Sheffield

WNBR:2008 The Star, 10th June 2008 p12 Article by Tony Belshaw

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List of rides > UK > Sheffield 

General Information

• Email sheffield AT wnbr DOT org DOT uk
• or call 01414 161494

Announcements only (organisations and interested persons)

• subscribe to wnbrshefflocal AT googlegroups DOT com (open to anyone, subscribers list is private)
• Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/wnbrsheffield

Riders or potential riders

• Join our Yahoo and/or Facebook groups
• RSVP our Facebook event.

...Alternatively, just turn up and join in, as bare as you dare!

Everybody is welcome, so please come and join in. We hope to have over one hundred naked riders thronging Sheffield's streets in this June's 2010 event.

Please donate to the WNBR UK Fund

The UK World Naked Bike Ride fund meets the cost of insuring rides
across the UK, and provides local organisers with money for
poster/flyer printing, advertising, ride equipment etc.
Please give generously.

Next ride

Date: Saturday 19 June 2010
Time: 10 am
Location: off Rustlings Road in Endcliffe Park, at the Victoria Monument (this area is just off the Ecclesall Road, and south-west of Sheffield city centre

Endcliffe Park (Hunters Bar roundabout entrance)
Rustlings Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S11 7AB

Register your interest in riding

Let us know on the Yahoo Group or the Facebook Group. If you prefer not to join a group you can let us know on email to sheffield AT wnbr DOT org DOT uk or by phoning or you can let us know on this link.

About the ride

A peaceful, imaginative and fun protest against oil dependency and car culture. A celebration of the bicycle and also a celebration of the power and individuality of the human body. A symbol of the vulnerability of the cyclist in traffic. The world's biggest naked protest: 50+ cities and thousands of riders participate worldwide, including more than 1500 in the UK in 2007

Be prepared

First off, check your bike is in good working order. Bring something to safely carry your clothes in (panniers, rucksack, etc)- this is important as the rides does not finish back at Endcliffe Park. Bring a spare inner tube in case of puncture. Finally, you might want to decorate your bike and body with slogans, and bring bells and whistles!

Route

The first 2008, second 2009, and third 2010, Sheffield World Naked Bike Ride starts in Endcliffe Park at the Victoria Monument (map).

NOTES: Try and avoid gathering near the Endcliffe Park Cafe as this is a family cafe. DO NOT GET COMPLETELY UNDRESSED IN THE PARK - EITHER leave on a minmal amoumt to whip off just outside the gates, or once we're on to Ecclesall Road, or wait for the halt at St Marys Gate Roundabout

WNBR Sheffield 2010 proposed route, version 12

Start Endcliffe Park Hunters Bars Entrance approx 10:30am

1. RIDERS ARE ASKED NOT TO GET COMPLETELY UNDRESSED IN THE PARK
2. Enter roundabout and take 2nd exit – Ecclesall Road
3. Continue to Roundabout at St Marys Gate
4. Enter cycle Lane to left
5. Brief stop to re-group in underpass at centre of roundabout
6. Exit Roundabout onto Moore Street
7. Right onto FitzWilliam St
8. Right onto Devonshire Street
9. Straight on into Division Street
10. Follow road right onto Cambridge Street
11. Right onto Wellington Street
12. Left onto Carver Street
13. Left onto Furnival Gate
14. Left onto Pinstone Street
15. Left onto Cambridge Street – follow round to right - Charles Street
16. right onto Pinstone Street
17. At T Junction right onto Furnival Gate
18. At Rounabout left(1st exit) onto Charter Row
19. Left onto William Street
20. Continue into Cumberland st
21. Left onto Eyre Street
22. Right onto Jessop Street
23. Left onto Slyvester St
24. Left onto Arundel St
25. Right onto Matilda St
26. Turn left onto Shoreham Street
27. Continue past Railway station to Park Square
28. Follow cycle lane left onto Commercial Street
29. Right onto Market Place continue down Angel Street
30. Right onto Castle Street
31. Right onto Haymarket
32. Straight on Fitzalen Sq
33. Left onto Flat Street
34. Straight on - Pond Street
35. Right up Howard Street - once dark grey paving stops follow red cycle path right
36. Brief stop to regroup
37. Right onto Arundel Gate using light controlled crossing
38. Left onto High St Street (becomes Church Street)
39. Straight on - West Street
40. Straight across Hanover Way onto Glossop Road
41. Take left-hand fork onto Clarkhouse Road
42. Follow Road onto Brocco Bank
43. At Hunters Bar turn left onto Ecclesall Road
44. Continue on Ecclesall road to Roundabout on St. Marys Gate
45. Stop in underpass at centre of Roundabout, dress and disperse

(We encourage riders to then go to the bike festival on Devonshire Green nearby)

(Many thanks to David for planning this route)

Bike hire

Bikes can be hired from several places in Sheffield, but we'll try to list some recommended hire locations shortly.

Planning

In 2010 Dave, Andy and Max are working together to plan the event. Its is open to anyone to join in and help us and we do need volunteers. Whether you can do a little or a lot your help is very welcome. Jobs that need doing include designing publicity materials, contacting particular organisations, distributing leaflets, emailing people and a million small things. We usually meet to plan stuff in the Fat Cat but anything can be arranged. If you'd like to help please contact one of us by any of the means described above.

