Brighton & Hove participation

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Join us!

Pre-ride participant advice

The World Naked Bike Ride is a global protest movement with rides in cities around the world, raising awareness of issues such as safety of cyclists on the road, reducing oil dependency and saving the planet. Let's make the planet great again!

WNBR's themes are to:

• protest against the global dependency on oil
• curb car culture
• obtain real rights for cyclists
• demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets
• celebrate body freedom

As well as promoting healthy life choices it can also be the best fun you can ever have on two wheels. The Brighton ride carries the City's reputation as an exciting multicultural centre, with big crowds in the famous shopping streets to cheer it on. It is fun, legal and all in a worthy cause.

We are celebrating bikes, bodies and low-impact living - protesting against fossil-fueled climate change, reminding ourselves about our place in the eco-system and the threats it faces as well as challenging the dominance of our streets by cars - highlighting the vulnerability of cyclists and our strength and safety in numbers. The ride aims to be celebratory, life affirming and inclusive. We will cycle with sound systems and flags highlighting the many environmental and social issues which cycling and body freedom can address.

Covid-19 provisions

• Ideally you should take a pre-ride Lateral Flow test or even better a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Lateral Flow tests are less accurate but give a rapid result, PCR tests take laboratory time. DO NOT RIDE if you are suffering from ANY symptoms of illness.

• The Naked Bike Ride takes place in the open air and cycle spacing will provide some protection against transmission of infection. If you so wish please feel at ease wearing a normal mask. Do not wear any large mask that might affect your ability to see to ride safely.

• Please remember personal space when in the cordoned assembly area (compound) before the start at Preston Park and at any stop. Wear a mask if possible.

• Bring hand gel.

Setting Up

From the very early morning a team of committed volunteers will be embarking on the Herculean job of setting up the BNBR “HQ “ at Preston Park. Unloading and shifting loads of equipment and putting up the enclosure, creating the welcome area, the body painting corners, checking out the soundsystems and million other jobs that would be to boring to list here. It takes long hours ( loading up happens a night before usually so we don’t get much sleep either)and often can be pretty stressful especially if the weather turns against us. Please make the job easier for us and get in touch if you can help out.

Personal Care

• Make sure your bike is roadworthy.
• Bring sunscreen &some water with you.
• Listen to announcements & instructions from stewards.
• Don’t speed nor overtake - it’s not a race.
• Take lateral flow test before the ride if you can and stay at home if you have any symptoms or a positive result.
• Bring your lock but please don’t park your bike by the Volks Railway fence as it will cause obstruction & delays to the trains.
• Let us know if there are any photographers/spectators that are disrespectful and intrusive.
• You may be directed to park your bike in a specific area of the compound to avoid the congestion created by randomly deposited bikes that we have experienced previously, please seek to assist us by complying.
• The ride will accept cycles, tandems and trikes - electrically assisted cycles are OK too. Electrically powered (motor)cycles, hoverboards and scooters are illegal and Police will be present and may confiscate such devices and charge users with an offence. Skaters and runners are discouraged.
• Toilets are available in Preston Park and at Black Rock.
• Take your clothes with you on the bike, in a waterproof bag in case of rain (wet clothes aren't funny), we do NOT return to the start, which is dismantled as soon as we leave it, so you will need them. Cycling naked in Brighton after the end of the ride is not advisable, you will no longer have the protection of fellow riders or the police. Please make sure that your cycle luggage is secure, huge bags and poor bungee cords have caused far too many problems in the past.
• If you're going for a skinny-dip (it will be near low-tide) you may need a towel unless you're OK with drip-drying and as its a pebble beach, for some sunbathing comfort.

We could go on and on with this list. Everything is here on our wiki as well in the previous posts on Instagram and FB and on Eventbrite (link in bio) so please do have a read today and make sure you are up to date with all the announcements. All these safety points might seems boring or obvious to you but sadly every year there are a few participants that seem to be a bit clueless and their lack of knowledge/common sense potentially can pose risk to others and spoil the ride.

