Melbourne

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Next ride

Date: Saturday 8 or Sunday 9 March 2008, to be advised
Time: ?
Location: ?

Previous Ride

Date: Saturday 10 March 2007
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Carlton Inn/University Sqr. - cnr of Pelham & Leicester Sts, Carlton

Ride location and how to get there

Assemble at the Carlton Inn on University Square on the corner of Pelham & Leicester Streets, Carlton. This is just south of Melbourne Uni. Please do not drive to the event because it will create greenhouse gases and contradicts the purpose of the event. Please ride your bike to the assembly place or take the train if it is too far for you to ride. Metlink allows passengers to take their bikes on the train. The nearest train station is Melbourne Central.

What to wear:

The dress code for the ride is As Bare As You Dare! This means if you're up to going fully nekkid, great. If you're a little shy, then wear your bathers. If you want to wear a full burkha, go for it. Some people are a bit concerned about the comfort of their seats while nekkid. Past riders haven't found this to be a problem. Indeed the feeling of giddy exhileration is so great that people hardly notice their seats at all.

What to bring:

You, your bike, helmet and lights will be required (just like any other time on a bike). A bag or pannier to carry your clothes is a good idea. Body paint (finger paint works too and is a lot cheaper), bike decorations, noise makers, signs with catchy slogans, your friends, and a positive attitude are all highly recommended. (and maybe warm clothes for the outdoor after party if it's a chilly night)

How much:

FREE! You -don't- need to register and you don't need to pay to go on this ride. (The streets are free, so why should you pay to ride on them?)

What the ride will be like:

Between 7 and 8PM, we'll mill around at the pub and in the park, body painting, chatting, joking, etc. Maps will be handed out, and an announcement will be made welcoming people to the ride. At 8PM we'll mount or trusty steeds to ride around some of the nearby commercial streets and smile and wave to the dazzled and delighted onlookers. We'll be riding on streets where people are friendly to the unusual. There will be at least one sound system with us, pumping out tunes to shake your body to. The ride will be about 35 minutes long (~7km), at a pace we can all stick to. We'll stop once shortly into the ride for people to dress up or dress down (last year several people caught the spirit and lost some layers shortly into the ride). The ride ends in an attractive park, where we'll party down, with food and drink outlets nearby. Last year there were 14 pioneering cyclists, this year should be more as the word is definitely out in Melbourne.

What the ride won't be like:

The ride won't leave people behind. The ride won't be confrontational to other road users. The ride won't engage with people looking to start arguments (we'll just ride away!). The ride won't be boring! The ride won't disobey direct requests from the police, if they happen to give us any (though individual riders might at their own discretion).

So grab your bike, grab a friend and see you there!

What the ride was like:

2007 Ride Report by Alex

Greetings fellow cyclo-nudistas!

Melbourne World Naked Ride 2007 was a success.

We had 25 riders, well up from 14 last year, with about 80% of riders going fully nekkid. It was a good time.

The map of the route can be seen on bikely here: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/WNBR-2007 (a few minor variations were made during the ride, but that's pretty much it). The ride was 6.7km long.

The police chose a more tolerant approach than last year. One officer showed up at the start. He told us we were welcome to do the ride (as bare as we dared), but that the police were concerned about us being targeted by onlookers. Generally a very positive interaction and he was given a route map. He said that he contacted the relevant precincts to let them know we'd be passing through. Not bad eh.

More reports later, and many lessons to be learned for next year.

peace, bikefunnist, in the flesh

2007 Ride Report from Bawdyliar

What a Saturday, initially spent in indulgent relaxation, readying myself for the Melbourne Naked Bike Ride and indeed the World Naked Bike Ride. I was hard at it again writing, knocked back some more fecking episodes of Father Ted, finished "Portrait of the artist as a young dog", picked up "Dylan Thomas: The Legend and Poet", more indulgences, and then finally 6pm rolled around with its paws in the air, panting "tickle me!". I got on my bike and rode to destination where all the cyclists were meeting, which was University Square in Carlton. Sabine (my partner) was waiting with camera handy, and another girl was sitting with her bike and a bag of body paint. Slowly but surely the riders began to arrive in a trickle.

A friendly policeman pulled up and told us that no police had been assigned to our action so he was the only one on duty for us. He didn't care what we did, he told us, "If you want to get naked and ride around the Melbourne streets, I don't care" his only concern was that other people might be of a threat to us. Drunk bullies in cars mostly, being that it was Saturday evening, and once some people hop into a car they feel empowered to dominate public space. The policeman also told us that we should adhere to normal bike riding rules like wearing a helmet, lights and sticking to the bike lanes, but he also said that we could ride on the road if we wished but we did so at our risk. I had left my light at home and sent Sabine back to rescue it, the last thing I wanted was the sour irony of having been arrested not for being naked but not having a light.

I only endorse events I feel appropriate to my personality. The people arriving were already beginning to strip and brush colourful designs on their flesh. It was a beautiful day for a ride, and everyone was fairly confident but some were a tad nervous I felt. One woman had her whole naked upper painted pink with pink angels wings on her back, one guy had a bicycle helmet with a video camera strapped onto it. Some guys had their buttocks painted, some wore shorts. I wore body painted slogans, mauve and black harlequin socks pulled up to my knees and union made Blackspot sneakers. We had a stereo system hooked up to one rider's bike so that our journey would be as funky and fun as possible.