Publicity

The Sheffield ride publicity materials will be provided here for download and distribution.

Poster

For the 2009 ride, some A4 posters have been printed. If more are needed, a PDF file can be downloaded from

• Full colour A4 Poster for Sheffield (UK design)

for printing locally.

History

2009

Saturday 13 June 2009, 10am-3pm (18 naked riders, including 2 women)

Ride report:

The second Sheffield ride had 18 participants on Saturday 13th June 2009. The ride brought cheer and smiles to bystanders as we passed by, with no reported hecklers. Furthermore, the park authorities seemed quite supportive in their lack of intervention.

We met at 10am inside the gates of Endcliffe Park under the gaze of the Queen Victoria statue, which serves as an eye-catching landmark for folk to gather beneath. After an hour of sunbathing and chatting, whilst awaiting later arrivals, we set off at 11:05am. The ride took about an hour and ten minutes and we therefore cycled back into Endcliffe Park at about 12:15pm.

There were 18 naked riders which was down from last year's 27 participants, although the weather was just as nice and sunny with a warm gentle breeze. The golden sunshine and clear blue skies, made it a wonderful day for everbody. This year, as it was our second annual ride, we were hoping for around one hundred naked riders. However, as the London WNBR was held in the afternoon, this may have lowered the turn out as folk thronged to the London ride which had over one thousand riders. On the upside, there were two naked ladies who took part in the ride, which was better than last year as there were none at all. A third lady, accompanying her naked brother, chose to ride fully clothed.

The only unfortunate incident was when a very unhappy police officer stopped the ride on Arundel Gate as we attempted to turn left on to Norfolk Street and ride up into the city centre. We were held up for several minutes whilst ride organiser Nick Oodian explained the purpose of the ride and gave him the police reference for our political protest. The police officer seemed none too happy that we had been previously authorised and redirected us away from the pre-planned city centre route. This inconvenience caused us to miss the onlook of the high density pedestrian areas around the Town Hall and Peace Gardens. Full marks go to Nick for his diplomatic skills in placating the irate officer and allowing the ride to continue, albeit on an alternative route. The police officer returned to his police car, and we rode away continuing down Arundel Gate.

Back at Endcliffe Park a professional photographer was present and courteously asked folk for their permission to photograph them naked with their bicycles and he also undertook audio recorded interviews with some of the riders. Max Pratt suggested to the photographer that a group photo of everyone would be a good idea, at this suggestion the photographer asked Nick Oodian about it, whereupon everybody gathered in a line with the trees as the backdrop. With out doubt a great day was had by everybody!

Dave, Max, and Andy have formed a working group to start planning for next year's ride in June 2010.

If you want to help, please get in touch.... 0797 252 0910 sheffield@wnbr.org.uk

2008

Sunday 8 June 2008, 2-5pm (29 naked riders, all male)

Ride report: The first ever Sheffield ride had 27 participants on Sunday 8 June 2008. The response was generally positive (just one heckler called out during the ride). Happily, both the park authorities and Police were OK with the ride. It was a great and surreal experience. A number of the ride participants now plan to work together to make Sheffield WNBR 2008 a success (with hopefully 2 or 3 times the number of riders).

Media coverage

2009

• The Star (South Yorkshire), 15 Jun 2009, page 2: "Naked cyclists on Ecclesall Road - PICTURES! THE bare-faced cheek of it!" – photo by Stuart Hastings, author unknown
• Sheffield Telegraph, 15 Jun 2009: "Naked cyclists on Ecclesall Road - PICTURES! THE bare-faced cheek of it!" – photo by Stuart Hastings, author unknown

2008

WNBR Sheffield 2008: Max Pratt waves at photographer. Photo scanned from The Star, 10 June 2008, page 12. Accompanying article by Tony Belshaw

WNBR Sheffield 2008: The Star, page 12, 10 June 2008. Article by Tony Belshaw

• The Star (South Yorkshire), 10 Jun 2008: "29 naked cyclists stun onlookers" by Tony Belshaw
• Sheffield Telegraph, 5 Jun 2008: "Cyclists slip out of gear to protest against car culture"

Photos

• Flickr search: "sheffield naked bike ride"

Links

Websites

• WNBR UK – official site for UK rides
• WNBR Sheffield's wiki page – official wiki page for the Sheffield ride (this page!)
• The Sheffield WNBR Facebook page
• wnbr-sheffield Yahoo! Group - 6 members
• World Naked Bike Ride - Sheffield (UK) Saturday 19th June 2010 - Facebook Group page - 37 members, created Monday 15th June 2009 by Max Pratt
• World Naked Bike Ride - Sheffield (UK) Saturday 19th June 2010 - Facebook Event page - 5 RSVPs, created Sunday 21st June 2009 by Max Pratt

Nearby rides

• Manchester
• York

Discussion group/s

Join the WNBR UK list if you plan to ride and want to receive important updates or share in general UK ride planning.

• WNBR UK – Yahoo! discussion group for all UK rides

Related links

• Bike Week - The Sheffield ride takes place at the time of the UK's annual 'celebration of cycling' but it hasn't been officially registered yet

Location information

• ViaMichelin map of Sheffield
• Wikipedia: Sheffield
• Wikipedia: Yorkshire