London Hyde Park
The London WNBR is part of Bike Week (14-22 June 2014).
Next ride
Date: Saturday 14 June 2014
Time: 14:15 assembly, for 15:00 departure
Location: Marble Arch
Start point
We are meeting in Hyde Park, on North Carriage Drive.
Route
The coloured lines match the topological map:
- The red line is just for our group.
- The blue line is the merged route for all the northern start points.
- The green line is the merged route for all start points.
Timings
- 14:15 Assemble.
- 14:30 Remove clothing. (You must keep your clothes on before this.)
- 14:45 Line up ready to depart.
- 15:00 Depart.
- 15:30 Meet the group who started in Regents Park at Piccadilly Circus, then meet the group who started in Kings Cross at Haymarket.
- 15:45 Meet the groups who started at Clapham Junction, West Norwood, and Tower Hill on Westminster Bridge.
- 17:30 Finish at Wellington Arch.
Body painting
Body Painting and Body Painting Area (informal/small) from 13:00 to 14:00
We encourage all riders to buy some body paints for themselves and get painted up before they come to the ride. People who wish to use the WNBR body paints are welcome to do so.
A list of suitable slogans can be found here if you can't think of your own - Slogans
There is an informal arrangement for a body painting group this year. We will provide body paints, stencils and sponge brushes but no official body painters. Nudity will not be permitted during body painting (equivalent of bathing costume coverage must be worn). Large numbers won't be permitted. Photography won't be allowed.
To learn the location of the informal body painting area, please phone Will on 07914 383230 between 12:00 and 13:00 on Saturday. This should keep the body painting relatively private.
Planning Your Body Paint
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. For advice 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, you may wish to do some body painting just before the ride, but you'll have to bring your own paints and painters. From 2006 till 2008, we provided a body painting service from professional painters such as Sitech Creations Ltd [1]. In 2009, there was no official body painting area. We had difficulty due to growing numbers of ride participants, aggressive photographers, and the short time available at the start.
Photographers can be a problem at the ride start especially while body painting is taking place. If you notice photographers crowding around someone who is being painted, please politely enquire whether the subject of the photograph is happy to be photographed. If they aren't happy being photographed, please ask the photographers to stop, and consider standing between the photographers and subject (in a polite but assertive manner).
Please don't photograph riders who are being painted. Wait till they are fully painted and then ask if they are happy to be photographed. Better still, please photograph the riders during the ride!
Toilets
The toilets at Marble Arch are currently closed (as of 29th April 2013). We don't know whether they'll be open again by the day of the ride. There are toilet facilities inside Hyde Park and in a few local restaurants, but you may find a big queue there. If you undress before the ride starts, please don't leave the assembly area; specifically, don't walk into McDonalds (or any other building) naked! If you do it on any other day of the year then that's up to you, but on the day of the ride your behaviour will reflect on everyone else.
