London

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This page has information about the fifth year of London's participation in the World Naked Bike Ride. Numbers of riders have risen each year - 2004 had 58 riders in Hyde Park, 2005 had 250 riders in the central London streets, 2006 had 800, and 2007 had 1,000.

On Saturday 14 June 2008 (*) the ride will return to the streets of London allowing riders to see the many sights of this remarkable city from the comfort of their own bikes/skates. The ride is easy and upbeat, and riders decorate their bodies and bikes with messages of protest against oil dependency and car culture. The 3pm assembly time and traditional city centre route are again planned. Other UK rides will likely happen on 6, 7 or 8 June.

(*) Please note this change of date. The previous Saturday sees a large commercially sponsored event in Hyde Park, so we have felt it prudent to ensure WNBR gets maximum limelight by changing our date.

Rides in Brighton, Manchester, Southampton and York have traditionally been timed to allow riders to participate in those cities as well as London, and that will be even easier this year with the changed London date. As a result, many of the non-London rides are expected to have rides on Saturday the 7th of June rather than Friday the 6th of June. Check the individual websites for details.

These pages have further information for riders, photographers and the media.

To make sure you receive all the latest news about WNBR London, please sign up to our mailing list.

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Date: Saturday 14 June 2008
Time: 3pm assembly (for 3.30pm departure)
Location: (TBC for 2008) Meet in Hyde Park, near Hyde Park Corner (South East corner). The assembly location is north of the statue of Achilles. Please assemble in the open meadow area bound by trees (north of the Achilles statue and beyond the horse riding trail - but between the Lovers Walk and the Broad Walk). A map illustrating the start location can be found here. DO NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE GRASS OR PATHS AT THE ASSEMBLY AREA. Keep all paths clear. There are loos within easy walking distance of the ride start and finish - see maps online for loos in the park and loos just outside the park. Consult maps at the park for similar details.

BIKE RENTAL Discounted Bike Hire will probably be through London Bicycle Touring Company which will hire bikes to riders from 12.30pm-7pm for £10. For details of how to do this, visit the London_Bike_Hire page. Booking in advance is essential to guarantee availability of your hire bike.

SKATE RENTAL At the bargain price of £10, you can hire well maintained skates plus full padding from Club Blue Room for the entire day. They are located at Marble Arch, which is a short walk from the ride assembly/finish points. They can't hire if it's a rainy day, and they require a £100 deposit (cash or credit card) plus ID. Skates must be undamaged dry and clean when returned. Phone for details - 020 7724 4884

BODY PAINTING We encourage you to take the plunge and buy some body paints for yourself and get painted up before you come to the ride, but not everyone can manage this. From 2.30pm, volunteer body painters will be painting slogans/designs, and a self-service painting station will be available (see below for full details on Body Painting). PLEASE NOTE: Photographers are not welcome at the body painting session. Don't turn up before 2.30pm or you will be sent away.

DECORATIONS AND LEAFLETS (TBC for 2008) This year we are providing cloth flags again and these are on short bamboo poles which you can tape to your bike frame/rack. We are also providing "race cards" - paper signs that easily attach to your bike with the messages of the WNBR. Donations are appreciated to help us cover the costs of these items (the London ride's total budget is £300 this year - sounds like a lot, but it's not). There will be leaflets available which explain the ride more clearly to passers by. These items can be collected from just behind the Achilles Statue.

DEALING WITH PROBLEM PHOTOGRAPHERS We hate to have to bring this up, but a few photographers were very intrusive and unpleasant toward riders at previous rides. We don't like this to happen, and we've devised a Photo Policy to make it clear what photography behaviour is unwelcome. We also have a sign you can download that you can put up if a rider doesn't respond to verbal requests to stop taking intrusive photos - media:London2007photopolicy.pdf. For more about this see London#Photography_and_filming_policy

FINISH The ride finishes at Wellington Arch (the traditional finish location). Unlike previous years, the start and finish locations are not identical. Length: Approximately 10km (6.2 miles)

AFTER PARTY There may be parties arranged for after the main event. If so, they are hosted by sympathetic organisations, not by the WNBR London ride planning collective.

Objectives and Demands

Each year, the World Naked Bike Ride collective in London agreeds on a set of objectives and demands for the year's ride. The objectives and demands of the 2007 ride are shown below:

Objectives

  • 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

Demands

  • “Real rights for bikes”:
    • Safer streets for cyclists
    • Cycle-only zones in cities
    • Separate 2-way cycle lanes
  • A ban on car advertising.

Participating In The Ride

FAQs

There are FAQs pages for both the UK rides and the global rides. Visit both pages to find out answers to your questions. We've tried to avoid overlap between the two pages.

Route

The ride features approximately 10km (6 miles) of central London with mostly left turns and a mix of high traffic and low traffic riding. There are a park start, no major hills and a finish area. The route starts at Hyde Park Corner, then takes in Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, Aquarium/London Eye, IMAX cinema roundabout, Waterloo Bridge, Covent Garden, Charing Cross Road, Centre Point/Tottenham Court Road Tube, Oxford Street, Oxford Circus, US Embassy, Park Lane, and finishes at Hyde Park Corner around the Wellington Arch.

Like in 2007, this year's assembly area will be within Hyde Park, just north of the statue of Achilles (London's oldest nude statue!).

2008 London route

The 2008 route is almost entirely identical to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 routes. We have met with the Police and agreed the route, and there is just one small change - we'll do a short detour around the east side of Centrepoint before going West down Oxford Street. We'll update our maps shortly, but for now that is the only aspect of the current route that isn't shown. You can find a really detailed official map of the route here (862KB). You can also find a nifty alternative map of the route here that includes an elevation profile! A map showing the ride assembly point is shown here.

The 2006 route map is here and it shows how we would shorten the ride in the extremely unlikely event of of extreme weather.

If you're wondering why the route doesn't include Constitution Hill, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Birdcage Walk, Horseguards Parade, the Metropolitan Police asked us not to use these routes because Trooping of the Colour has caused there to be various traffic restrictions on these streets on the day of the ride.

Legality

We have notified the police of our intention to ride in protest of oil dependency and in celebration of our bodies. 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 central London. Since 2005, police have indicated that they would not be arresting us or trying to prevent the protest ride. Since 2006, the police have played a helpful role in traffic control to facilitate the ride. Visit our FAQ answer about what the Metropolitan police said in 2005. We will try to ensure that the next ride is endorsed by the police, as all previous London rides have been.

Notice: The terms of the 2008 ride have been agreed with the police as in previous years.

Body Painting

The best way to make sure you are ready for the ride is to get painted at home beforehand. Wear loose-fitting clothing that won't rub it off, and you can always leave final details and touch-ups for the ride. The advise on getting and using body paint, see the UK FAQs. The easiest thing is to have a friend body-paint you, but you can paint yourself if it's an all-over-in-one-colour or message on your legs.

For people who aren't able to paint themselves at home, body painting - provided by Sitech Creations Ltd [1] & others - will be available from 2.30pm at the assembly area. There are limited numbers of paints and painters, so access may be limited. Spectators and photographers will be turned away. Photos are not allowed during the body painting session. Photo the riders during the ride instead! Body Painting will happen under trees north of the Assembly area. Don't turn up earlier than 2.30pm at the assembly area or you will be turned away.

Decorate Your Bike

We have some great race cards that you can print on card and then attach to your bike. We recommend you use elastic or twist-ties to secure to your bike. There are PDF instructions here. If you are feeling generous, print and prepare a few extra to give to other riders. There is a selection of four cards for you to choose from; click on the captions to download the full-size card for printing.

Public Transport

See the UK FAQs.

Weather

We've had good weather at each of the UK rides so far, indeed stunning hot sunshine in 2006 and 2007. Does that mean statistically we're predicting rain? RAIN IS NOT PREDICTED, BUT.. the ride will not be cancelled in the event of rain. If it rains, bring some warm dry clothes to change into after the ride, and keep them dry. A large, thin plastic bag (such as you get from your dry cleaner) could be an effective protection if you want to seem naked in the rain. Maybe we can beat the Vancouver record for most naked riders in the rain! For a weather forecast, visit the Met Office, MetCheck or BBC Weather.

Bike Rental

London Bicycle Touring Company will do a discounted bike rental of £10 for the afternoon of the 2008 ride. On the day of the ride, you will be able to collect your bike at any time after 10.30pm and return at any time before 7pm. This year bikes must be collected from the shop. Advanced booking is required to guarantee bike availability. For full details/instructions on how to pre-book your bike, visit the London_Bike_Hire page.

Wnbr hire.gif

The shop can provide you with directions for a relatively traffic-free journey of 15 minutes to the ride assembly point.

Skate rental

See above (in the Next Ride section) for full details of renting skates through the (Club) Blue Room.

Discounts

Are there any discounts available to riders? We are hoping to get some discounts arranged.

Getting Involved

There are lots of ways you can help to organise or promote the ride.

Spread the word

Everyone can help to make the next ride even more successful than the last. There are lots of ideas for promoting the ride at the UK Promote page.

Planning meetings

Riders are invited to any of the London ride planning meetings. The London ride organising group is a collective, and holds just 5 meetings to make all the key decisions about the ride (and allocate responsibilities). Any rider is welcome to attend the meetings (and thus be part of the "London ride planning collective"). The meeting agenda can include route/time, negotiations with police, improving the experience for new riders, presswork, and any other matters that people bring to the meeting. Meetings are open to non-London riders who are involved in planning rides in their local area. Press are not welcome to the planning meetings.

The 2008 meetings are as follows (6.30pm start for all meetings):

  1. Thursday 7th of February 2008
  2. Thursday 6th of March 2008 (Rob to chair)
  3. Thursday 10th of April 2008 (Chris to chair)
  4. Thursday 8th of May 2008 (Kat to chair)
  5. Thursday 29th of May 2008 (Jesse to chair)

Plus a post-ride review meeting (for people who participated in organising the ride)

  1. Thursday 19th of June 2008 (Bryan to chair)

We normally meet in the Great Court on the Main Floor of the British Museum (map and floor plans) at the large cafe tables nearest the Enlightenment Gallery (on the east side, formerly known as the King's Library). We try to remember to have WNBR things out, so it is easy to spot the meeting.

Get in touch (or just show up at a meeting) if you want to join in the planning the next ride. uk [at] worldnakedride.org or 0781 458 7361

Interviews

The press, radio and TV are fascinated by WNBR. We need riders to explain their personal perspective on the ride in interviews. If you are willing to help out with interviews, please contact uk [at] worldnakedride.org or glee194584 [at] aol.com.

On the day

We need people to pass out leaflets at the assembly point and during the ride. If you plan to pass out leaflets on the ride, you need to have a good scheme for carrying the leaflets, so they don't spill out or blow away, but so you still can reach them to pass out. We're going to try to pass out leaflets to the crowd at the assembly point and then during the ride.

Being a Volunteer Steward

In order to ensure the smooth running of this year’s London World Naked Bike Ride, we are asking for volunteer stewards to look after the welfare of riders.

The purpose of WNBR stewards is to monitor the safety and wellbeing of riders and to provide advice and assistance where necessary. Stewards will be a visible presence amongst riders and will help to ensure that participants are safe, that they don't get lost or separated from the main ride and to provide assistance to those who get left behind or have breakdowns or punctures.

Stewards are NOT meant to police the ride - that is the job of the police - we just need people willing and able to look out for others and to lend a helping hand when required.

As a steward you will be required to:

  • be a confident and proficient cyclist;
  • be reasonable, responsible and approachable;
  • attend the 'stewards induction & test ride' usually during the weeks before;
  • arrive at the ride start point at 1.30pm for a ‘stewards briefing’;
  • bring a small rucksack in which to put: a puncture repair kit, spare T-shirt, bottle of water & a bike pump (if you have any of these, it would be most appreciated if you could bring them along, if not, we will endeavour to provide them);
  • carry a mobile phone (for use only in emergencies).

In return, you will receive:

  • a FREE World Naked Bike Ride flag (Normally only available for £2 donation);
  • a sign identifying you as a WNBR steward;
  • support, assistance and guidance from the Stewards Co-ordinator;
  • a warm glow knowing that you’ve helped to make the London WNBR 2007 a success!

