London Naked Bike Ride 2011

In London on saturday I encountered this years annual naked bike ride - whilst it had escaped my notice previously it involved over 1000 brave(!!) souls baring "as much as they dared" (which in most cases appeared to be everything) to cycle about 9 miles around central London and past all the main tourist attractions in the buff. The protest, which involved many thousands of participants at various locations around England and in many countries across the world, was intended to champion the need for safer cycling and highlight society's over dependence on oil and the motor car. The nudity was intended to demonstrate how vulnerable cyclists can be on our roads. It also meant that the sight of such a large group of naked bodies riding around Covent Garden etc could not fail to achieve maximum notice from the many thousands of visitors. Southend may have set a world record for its naked rollercoaster ride earlier in the year but I am not sure the town is ready for a naked bike ride yet! However the cause was a good one so well done to all the brave participants who seemed to attract a positive and enthusiastic response from the onlookers.