Arrival

On Sunday there will be loads of going on. Everyone will be super excited and probably slightly overwhelmed. Please don’t arrive before midday and start barging into the enclosure area that we might be still doing the finishing touches to. We will have some notices displayed on the fencing and by the entrance and welcome desk so please try and pay attention to them. To make it easier we will have QR codes that you can scan in order to find out about the latest updates and advice as well as to make a donation towards the costs of putting the event on. Sunday will begin with still loads to do and a rather stressful preceding 48hrs for those of us in the organising collective. To make the job easier for us please familiarise yourself with the code of conduct and other safety points that we have shared with you. And don’t forget to grab you free/donation ticket ahead of the ride. It really does help us to know the numbers of people attending , where they heard about the ride, if they are regulars or newbies etc.

Safety and Respect

To make the event safer and more fun for everyone, please look out for one another. While we acknowledge that photography at the start of the ride can help us spread the message and ethos of the ride and capture the amazing joy and creativity of the participants, body painting and the community spirit of our event , we are aware that in recent years the issue of fully clothed photographers that weren’t participating in the ride has become problematic and has made some of our participants feel uncomfortable and vulnerable . Therefore we strongly ask all to be respectful of those they photograph, and always /where possible / to ask for consent. As usual, we will provide a protected area for undressing and preparation, away from intrusive and unwelcome photographers. We will do our best to challenge those not adhering to our photo policy/guidelines and if needed take further action towards those that cause harassment and distress. There is no place and tolerance for such individuals during BNBR. We kindly ask all participants to look out for each other, support those that might feel overwhelmed by the attention of strangers trying to snap their pictures without consent . Together we can stand against those that breach our safety rules and make the ride much better. If someone is being made uncomfortable or haunted by photographers please step in and show your support and challenge the unwelcome photography. As we have heard billions times in the last 2 years , we are in this together. And together we are more likely to root out the problematic behaviour if we all send a clear message that intrusive photography, insensitive comments objectifying people are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Our event is rooted in community and mutual aid spirit and respect and solidarity towards other participants is crucial. We might have slightly different reason why we all take part in the BNBR and what messages are closest to our hearts but we are sure we all want the event to be fun and safe for EVERYONE. Regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, body shape, class, whether they are naked or not ready to take their clothes off for the ride just yet. Please don’t pressurise or nag anyone to get bare. Everyone makes their own choice what feels comfortable and safe for them. Please respect people’s personal space and be mindful because some will feel much more vulnerable and might need more space when they are topless/naked or simply that some of us haven’t been in bigger group setting for a long time. Let’s be mindful and respectful of one another and let the solidarity and empathy and mutual aid be the guiding force for us all. Similarly if you see someone struggling with their bike on the route, check if they are ok and if they need help - but don’t patronise or try to play a hero.

We are super excited about the weekend and can’t wait to welcome you all.

Be Part of It!

• We will be collecting donations at the assembly point and at the beach finish. You can also donate online via EventBrite. We need your support to fund the overhead costs of running the ride. This year we will again be able to accept donations by contactless cards or phones' as well as cash.

• We ask for volunteer marshals, identified by orange caps, armbands or flags. Their task is entirely to ensure your safety. Please comply with their requests. If you or your bike breaks down, please get dressed and make your way clothed, the ride cannot stop for you. The ride will finish at the Naturist beach, at Black Rock, the Marina end of Madeira Drive near the Volks Railway terminal.

• Music systems and noise makers are welcome! We want to be noticed.

Schedule

• 8:30 / 9am: Organisers setting up – any help very appreciated!
• 12 noon: Assembly with Bike and Body decoration, lunch and general bonhomie
• 2 pm: Ride starts - helpers please to remain to dissemble compound!
• 2.30pm (approx): Rest stop at Hove Lawns
• 3.30 - 4.30pm (approx): Ride ends at Black Rock with sea swim and beach hangout

See you (possibly all of you) there!