It was very important I wear my Blackspots, as I like to promote these corporate arse kicking non-sweat shop shoes at any opportunity, made by the crew from Adbusters. I am also a vigilant anti-car person and performed with "The Dresses of Mass Seduction" for numerous "No Car Days".

There was a stop off point arranged (on a 'round-about) where people could either decide to shed more clothing or put more on - if they became shy. At the very start one guy asked me if I was going the Full Monty first up, and I said, "Yes why not" which made him repeat to me "Yes, why not" and we stripped ourselves of our inhibitions and clothing, so a few of us were completely nude at the start. Along the way, tops and pants were removed by most cyclists. Much merriment as privates jostled about in the open breeze of public streets.

The music was pumping and we rode off towards Swanston Street, already an inebriated lad with a beer bottle in one hand and the other extended for "high-fives" was yelling something with a crooked smile on his face, the line of riders closest slapped his hand, I avoided it as it looked like the size of a ping-pong bat and any slap from me would have sent me flying. So off we rode through a small park in Carlton, and then down Lygon Street with cheers and screams from people in restaurants, standing up and applauding, bicycle bells were ringing, horns honking, and a line-up of about five flash vehicles reduced to a snail's pace beeping their horns and flashing their lights behind our train of pedal powered steeds.

We took a turn just before Lygon Street hits Elgin, and we then rode through the top half of Fiztroy, across over to Smith Street. Then down Smith Street, and turning right down Johnston Street we headed for Brunswick proper, and waited at the intersection until the green arrow went, we rode steadily down Brunswick Street with mass hysterics and applause, waves, thumbs up, smiles, laughs, and a girl I knew yelled out "Rupert! Rupert!" waving her hand, I casually offered my Majesty's gesture. This was the final lap of the ride, and we took a left into a quieter street, I heard a small group of guys yelled "Put some clothes on" to which a cheeky cyclist yelled out "Take some clothes off".

It was a massive high, and quite amazing how comfortable we all felt riding amongst each other starkers. It was extremely liberating but also an effective natural protest against car culture which is not only a environmental concern but a mind-set and materialistic issue also.

• Note: the ride report of 2007 WNBR Melbourne participant bawdyliar has been edited somewhat.

Media enquiries

Contact Alex, the WNBR Melbourne Organiser ([email protected])

Photos

2007 photos

• Photos at WNBR Australia (official site)

2006 photos

• Photos at WNBR Australia (official site)

Videos

• World Naked Bike Ride, Melbourne, 12 March 2006: Video 1, Video 2

History

2006

Date: Sunday 12 March 2006
Time: 2pm to start body painting
Location: Smith Reserve, George Street and Alexandra Parade, Fitzroy

Ride report by G Brunya

You can also read this ride report on the Yahoo! group.

What a great day!

The weather was toasty and the overwhelming number of observers and bystanders were encouraging of the ride as it passed some of the Inner North's busiest streets.

About 15 people gathered at Smith Reserve between 2pm and 3pm and began the dressing down and body painting session. Bystanders and swimmers in the pool next to the park were bemused by the group as they began to realise what was happening. One very impressive rider was as yellow as he was the day before on the Aolian ride, but this time for a very different reason! The police drove by and spoke to one of our clothed helpers, but no instructions were given, and so the ride began.

A bicycle mounted sound system added to the party atmosphere as the riders moved south up Napier Street and the over to Smith Street. Several bystanders asked "what's it for?" to which we replied "for fun!" or "to protest the obscenity of oil dependence!"

A quick stop in a lane off Gertrude Street allowed a few members to further 'debrief' as confidence increased. We then continued on our way North down Brunswick Street. Another group of police were grappling gently with a gentleman in the Atherton Gardens Estate. They waved. Yet another police car passed us going the other way up Brunswick Street. They waved too.

After a cut west across Nicholson Street, the ride made good use of the Canning Street bicycle super highway for a short way and then it was up the short hill to Lygon Street. We regrouped as we began the Lygon stretch and moved the sound system on to "The Baby Elephant Walk". The café strip greeted us with quite a few perplexed looks and double takes as we cruised down the slope towards Queensbury Street. Yet again however, the majority of people were happy to see us. Next we rode east (in the GL; Games Lane) towards the Carlton Gardens. A few laps of the Exhibition Fountain entertained some people in the park, including a wedding party.

The final stretch took us east back along Gertrude and a second lap of Brunswick Street, where once again we were greeted by cheers, smiles and waves. Plenty of bystanders whipped out camera phones and we expect to see these pictures on this Yahoo Group soon!

A quieter pedal into the wind was taking us up past the Lord Newey Hotel, when we heard the friendly 'woop' of a police car. Pulling over, we were asked to clothe our bods as `there had been a complaint!' Hard to believe, considering that the overwhelming majority of bystanders were happy and entertained to see us – still there's always one! And it only takes one to spoil the fun.

Considering that we were nearing the end of the planned route, and since they asked nicely, we did as we were asked and the police officers thanked us and drove away with a smile and a wave. Finally refreshments were acquired at Piedemontes in North Fitzroy and we retired to a quiet spot on the banks of the Merri to discuss our victory.

Thanks to all who participated, and all who encouraged us. Special thanks to Alex and Deb for making it happen!

– G Brunya <[email protected]>

Links

Website/s

• WNBR Australia (official site)

Discussion group/s

• WNBR Melbourne Yahoo! Group

Location information

• Wikipedia: Melbourne
• Wikipedia: Victoria (Australia)