The Naked Miles

One of my favorite events of the year has come and gone, and once again, the Philly Naked Bike Ride was a success. This was my 3rd consecutive year of ridership, and every year offers its own unique experiences. Like many others, I took my camera along for the ride...

I'd used two different bikes for my first two rides and decided to keep the tradition going. As I mentioned yesterday, I didn't want to take my brand new bike just yet. Good thing I have my girlfriend's bike hanging around here, just itching to get outside:

As you can see, I made some appropriate retro-fittings. I brought my bike bag over (more on that later) and covered the seat with a plastic bag and a bandanna on top of that. Naked skin on leather is not all that enjoyable. This guy was hanging out in his birthday suit trying to ride along:

I told him he had to stay home.

Somewhat surprisingly, the ride kicked off at the same place as last year, the Glendinning Rock Garden along the Schuylkill River Trail in North Philly. The ride planners probably figured the seclusion worked well last year. Why mess with what works?

Once at the back of the field, that's where the pre-ride gathering began. Lots of unique sights as always including these guys riding a trike pushing a friend with a broken leg:

This guy went for the Mardi Gras treatment:

As you can see, body painting is also a big part of the experience. This train of painting was pretty neat:

Here's my catchy slogan installment for this year:

I was finally able to go with a slogan on the back this year because I didn't need to wear a backpack to carry my clothes. The ride organizers mention that bringing clothes along is optional, but I find it makes the end of the ride much easier. I also don't like to travel without my spare pump, tube, multi-tool, etc. Anyway, I saw someone with a similar message later on in the pre-ride:

Kermit made an appearance:

And there were some other unique rides:

After everyone was all painted up and ready to go, we started riding down Kelly Drive towards Center City:

Just passed the Philly Art Museum on Ben Franklin Parkway:

Lookin' good Philly!

I didn't shift out of 3rd gear most of the ride. Quite a leisurely pace:

We were stopped on 17th Street near Market when a bystander decided to join. This happens quite regularly, and when it does, everyone cheers:

Rollerblades and other forms of "alternative" transportation are also welcome:

As you can see, it was a little shady by this time of day. With the wind, this part of the ride became a little chilly too:

We rode right past my office (even though no one was working) and eventually made our way to Broad Street south of City Hall. You would be able to see it if not for the gigantic crane:

This guy is the MVP. Kids are welcome too:

This is on South St, right near where a few of my bystander friends were watching. Apparently they got pics and sent them to my girlfriend:

We always get plenty of cheers. Way more than boos or disgusts. We rode past one of my favorite bars, Jon's at 3rd & South:

Heading back towards Center City:

City Hall again:

Back on the Ben Franklin Parkway, almost home:

We ended at Eakins Oval, where I climbed the steps at the fountain to give you a real perspective of just how many people participated. Full frontal nudity in these pics, just FYI:

Unreal. Someone estimated 3,000 riders. Not sure whether or not that's accurate, and it's impossible to truly get an accurate count, but the picture is worth a thousand words.

My only disappointment was in the length of the ride, as it clocked in at just around 6 miles. I'm used to 10-12 miles. Perhaps the organizers cut it short due to the fall-like weather. All things considered, I was chilly by the end, and definitely ready to put my clothes back on.

I have no idea if riding a bike naked with thousands of people actually achieves our goal of raising environmental, cycling, and positive image awareness, but honestly it just feels right. It feels good to be a kid again if only for a few hours. It feels good to be a part of a unique experience every year in solidarity with thousands of like-minded people. There's power in the sheer energy around the event, and that means a lot.

Until next year...