York history

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Accounts of previous rides:

2019

Our 13th ride took place on the afternoon of the 22nd June, at 4.15pm. The route passed through Heslington, Tang Hall, the Route 66 cycle track, the city centre, twice, and stopped at Clifford's Tower for a commemorative photoshoot. Before the ride, organisers were contacted by the grandparents of a lad called Dom, and probably his sister Moira, who wanted to give the kids a surprise. They indicated where they'd be standing, and organisers warned riders of this beforehand - so lots of riders greeted Dom and Moira on the way into St Helen's Square, see https://youtu.be/f6nbOr4qeIA There were 91 riders.

2018

Saturday 23rd June saw this year's ride - with extremely detailed planning. For instance, this was the route and timings!!

Route of 2018 YWNBR All timings approximate, based on one traverse of the route, cycling at relatively slow speeds. The actual ride is likely to be slower. Millennium Bridge, leaving at 16.35 Butcher Terrace, Left onto Bishopthorpe Road, Right onto Racecourse cycle path, Arrive at 'Ruby’s Crossroads', 16.43 (10 min stop, approx) 16.53 Knavesmire Road, Left onto Tadcaster Road, 17.00 Cross Tadcaster Road to traverse Hob Moor, Arrive Hob Moor 17.08 Leave Hob Moor 17.13 Green Lane, 17.19 Left onto Front St, Second exit of the first roundabout, Third exit of the second roundabout, York Road, 17.26 Left onto Carr Lane, Right onto Boroughbridge Road, Left onto Water End, Right onto Salisbury Terrace, 17.31 Jubilee Terrace, Cycle path to Scarborough Bridge and the end of Wellington Row Right off path through car park and service road between Memorial Gardens and flats Left onto Leeman Road, 17.39 10 min stop at the triangular gardens between Station Rise/Station Road/Leeman Road, 17.49 Rougier St, 17.53 Left onto Tanner Row, Right onto North St, Left onto Bridge St and over Ouse Bridge, Left onto Spurriergate and Coney St, Right through St Helen’s Square, 17.57 Right onto Davygate. Left onto Church St, Left onto Swinegate Right onto Grape Lane Right onto Low Petergate, Right onto Pavement, 18.01 Coppergate, Left onto Clifford St, Left into the Eye of York where we will stop for a group photo 18.04 (20 min stop, approx) Cross Clifford St into Tower Gardens, 18.24 New Walk, Millennium Bridge. 18.34

This helped police and stewards. The photo-stop at Clifford's Tower was in front of the temporary Rose Theatre which was being built, and several people read out Shakesperian-inspired poetry or skits on plays by the Great Bard.

2017

Saturday 25th June, and a lovely route via Heslington, and then into town via the Fishergate Gyratory and Piccadilly, down Stonebow to one of the cycle cut-throughs, Aldwark, to Deangate and past the Minster, a die-in at St Helen's Square, and then crossing the river on Lendal Bridge, and back into the centre via Rougir St, Ouse Bridge, the mandatory stop at Clifford's Tower, and back to Millennium Bridge. 85 riders, two passengers. There was an afterparty at the Knavesmire pub, too!

2016

As usual we started at Millennium Bridge on the east of the River Ouse, at 5.30pm. We crossed the bridge and cycled along the bank northwards as far as Memorial Gardens, where we turned left to Leeman Road, and then left again over Skeldergae Bridge and left down St Leonard's Place and then along Gillygate, Lord Mayor's Walk and right back into town along Goodramgate to Duncombe Place where we had a stop, enabling coiled red ribbons to be given out for the 'Theatrical Happening' just a couple of minutes further on in St Helen's Square. We had agreed with Police to not arrive in the Square until 5.30, to ensure no clashes with the military vehicles which were taking down the war machine erected in Parliament St. However, just before we were due to leave Duncombe Place, a pedestrian fell in the street, we think unconnected with our presence, and our First Aider Stephen leapt to the rescue. We eventually were permitted to pass by and we assembled in St Helen's Square for the experimental event, based on the Stop Killing Cyclists 'die ins' to highlight cyclist deaths. John Cossham had researched the cyclists who had died on UK roads as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle in the 12 months preceding June 2016. Some names were read out with some detail of their lives and death. Selected riders had agreed to lie down when particular names were read out, and the die-in started. After the most recent casualties were detailed, the other names were solemnly listed and a number of riders placed their bikes on the ground and released their red ribbon, signifying blood, and a silence was observed. This had been impossible to practice and choreograph, however it was a powerful statement.

