Newcastle upon Tyne

List of rides > UK > Newcastle upon Tyne 

The Newcastle- Gateshead World Naked Bike Ride is a protest against oil dependency and car culture.

It is equally a celebration of the bike and the human body.

Page originally created thanks to the support given by John Cossham, organiser of the York WNBR.

NEWCASTLE - GATESHEAD WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE PLANNED TO RUN IN 2016

Follow updates and join the conversation on the Newcastle - Gateshead WNBR page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NewcastleWNBR

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.

STOP PRESS: Please read our Advice for Riders below.

Route and schedule

TBA

Planning meeting and ride route testing autumn 2015

Advice for Riders

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PRACTICAL INFORMATION CAREFULLY BEFORE COMING ON THE NEWCASTLE - GATESHEAD WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE.

PLEASE PRINT OUT A COPY FOR ANY FRIENDS YOU KNOW ARE COMING AND WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.

Experienced cyclists – please note some of this information may seem tedious but it is meant for everyone, experienced or not, who may be coming on the Ride and is intended to make the event as trouble-free, safe and legal as possible.

The World Naked Bike Ride is primarily a protest and a celebration for people on bikes. In Newcastle - Gateshead because of the varied (and hilly!!)surfaces we go over we discourage walkers, runners and skaters as it is difficult for them to keep up.

Please only attend if you are going to ride a bike, trike, tandem or hand-cycle that is in good working order.

If you are not a regular cyclist, we urge you to have dusted your bike down and actually ridden it a few times before the day to check everything including yourself is in working order. We'd hate for your brakes to fail on the descent down to the Quayside...

It is your responsibility to make sure your bike is roadworthy.

In particular check:

• that it fits you
• that the brakes work properly
• the tyres are sufficiently inflated
• the chain runs freely and the gear changes are smooth
• there are no obvious loose connections (check especially your handlebars, saddle, cranks and pedals)
• your wheels run true (don't wobble from side to side when moving)
• "slime" works well in the tubes as an anti puncture aid, handy on an event such as this.

What to bring with you on the Ride:

• Obviously your bike.
• One or more bags to carry your clothes and other bits and pieces in. Bags attaching safely to your bike are best as they do not restrict your movement, make your back sweat too much or obscure any slogans that are written there. If you do not have a pannier, saddle-bag, rack or handlebar-bag, use a back-pack that attaches securely to your body and leaves both hands free. Nothing should be left at the Ride assembly point.
• A basic tool kit specific to your bike including a spare inner tube and/or other means of dealing with a puncture
• A working pump
• One or more water-bottles – you will probably get thirsty especially if it is a hot day
• Front and rear lights in case it is dark by the time you are getting home (remember up here though it won't start to get dark until at least 9:30pm at that time of year)
• Some snacks to keep you going until your next meal
• Sun cream, sunglasses, according to the weather

At the assembly point

• Naturally we encourage you to arrive in Newcastle by sustainable means. Trains operate from across the UK to Newcastle station with Trans-Pennine, Northern Rail, Virgin East Coast and Cross Country with all operating frequent services.
• Bikes are NOT allowed on the Tyne and Wear Metro trains. If you have to bring the car please try and avoid using the city center car parks - not only do they cost a fortune, but it kind of defeats the object of our ride if you bring your car into an already congested city center :-)
• Apply sun-cream if it is a hot day (do this before applying body paint and allow the cream to soak in)
• Decorate your body and your bike. Make contact with other riders and help each other out painting slogans on your bodies. There are plenty of ideas for slogans on the WNBR Slogans page or you can make up your own.
• Be respectful of your fellow riders. do not take photos of other riders without their permission, especially if they are in middle of getting ready.
• Do a few last minute checks to make sure your bike is OK, e.g. is there still air in the tyres?
• Please do not fully strip off until shortly before the Ride is due to start. Do NOT leave your clothing with a friend, but take it with you (it is possible you may need it if you have a breakdown and are isolated from the other riders).
• Wait for the signal to depart and follow the ride leader out of the assembly area.

Body painting location

TBA

Creativity and decoration

Creativity and decoration of your bike and your body are strongly encouraged.

