists, sport cyclists, gardeners, artists, bike activists, naturists/nudists, social activists, therapists, poets, city workers, lots of college students, millionaires, people who are living in poverty, pilots, festival folk, union organisers, labourers, legal professionals, people who are just curious what it would be like to ride — people just like you! You would be surprised!

We hope to have some promotional items for sale on the day. These are all provided on a voluntary basis by ride participants, with proceeds paying towards the costs of renting the assembly space and other ride expenses like banners, leaflets, posters, equipment, etc. Bristol WNBR costs are modest and mostly met from organisers' own pockets. For example, ride two-way radios are loaned by ride organisers, and so on.

No. There are plenty of pictures available all over the web. We encourage active participation in the ride itself.

Sorry, but this is Unlikely. Bristol WNBR is not a registered charity, nor a community project as such, though we feel that we do provide community value in raising the profile of cycling as a green transport option, and in promoting acceptance, freedom and body-positivity. Bristol WNBR organisers are extremely grateful for any and all donations towards ride expenses, but if it's important to you to maximise your donations with Gift Aid, there are many very worthy local charities who need and deserve support.