The remainder of the ride progressed almost without incident, barring a short cut over the pavement at the junction of Parliament St and Coppergate, an oversight by the ride leader. The route took us to our usual photo stop at the Eye of York, around the Fishergate Gyratory, over Ouse Bridge and through Bishopthorpe Road shops, up Scarcroft Road, cutting through Scarcroft Hill to Albermarle Road which led us to the Racecourse for a short obligatory stop near Ruby's Crossroads. From here it was only a short ride to the bridge.

There were fewer riders than the previous year, but we felt the 'naked die-in', which we believe to be a World First for a WNBR, was successful, and something we might recreate in future years. There was no after-party venue available this year, something we do need to rectify for 2017.

2015

Our route in 2015 started at Millennium Bridge and crossed the Ouse for a first stop at 'Ruby's Crossroads' to remember cyclists killed whilst riding. We then passed through the Racecourse, entering The Mount via Albermarle Road. We passed through Micklegate Bar, and clattered down the cobbles of Micklegate, crossed the river for the second time, and arrived at Coney Street just as the footstreets restriction finished at 5pm. At the end of Lendal, we turned towards the beautiful York Minster and cycled right next to it along Deangate. We then went along a backstreet called Aldwark, and arrive at Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate via St Saviourgate.

Wise advice from a York rider. Photo ©Toniminou 2015

We went through the town centre a second time, along Pavement (that's a road called Pavement, not riding on a pavement!), Coppergate, Clifford Street and down for our photo-stop at Clifford's Tower.

We then turned left out of the Eye of York, and cycled along Tower Street, Paragon Street, and through Fishergate Bar into George Street and Long Close Lane, which delivered us onto Walmgate and Navigation Road. We crossed York's newest bridge over the River Foss into Hungate, and from there into Peaseholme Green, onto the Inner Ring Road at Jewbury, St Maurice's Road, and along Lord Mayor's Walk. We headed into town yet again along Gillygate, St Leonard's Place, and crossed the Ouse for the third time at Lendal Bridge. At the West end of the bridge, we did a 180 degree left left onto Tanner's Moat, and then the home run via Wellington Row, North Street, Skeldergate, and Terry Avenue. We crossed Millennium Bridge again to finish where we started, on the East bank of the River, South of the beautiful Millennium Bridge. The full route was 7.6 miles.

Highlights of the day were the awards before and after the ride and the photo-call on the steps of York Courthouse, adjacent to Clifford's Tower. Check us out here. Awards were given out to a couple of stalwarts of the ride - Margaret, our oldest rider and one of the minor stars of the now classic London 2015 World Naked Bike Ride film, otherwise known as "Gran", and to Barry Freeman who was clocking up his 50th World Naked Bike Ride (beat that!). There was also a little prize for Tony H, aka the Green Man, who had ridden all the way up from Brighton. The photo-call with our banner "Notice Us When We're Not Naked!" once again attracted a lot of attention from York residents and tourists.

Back at Millennium Bridge we took a lot more photos, then many of us headed off to the after party in a nearby hostelry, where naked pizzas and an Open Mic session were on offer. Many thanks to John C. for all his organising.

2014

This was our longest ride yet, just under 9 miles. 122 riders left Millennium Bridge at 5.30pm and cycled around the West, centre and South East of York. We visited the Racecourse where a poem about cyclist deaths was read out, and a minute's silence observed. The poem was written for the 'Stop Killing Cyclists' London Die-In, protesting the many cyclist deaths there in 2013 and 2014. The ride then passed through Holgate, Poppleton Road, Water End and from Clifton Bridge to St Peter's Fields where there was had a photo-stop. Form here the route led through the centre of York, Clifford's Tower, and finally through the University and Walmgate Stray back to the Bridge. Immediately afterwards, there was a 'clothing optional' social, with live music and other entertainment in a nearby private venue, which was also used before the ride as a secure body-painting venue.

2013

Turning heads

As we gathered near the Millennium Bridge in the warm late afternoon sunshine for the Eighth York Naked Bike Ride, it gradually became evident that it would be a big one – perhaps the biggest yet. There was a good age and gender balance, and much preparative work had been done on body painting to very good effect. The weather was so favourable that hardly any of the stewards wanted to wear hi-viz yellow jackets. As we set off, on time, down the river path towards the university, my chain came off, so I ended up near the back of the long throng of cyclists. That enabled me to witness the immediate aftermath of a minor nose-to-tail collision between two cars travelling in the opposite direction along the Heslington Lane, as the irate woman in the front car got out to accost the poor, distracted woman sitting in the driver’s seat of the rear one.

York naked cyclists get themselves noticed at Cliffords Tower. Photo © Nigel Butterfield 2013

Would we be mentioned as an excuse in some insurance claim? It set me in mind of a radio interview I had done several years earlier in which I had said I would like people to be able to cycle naked whenever the weather was suitable, which the interviewer had ridiculed on the grounds that it would cause lots of accidents. He had missed the point; what I wanted was a society in which it would be regarded as so natural, normal and commonplace for people to be naked in hot weather that no-one would turn their heads.

As we cycled up the University Road, we could have been forgiven for thinking it was a Far Eastern University, since the route was lined with hundreds of Oriental students with their cameras and camera-phones. It was surely not chance that they were all there, so the publicity machine must have worked for them, so why weren’t there any on the actual ride? It’s obviously not natural, normal and commonplace for people to cycle naked in the Far East. There were even more Oriental students in town, as we were greeted with the usual cheering reception, though Parliament Street itself was comparatively deserted. Having been the front rider for the past three years, I had been used to being the one who presented the surprise element to unsuspecting members of the public, and could glean their reaction. At the rear, it became evident that many people had already got quite blasé by the time we passed, leading me to wonder whether naked cyclists really would pose such a head-turning threat if they were commonplace. I’ve never had any evidence that we have ever actually caused offence.

Stopping at the Eye of York for group photos under Clifford’s Tower with a brand new banner proclaiming, “Notice us when we’re NOT naked”, enabled a head count at the resumption which showed that, at somewhere in the region of 110 riders, it was indeed the biggest yet. As far as I’m concerned the banner could have read, “Don’t notice that we are naked” – that would represent the biggest social triumph.

(Hugh Dower)

2012

Despite chilly weather, 79 riders were counted on the Clifford's Tower section of the ride, and it was by all accounts a very successful event. The big difference this year, making it a lot safer and quicker, was that the Police told us to wait at lights if they were at red, and then come through when they turned green, and to all stay as one group, continuing through the junction as one 'long vehicle', despite the rear of that juggernaut coming through after the lights had gone red again. This caused far less disruption than on previous years when our instructions were to obey the lights, and then part of the group having to wait for the others to catch up. Thus, we got around the 6.5 mile circuit in one hour 5 minutes.

We crossed the bridge onto the West side of the Ouse and headed South to the snicket up towards Terrys. One novice rider fell off here, into nettles (poor chap!) and he left the ride at this point. The rest of us gathered at Ruby's Crossroads, and remembered those cyclists who have been killed whilst out riding, including Ruby Milnes, Neil Ashley from Bristol, killed in Wokingham in about 2006, Police Sgt Kev Green killed whilst cycling on the York ring road in about 2002, and prominent cycle campaigner Mark Brummel from Southampton killed in the New Forest on 28 May.

After a minute's silence and contemplation, we continued back into town, mouning The Mount, breezing along Blossom Street, sliding down past the station, and crawling over Lendal Bridge towards the Minster. Due to the large numbers of crowds on Petergate (were they all waiting for us, I wonder?) the police decided to take us along Deangate and Goodramgate, to rejoin our planned route down Colliergate, Fossgate and Walmgate. However, somehow, the front person missed the right turn onto George St, and continued towards Walmgate Bar. I hoped we'd go right at Hope St, but no, we went through the Bar and right towards the Barbican Centre, where we rejoined our intended route, onto the Fishergate gyratory and back into town, via Clifford's Tower/Eye of York. From here it was up Clifford Street, over Ouse Bridge, bumping over the uphill cobbles of Micklegate and then down Priory Street, following the walls round to Baile Hill, where we wriggled round to Terry Avenue and back to the bridge.

Before the ride, we sold raffle tickets to win prizes donated by local bike shops. We are grateful to Fulford Cycles, Cycle Heaven, Cycle Street and Get Cycling for the prizes, which raised (along with sales of flags and bamboos) close to £100 to help pay for inevitable WNBR costs. We are also happy that Cycle Heaven at the station, Get Cycling and Giant on Lord Mayors Walk all offered afternoon bike hire for just a fiver. I know that Get Cycling was surprised by the numbers of enquiries!

(John Cossham)

2011

The attempts of a lone motorist to block the naked traffic on Micklegate prove futile, York WNBR 2011. Photo © Toniminou

The 4 June ride went the opposite way around our usual circuit and started and ended in the middle (it that makes sense!) at the gleaming Millennium Bridge. The weather was a little warmer than last year, but a few more degrees would have helped keep the chill off when we were stationary at some of those really slow-phased traffic lights. Although there was a lower turn-out than last year, the good humour, colourful body-paint and decorated bikes of many of our riders more than made up for it.

