Portsmouth

Portsmouth Ride #1 : Friday June 10 2011

This will be a standard ride around the streets of Portsmouth

Portsmouth Ride #2 : Friday June 10 2011

This will take place after Portsmouth Ride #1, and will be from Portsmouth to Southampton (18 miles approx), so that participants may attend the Southampton Ride.

Contact [email protected]

Dress code

Come as bare as you dare. Nudity makes a great statement, and many of us will be completely naked, but if you're more comfortable in a little clothing, that's fine too. In previous years, riders have worn shorts, bras, swimwear, body paint, wigs, sunglasses etc. Most wear footwear and bring bags to carry clothes. Body painting and adornment, customised bikes and other creative expression are all strongly encouraged.

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 yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wnbr-portsmouth/

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.

Police restrictions

From 2004 to 2009, there have been 30 UK Naked Bike Rides with a cumulative total of 7,000+ riders in 11 locations, and no arrests.

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.

In contrast, Scottish police have never allowed full nudity at the two Edinburgh rides in 2004 and 2008.

For UK rides where full nudity wasn't permitted, police requirements of body coverage seemed to be similar. The groin area needed to be covered, as did female nipples. However, buttocks could be shown by either men or women.