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10th Annual New Years Day Ocean Beach Polar Plunge and World Naked Bike Ride Great Highway Sprint 2025

This will be our tenth year where we do a combined World Naked Bike Ride and Polar Plunge on New Years Day. Officially, the Polar Plunge is an annual event hosted by The Riptide, a local bar located up Taraval Street in the Outer Sunset. In years past, they have a tent on Ocean Beach and have served warm libations. Most New Years Day weather has been unseasonably warm, and a number of the WNBR riders and plungers have elected to remain at the beach for a post-ride Beach Party. This is ideal for us biking nudists as the location is remote for Ocean Beach and the Park Rangers have never bothered us, so it is safe to remain nude the whole afternoon. On those few times the weather wasn't the best, a few of us WNBR plungers have hiked the short distance to the Riptide Bar and enjoyed their hospitality. Unfortunately, you must be dressed to go in the bar. The beach party is a great way to introduce new people to the upcoming 2025 WNBR bike naking season too.

Next ride

Date: Wednesday January 1, 2025
Time: 10:30am Gathering, 11am Start
Location: The Great Highway at the center of The Great Highway & Taraval Street

The Great Highway (at the center of The Great Highway & Taraval Street

Polar Plunge Meeting Spot- Ocean Beach

Observe the Location on the picture and map above. We meet on The Great Highway at the Taraval Street crossing on the northbound portion of the Great Highway. We start gathering at 10:30am. There is public transportation from Muni rail and buses on nearby streets in the Sunset. If you are driving, it is suggested you arrive early as parking for the Polar Plunge fills up the area rapidly. We begin the ride at 11:00am, so that we have time to stow our bikes and join in the Polar Plunge promptly at Noon. For the ride, it is simple. Starting at the Taraval crossing, we ride north on the Great Highway. At Lincoln, we cross over to the Ocean Beach promenade. We continue north up to the Cliff House where we stop for photos. Then we ride back toward the Great Highway, where we take the southbound portion towards Sloat Blvd and the zoo. At the intersection we turn around and head north back up the Great Highway to the Taraval Crossing where we finish. Now is time to stow your bikes if you drove or head down to the Ocean Beach group gathered for the Polar Plunge which takes place promptly at Noon.

WNBR Polar Plunge Beach AfterParty

Hang out on Ocean Beach. Do the Polar Plunge and weather permitting, hang out for our Annual Polar Plunge Beach Party. Bring food and beverages; snacks to share. Reach out to other plungers and promote the 2025 WNBR-SF Season schedule.

Final Route Map ( Saturday 28 September 2024 )

Ride with GPS route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47303200

When riding to the Haight and the Panhandle, we will follow The Wiggle, which minimizes the grade of the inclines.

When riding back to Market from the Haight, we will ride a few blocks downhill on Haight St, with a maximum downhill grade of 5%.

WNBR SF 2024 Calendar

• Winter: Saturday 10 February 2024 (Love Parade Ride&AfterParty)
• Spring: Saturday 20 April 2024 (Earth Day Ride&AfterParty)
• Spring: Saturday 18 May 2024 (Bay to Breakers Weekenders’ Ride&AfterParty)
• Summer: Saturday 8 June 2024 (WNBR Northern hemisphere Ride&AfterParty)
• Autumn: Saturday 28 September 2024 (Fall Equinox & Folsom Ride&AfterParty)

All San Francisco World Naked Bike Rides will begin at:
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)
Time: 11am Gathering | 12pm/Noon Start

WNBR AfterParty

• Time: After the Ride | Location: In the Castro business area, Castro & 18th Street

• We will meet up to socialize & patronize #NudistWelcomingMerchants in the Castro at the end of the ride. Food can be purchased for takeout sitdown service provided as a courtesy at several of restaurants. Per @SFBos(ses)’ esoteric Rules, You MUST use a BARRIER ( eg: A Folded Item of Your Clothing ) when Seated Nude on any private or public property that is not Your own ( eg. Your Bike )

Previous ride - Saturday September 28 2024

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Date: Saturday September 28 2024
Time: 11am Gathering, 12pm/Noon Start
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)

Previous ride - Saturday June 8 2024

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click the Edit tab at the top of the page

Date: Saturday June 8 2024
Time: 11am Gathering, 12pm/Noon Start
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)

Previous ride - Saturday May 18 2024

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Date: Saturday May 18 2024
Time: 11am Gathering, 12pm/Noon Start
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)

Previous ride - Saturday April 20 2024

Editors: to change this section,
click the Edit tab at the top of the page

Date: Saturday April 20 2024
Time: 11am Gathering, 12pm/Noon Start
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)

Previous ride - Saturday February 10 2024

Editors: to change this section,
click the Edit tab at the top of the page

Date: Saturday February 10 2024
Time: 11am Gathering, 12pm/Noon Start
Location: Rincon Park (at the intersection of Folsom Street & The Embarcadero)

Media Coverage

Media Coverage

• Less Gas More Ass: A Guide to the World Naked Bike Ride | Momentum ( Recreational Bicycling Mag ) | 29 June 2024

• San Francisco best day ever in photos: See 420, Swifties, nudists | The SF Standard | 21 April 2024

• The World Naked Bike Ride Is Happening on 4/20 in San Francisco | KQED | 8 April 2024
  • Archive

• 'Nudism is freedom': Naked cyclists take to San Francisco's streets | San Francisco Chronicle | 10 February 2024

• • Archive
• 10 Things to Do in San Francisco This Week If You Need to Make Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Plans | SFist | 10 February 2024
  • Archive

The WNBR Basics

Schedule

• 11:00 AM: Gather. Rincon Park, Folsom & Embarcadero Blvd., by the Cupids Arrow. Remain dressed until instructed to disrobe for the ride. Ride begins promptly at noon.

