On Sunday, June 14, the tenth annual Brighton Naked Bike Ride will pedal through the city, in celebration of bikes, body power and low-carbon living.
ONE of over 50 World Naked Bike Ride events around the globe – including ten in the UK – the event aims to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists and the environment, set against the destructive effects of over a billion oil-dependent vehicles dominating urban spaces, and accounting for a sixth of global carbon emissions.
Environmental campaigner and co-organiser Duncan Blinkhorn, said: “The World Naked Bike Ride has become a great Brighton tradition – a light-hearted and liberating protest that brings cheers and smiles in its wake. Brighton & Hove has made huge progress in becoming less car dependent and more bike friendly since our first ride in 2006. However, the UK and most of the world has a long way to go to reduce CO2 emissions by over 80 percent, to avoid climate catastrophe by 2050. 2015 is a critical year: in December a global climate summit will be hosted in Paris. The world will be looking to its leaders to deliver more decisive action and ensure that fossil fuels are kept in their place – in the ground! A group of us will be cycling from Brighton to Paris to join thousands of others making that very point, and pushing for a more urgent shift to renewable energy.”
He added: “The World Naked Bike Ride aims to be fun, empowering and inclusive, with participants invited to ride ‘as bare as you dare’. It shows how much less vulnerable you can feel when cycling en masse – even if you’re stark naked – and offers a cheery vision of what a cycling city can look like.”
Up to a thousand riders are expected to assemble at The Level park (BN2 3FX) in central Brighton at 12 noon on Sunday , June 14.
Participants are encouraged to decorate their bikes and bodies with environmental messages.
The procession, accompanied by a fleet of sound systems, will head off at 1.30pm. It will pass several of the city’s iconic sites including the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Pier, seafront, Lanes, North Laine and the gay village in Brighton Kemptown before finishing at Black Rock naturist beach.
The event is part of national Bike Week and participation is free.
To find out more about the event and how to take part, click here: