Portsmouth

List of rides > UK > Portsmouth 

The Portsmouth WNBR is part of Team Green Britain Bike Week

Join the Ride!

Join our Group

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 26 May 2012
Time: 1pm for 2pm start
Location: In front of the Rose Gardens, the Esplanade, Portsmouth, PO4 9RU (map)

Ride details

Assembly point

In front of the Rose Gardens, the Esplanade, Portsmouth, PO4 9RU (map)

Signing Up

It's not essential to sign up for the ride - you can just turn up on the day - but it does help to get an idea of anticipated numbers. To sign up, visit the Facebook site Facebook or Yahoo group Remember, these are sites for the PROMOTION of the Portsmouth Ride - unwanted postings WILL be removed without explanation or any further discussion!!!

UNPACK YOUR THONG and JOIN THE MERRY THRONG!!!

Dress code

For details, please see our Frequently asked questions The World Naked Bike Ride dress code is "Bare As You Dare"... How bare is that ? How dare is that ?...Its all up to you, you decide what you are comfortable with. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST based on levels of clothing, bodypaint, or anything else, for that matter!

PLEASE be creative and colourful! Bodypainting and bike decorating is highly encouraged! See the above section on creative expression and also visit our body art page.

Body Paint Artists wanted!!!!

WNBR is a fun, inspirational, non-confrontational body-positive event with a positive message of hope. That is why the ride has been such a huge hit and so many are supportive. Just use common sense and mind your manners! Nude is not lewd!

Since most of us did not grow up in a body-positive society, many will look at you with curiosity and amusement. You will probably notice that different sections of town have different cultural reactions to nudity. Some may feel mildly intimidated because they still might have issues with their own bodies and your shameless ways are unsettling to their body-phobic world. Just be friendly and respectful and things should be fine. Remember we are all human and we all have the same parts.

"Gymnophobia (from the Greek word for nude gymnos) is the fear of being (or seeing others) naked. A gymnophobic person usually wants to prevent others from experiencing the freedom of not wearing clothes." Remember, you are "legal" anyway; but if you are concerned, you probably don't need to cover up much to be "legal" as far as the gymnophobes are concerned. With the incredible transforming powers of a little body paint, liquid latex, a strategically placed sock, or a piece of duct tape you can transform the average city streaking naked wild cyclist into "The what-one-might-think-might-be-legal city streaking naked wild cyclist". Be creative: a little imagination can change everything.

Route

This will be a standard ride around the streets of Portsmouth, around 5 or 6 miles, 40 minutes; pretty flat. A nice sedentary pace!

Start on grassy area in front of Rose Gardens at Lumps Fort between Canoe Lake and Eastney - along Sea Front to Clarence Pier - Pembroke Rd and Old Portsmouth - St Georges Rd - Hard - Queen Street - Edinburgh Rd, Commercial Road, Stanhope Rd, Edinburgh Rd, Queen Street, Hard, Museum Road, The Terraces, Clarence Parade and back to start.

See http://www.henden.co.uk/pompeymap.JPG for a route map.

Legality

Simple nudity isn't illegal in the UK, but using nudity to intentionally cause harassment, alarm or distress may be illegal. Don't act offensively and you are very unlikely to be arrested. We have notified the police of our intention to ride in protest against oil dependency and in celebration of bicycles. They are fully aware that many/most of our riders will be nude and partially nude as we cycle a route through the streets of Portsmouth. The principal concern is to eliminate creepy, predatory, exploitative, destructive and abusive behavior.

Police restrictions

see Police Statement to BBC TV at Portsmouth WNBR 2011

From 2004 to 2011, there have been well over 40 UK Naked Bike Rides with a cumulative total of over 8,000+ riders in 13 locations, and no arrests. In 2011, Portsmouth Police allowed full nudity, with no problems.

It is unlikely that police will object to nudity at future rides in England and Wales. Local police officially acknowledged the legality of full nudity at all seven rides in 2008 and all five rides in 2007. They required people to wear clothes at three English rides (Brighton, Manchester and Bristol) in 2006, but have made no such restrictions at later events.

Public transport

Local buses call nearby (many terminate at South Parade Pier). There is free public car parking at the car park near the naturist beach at Eastney (around 1 1/2 miles), and pay public parking immediately adjacent to the rendezvous. Local rail station Fratton, ride generally south, about 1 mile. Note that disembarking at Fratton involves climbing footbridge stairs, Portsmouth and Southsea may be preferable.

Useful Info

We hope to have 'Community Cycle Centre' present to offer First Aid (to bikes....). The Community Cycle Centre might also have some recently checked-over cycles which you can purchase for a modest donation. Contact them beforehand for details (link below).

Publicity

Poster and Flyers

Download a text notice from http://www.henden.co.uk/notice.docx - use this Word doc as is; or print it out on a suitable decorative background.

Media coverage

2012

• Demotix, 26 May 2012
• About My Area, 26 May 2012

2011

• /Live TV Portsmouth
• Portuguese BBC (!) We went world-wide!
• Live News TV Portsmouth
• Youtube 2 parts - 1) mostly the protestors before the day; and 2) The Ride!!!

• BBC News, 10 Jun 2011, Naked cyclists pedal through Portsmouth
• BBC South Today, 6 Jun 2011, 6.30pm: news story about opposition to the ride, featuring clips from Brighton (9:23 – 11:31 in video)
• OMG News, 6 Jun 2011: "OMG! World Naked Bike Ride To Arrive In Portsmouth" (featuring YouTube clip)
• Meridian TV, 6 June
• BBC South TV, 6 June
• Radio Solent, 6 June
• Portsmouth News, 18 May: excellent write-up with a very supportive editorial comment. Thank you!

Thanks to Sarah C of Portsmouth Family Church - we have been on Radio Solent this morning, and possibly on TV (BBC South) later today (6 June), all of which helps get our message across. Thanks again, Sarah! Keep it up!!

Links

http://www.pompeybug.co.uk/community/community-cycle-centre/

Websites

• WNBR UK (This page has FAQ info and links to the other UK rides)

See also United Kingdom page

Discussion groups

• WNBR Portsmouth Yahoo! group for riders and people interested in helping to organise the ride.
• WNBR UK Yahoo! group for Announcements and discussion of all UK rides.