As a steward, you are welcome to go "as bare as you dare" although you may want to consider not riding completely in the nude as this may affect your willingness/ability to assist others. You must wear shoes.

The up to date copy of the guideance for stewards can be downloaded from here.Media:WNBR_Stewarding_Guideline_2007.pdf

If you are interested in volunteering as a London WNBR Ride Steward, please contact Paul at pagarner [at] btopenworld [dot] com

History

World Naked Bike Rides have taken place in London since 2004 - always on the second Saturday of June.

  • In 2007, it was almost impossible to count the 1,000+ riders as they travelled the traditional 6 mile route through London on a beautiful, hazy, hot day. Crowds were highly supportive. This year was the first time The Royal Parks granted the ride official permission to assemble within Hyde Park. The route finished as usual at the Wellington Arch.
  • In 2006, over 700 people took the 2005 route through London on one of the hottest days of the year. Crowds were occasionally drunken (due to a World Cup football match), but mostly supportive.
  • In 2005, approximately 250 people rode for 6 miles (1.5 hours) on the busiest streets of London - the assembly and finish were both at Wellington Arch. The public was astonished, thrilled, and delighted.
  • In 2004, approximately 60 riders rode in Hyde Park for 30 minutes inside Hyde Park. The public who saw us was facinated and several cyclists spontaneously joined the ride.

Media coverage

Moved to London media coverage page.

Photos

Moved to London photos page.

Videos

Moved to London videos page.

Photography and filming policy

The London Ride has had a photography/filming policy since 2005.

2008 Policy

We welcome photography during the ride, but there are some restrictions.

A - PHOTOGRAPHERS BEHAVIOUR
Photographers must behave in a respectful, friendly and reasonable manner at all times. If you make any rider uncomfortable, you will be required to leave the assembly area (or ride).

B - AT THE ASSEMBLY AREA (both BEFORE and AFTER the ride)

  1. Always ask for consent before photographing a rider.
  2. Don't photograph people who are body painting, undressing or dressing.
  3. No photography is allowed at the Body Painting area.

C - DURING THE RIDE

  1. Always ask for consent when taking a close-up photograph.
  2. If possible, ask for consent if your photo will show a rider's frontal nudity or face.

This policy is intended to curtail any inconsiderate photography which might otherwise take place. We wish to create a safe and supportive environment for all riders.

All photographers present at the ride must abide by this policy. Those who do not will be asked to leave. This includes any riders or press who take photos.

To ensure that this policy is clear to all present, it may appear on signs at the ride assembly area or on leaflets distributed at the event.

Debate about the policy

There has been some debate about the restrictiveness of this policy, to see this visit the following link [2]

Enforcing the Photo Policy (by you the riders)

We have created a downloadable "Photo Policy Enforcement Board" which is downloadable as a PDF here media:London2007photopolicy.pdf.

The download prints out onto two sheets of A4 which you can attach to both sides of an A4 piece of card or cardboard. It has the photo policy info on one sheet and in large letters it says "This Photo was taken without permission".

Our hope is that plenty of riders will have their own "Photo Policy Enforcement Board" on hand at the ride. If verbal intervention doesn't succeed in stopping a problem photographer, please hold the board between an inconsiderate photographer and the unwilling subject. We'll see if this works. To make it happen, you'll need to download, and print the signs (and affix them onto two sides of an A4 sized bit of card). Be sure to have somewhere to store the card out of sight when you aren't using it (eg- when no problem behaviour is happening, and during the ride).

Recommendations for Photographers

If you are attending the ride as a photographer, we would like to remind you that the there are various points along the route which feature particularly striking backgrounds for photos of the ride (eg- Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Street, US Embassy).

Links

Websites

Discussion groups

Join the WNBR UK list if you plan to ride and want to receive important updates or share in general UK ride planning. Join the WNBR London list if you want to help plan the London ride. If you're after photos, don't bother joining these lists – they are for ride planning only.

  • WNBR UK – Yahoo! group for all UK rides
  • WNBR London – Yahoo! group for the London ride

Listings

Related interest groups

Cycling
Ecological campaigns
Body Freedom/Naturism
Naked Protest

Location information

Categories

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