If you need to rent a bike, there are quite a few options at and around the nearby Ferry Building.

Route

The routes vary and will typically include our favorite parts of the city such as the Embarcadero, Mission Bay, the Civic Center, the Haight, the Panhandle, and the Castro. A route plan will be published here and on our other social media pages.

When riding to the Haight or the Panhandle, we usually follow The Wiggle, which minimizes the grade of the inclines.

When riding to Market from the Haight, we usually ride a few blocks downhill on Haight St, with a maximum downhill grade of 5%.

Ride Pace and Difficulty

Just try to stay on the right shoulder in designated bike lanes or in the right lane. With enough riders, we will take up the right lane the whole way. Cars will be passing us. Most cars go slow, as drivers and passengers like getting pictures, but there can always be that impatient jerk that speeds by. Do not throw things at cars. Those that do will be told to leave and not return. Sometimes, we are on sidewalks. Always annunciate your approach "rider on your left" and use your bell if equipped. Our policy is "no riders left behind" Please do not take point and do a "Lance Armstrong" imitation. This is a protest ride, not an Olympic sprint. If you are falling behind, yell to the riders in front to hold up. We usually have a sweep rider who can notify our group to hold up for a mechanical failure or other unforeseen issue.

Weather

• SFGATE Weather
• KCBS Radio, San Francisco
• SF Chronicle Bay Area Fog Tracker
• fog.today Bay Area Fog Tracker

Getting there

You can ride your bike to the start from anywhere in the city. Out of town, you can ride from BART or CALTRAIN or put your bike on the front of Muni buses. If you drive, I suggest parking near the finish line somewhere in the Castro. Check for meters and time limits. There is parking enforcement on Saturdays

• Bay Area Rapid Transit
• CalTrain

Bikes

Your bike is in good shape if you ride frequently, but it’s prudent to check your tires, brakes and shifters. Do your maintenance & tuning before the ride, not during it. Our Friends/Supporters at @MarketStreetCycles, 1592 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102 — one of many Naked WNBRist #NudistWelcomingMerchants — are conveniently located near downtown & happy to give exceptional thorough service to You bicycle if You give them a call in advance to set up an appointment: (415) 255-2453, MarketStreetCycles.com.

• ABC Quick Check - Basic Bike Check - League of American Bicyclists
• @MarketStreetCycles VIDEO

Bike Network

• OpenStreetMap cycling layer for San Francisco
• SFMTA Bike Network Map
  • SFMTA Recommended Bike Routes as of 2021
  • SFMTA Complete Bike Map PDF as of May 31, 2019

Alternative Participation

Being California, everyone does things differently. We want to offer the broadest possible welcome. First of all, obey all the Laws of Comfort! There's no nudity requirement. Whether you come clothed in a full-length Fun-Fur or just a top hat, come as bare as you dare. Most riders carry some minimal clothing to wear when arriving and departing the group. See the FAQ for more info.

Skates

Secondly, skaters are welcome. Some skaters have joined us repeatedly! Since skaters tend to expend about 2x as much energy, and tend to roll 50% slower than bikers, skaters may wish to follow an abbreviated route. One very accomplished naked skater in the 2010 SF WNBR skated up and down the steepest part of Lombard Street, The Crookedest Street in the World, to everyone's amazement.

Public Nudity in San Francisco

The Park Police & Park Rangers have jurisdiction at the parks. SFPD has responsibility for the rest of the city and parks. We have First Amendment protection, but always be prepared to cover if asked. In general, we are protected by the First Amendment. The SFPD have been mostly friendly and have offered to escort us if the ride numbers get larger. We wish to stay on their good side, so if asked to dress, don't challenge them. Please, PLEASE don't attempt to speak for the group and antagonize the authorities. Don't assume public observing us nearby want you to mingle close to their space either. If they approach us for pictures, fine. There are still a number of the public not comfortable with public nudity, so don't impose yourself on them.

Links

Current active contacts and information

• Twitter handle: @SFWNBR
• Twitter hashtags: #WNBRsf2024 #WNBRsf
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wnbrsf/

Location Links

• Rincon "Cupid's Arrow" Park (at the intersection of The Embarcadero & Folsom Street
• Castro St
• Google Map of San Francisco
• Wikipedia: San Francisco
• Wikipedia: California

Please also visit

• Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL)
• Climate Ride
• The League of American Bicyclists
• California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike)

Subpages

Publicity, Media Coverage and Ride Reports

This page contains links to press releases, media coverage and ride reports covering previous SF WNBR events. (Some of the coverage contains images of public nudity.)

Promotional Materials

This page contains links to flyers and other promotional materials for past and future SF WNBR events. (Most flyers contain images of public nudity.) Help us get the word out. Print these flyers and distribute at other protest events, sport/bike shops and college campuses. Or, create your own flyers by combining your own ideas with the materials provided.

Previous Rides

This page contains archived ride info for past rides that once appeared on this main page.

Photos

This page contains links to photo collections covering previous rides. (Obviously, these photos contain images of public nudity.)

FAQ

This page contains questions and answers to many of the more common concerns regarding the SF WNBR. Thanks to Leo for this.

Ride Safety

This page discusses safety issues when riding around San Francisco. Thanks to Leo for this.

Category:San Francisco files

Wiki category containing recent flyers, posters, photos, and other promotional materials.