We cycled a pleasant route over Millennium Bridge and along Terry Avenue into town. It took several goes to get through the junction of Skeldergate and Bridge Street before we took on the late Saturday-afternoon crowds in Coney Street. We triumphantly passed by the Minster and veered southwards down Petergate and onto Pavement and Coppergate. Once again we called in at Cliffords Tower and did the obligatory circular round the eye of York, before retracing our tyre tracks back towards Ousebridge. We bumped merrily up the steep cobbles of Micklegate.

Another long wait at the Bar (city gate), then we regrouped on Blossom Street and descended to the Knavesmire. We had a brief stop at Ruby’s Crossroads to remember both Ruby and all other cyclists killed on UK roads in recent years, before finally rejoining the riverside path and returning to the Bridge whence we came.

(Tony)

2010

The late afternoon of June 19th was the occasion for the chilliest of our naked bike rides. Nevertheless about 100 riders bared their shivering bodies in a great show of support for an oil-free green future. We processed through the ancient city streets of Petergate, Parliament Street and Coppergate. We rode round the circle below Cliffords Tower and crossed to St George's Field to join the riverside path. Once over the still-shiny Millennium Bridge we called in at the Racecourse where two minutes silence were observed in memory of a young cyclist who was killed there in 2008. The return leg took us via the Mount and a busy Blossom Street and thence under Micklegate Bar and back into the City once more. Our own experienced stewards did their very best to manage ride safety, with scarcely any help from the police. By the time we got to Museum Gardens we were quite glad to get our clothes on once more!

2009

"Bike Pride" was truly in evidence in York on June 12th. We had 100 riders counted on Parliament Street, and the feeling on the ride was great! The new extension offered an interesting peek at Clifton for the out of town folk, and a relaxing start to the ride. The folks in York were typically surprised, bemused, delighted, shocked, nonchalant, and impressed. And once again we took some of the key attractions of the historic city, Lendal Bridge, the Minster, Clifford's Tower, plus the more recent Millennium Cycle Bridge.

World Naked Bike Pride? Petergate, York 2009. Photo © Toniminou

The York Press was present as was a crew from Yorkshire TV's Calendar programme. Apparently, before we finished the ride, the people of Yorkshire knew all about it via their evening televisions.

After an excellent pro-cycling send-off speech - and blast on the air horn - from Green city councillor Dave Taylor, we all set off via Marygate, emerging onto Bootham where we became the main outbound traffic. We had lots of elaborately decorated bikes and beautifully painted and decorated bodies riding them! The police were happy to assist us at junctions and were in a good mood about the whole thing.

A number of riders had the words "Less Gas More Ass" on their backs in memory of Jonathan Brooke who sadly passed away in 2008 and to whom this ride was dedicated. He had participated in all three previous York rides. He loved the ride, and his relaxed, friendly, and enthusiastic nature was a delight to fellow riders.

We were fortunate to have the company on this ride of the UK's oldest rider: Margaret or 'Gran' who rode the entire route in good spirits at the spritely age of 87. While she found the London ride in 2005 too cold to ride in the nude, she managed the rides in London 2006 and York 2009 with the clothes she was born with.

What a great ride! I look forward to 2010!

(Report by Jesse and Tony)

2008

There were 90 riders (89 people and one dog in a trailer), and the atmosphere was excellent. We were warmly received throughout York, and initial responses suggest that the new route variation was popular.

At the assembly point there was some hectic last minute body-painting and interviews with the media then we all relocated to the Esplanade for the official ride opening. Local campaigner Randall Ghent from the World Carfree Network opened the proceedings with a rousing send-off speech and three toots on an air-horn. The ribbon was cut and off we rode to the tune of “Bare Necessities”.

WNBR York 2008: Riders crossing the Millennium Bridge. Photo © Johnathan Carey

Proceeding over Lendal Bridge towards the Minster there were some fine shots to be had of naked cyclists against the sunlit backdrop of the cathedral’s west front. We rode down historic Petergate, Colliergate, across to Fossgate and up over the little cobbled bridge than spans the river Foss. Along George Street we gave a passing nod to the last resting place of highwayman Dick Turpin, then it was through Fishergate Bar and down to join the banks of the Ouse. Many had turned out to watch and applaud us as we went over Millennium Bridge and headed northwards once more to rejoin the city walls at Skeldergate. We meandered through some quiet streets and found ourselves on historic Micklegate – and more cobbles! Ousebridge was full of traffic as usual though at least half of it this time consisted of our naked selves. On Coney Street there were throngs of people cheering us on the home run. Finally a bevy of photographers - with very little help from the police – kindly blocked the traffic for us as we crossed to finish our ride in Museum Gardens.

There was lots of noise and happy faces on that day, bikes of all descriptions and some really artistic body-painting. Nearly everyone had a message either on their body or attached to their bike. One way or another we certainly demonstrated that biking it is better.