Pro-Environment Naked Bike Ride in Philly Draws Thousands

Brittany M. Hughes | August 31, 2015
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Photo by Joe Warner/NJ.com

(Photo by Joe Warner/NJ.com)

Folks in the City of Brotherly Love were probably feeling an extra level of togetherness Saturday as several thousand cyclists rode naked around Philadelphia to promote energy conservation and “positive body image” as part of the seventh annual Philly Naked Bike Ride.

According to the Associated Press, about 3,000 participants from across the country showed up covered in body paint, glitter, underwear or even just their shoes to ride the 12-mile course that wound throughout the city. While many people wore only decorative paint, some riders sported pro-environment and anti-oil messages. One woman had painted her naked back with the message, “Live free, ride nude” to promote “body freedom,” she said.

Amtrak, which received almost $1.4 billion in taxpayer subsidies this fiscal year, also offered a 10 percent discount on tickets to participants that traveled to the event by train – presumably clothed.

The Naked Philly Bike Ride’s website says the event is held each year to promote “fuel conscious consumption, positive body image, and cycling advocacy.” The group also recommended that riders wrap their bike seats in “a t-shirt, a bandana, a swatch of velvet, or anything else that will make your bum feel happy.”

For those who chose not to, we can only hope the seats were comfortable.

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