• If you have any body paints and brushes, please bring them along. Flowers, leaves and other greenery are also useful for draping or twisting around your body or your bike. Lots more ideas can be found on the main WNBR website: www.worldnakedbikeride.org or go direct to the Wikipedia article on WNBR body art.
• Bring bells, whistles, horns, squeakers etc. to make a pleasant noise.
• If you are carrying banners, flags or flagpoles, please ensure these are attached to your bike in a safe way so that they will not get caught up in your wheels, cause difficulty when mounting or dismounting or cause a nuisance to other riders. In particular avoid anything with a sharp point. It is possible to attach flexible bamboo poles with banners above head height, or shorter poles with small pennants well behind you. You will need lots of gaffer tape and some ingenuity to wrap it round all the right places. Attaching it to a pannier rack is best. If in any doubt how to do this safely, please seek advice. Note that you may have to mount/dismount your bike in a different way if you have a banner fixed behind. Test it out before the ride please.
• If you must wear a mask, whether for decoration or disguise, make sure it does not restrict your vision of the road ahead or of the other riders around you. Wearing a mask does not mean you can avoid the norms of decency during the ride.

During the Ride

We will have a ride leader and some one marking the back of the ride. There will also be some stewards on the flanks of the ride and there may also be police officers controlling some of the junctions or riding with us.

For everyone's safety, please observe the following guidelines:

• Do not stray from the route or from the other riders.
• Do not race ahead or overtake the ride leader. They need to dictate a pace that is set for a reason.
• Do not to drop behind the back marker, if you are clearly struggling to keep up you will be asked to dress and meet us at the end point or leave the ride.
• If a 999 Emergency Vehicle approaches with Blue Lights ON and needs to pass, pull into the left side and clearly give way the same as you would when riding independently. Be aware of others around you when doing so.
• Keep some space between yourself and other riders, in particular watch out that your front wheel does not get too close to the back wheels of the people in front and make sure that you have enough room to stop.
• Give long or wide cycles (e.g. tricycles, rickshaws, cargo-bikes, bikes with trailers) extra space to manoeuvre, especially if the path you are riding on is narrow.
• If you need to stop suddenly, try and pull away from other riders and indicate or shout back that you are doing so.
• Do not leave too much space between yourself and other riders that car-drivers are tempted to nip into the space and so split up the ride. Avoid riding in small bunches or sub-groups.
• Be aware of pedestrians, especially children.
• On shared use pathways, keep to the side marked as a cycle lane. If no such lane is marked, be prepared to stop if necessary if pedestrians (or their dogs) get in your way.

* Follow the normal traffic rules given in the Highway Code, stopping at red lights, giving way etc. unless directed to clear a junction by a police officer or ride steward acting to ensure your safety.

• If the traffic light is on red when the ride leader arrives the whole ride will stop until the light turns green. The ride will then continue through the light set as one vehicle without stopping should the light turn red again whilst the protest is passing through - this is the same as a 'long vehicle' would do. This is one of the important reasons we need to control the pace of the ride and that we ride as one single group to aid the Police and other Highway users
• Be aware that other road users (pedestrians, drivers) may be startled by the appearance of a group of naked cyclists. Mostly their reactions will be positive. If for any reason they are not, do not stop to engage in arguments, but keep smiling and ride on.
• If you have an accident, a mechanical failure or a puncture, the back marker will stay with you long enough to make sure you are OK. Provided you are not hurt, you will be advised to get dressed and make your way by the quickest available route to the designated end of the Ride where you will be able to re-join the other riders.
• Generally, if a ride steward asks you to do something (e.g. to move inside a lane), please do what he or she says. Ride stewards are there to ensure your own safety and to try and keep the ride together and have been briefed about the ride plan.

There are no toilet stops during the ride. Please visit the toilets mentioned above before or after the ride, but do not stop anywhere for this purpose during the ride unless you get dressed and 'catch us up independently'. If you stop to urinate in public, you may be liable to arrest.

At the end of the Ride

At the end of the Ride, please dismount at the dispersal point/chill-out area . This does not apply to hand-cycles or other HPVs designed for disabled cyclists. After the ride, once photos have been taken and you’ve met up with your friends again, please get dressed or at least put a minimum of clothing on. You are expected to get dressed within 15 minutes of the ride ending, but you are free to remain in the area if you wish.

The Ride should have a zero carbon footprint, so please dispose of all rubbish responsibly or take it home for recycling.

Post-ride social TBA

Publicity: Flyers and Posters

TBA

Be patient: the files can take a while to download!

Please try and place any publicity materials in a prominent position in your local community centre, college, bike shop etc and circulate amongst your cycling friends and fellow activists. Laminated versions can even be displayed at key locations outside, e.g. attached to lamp-posts along cycle paths. With a little ingenuity flyers can also be attached to bikes. When organising leaflet distribution we are often on the look-out for a place where we can leave flyers for people to collect (with a person or business in Newcastle perhaps).

If you would like to donate some art-work for future Newcastle WNBR events, please get in touch.

Bike hire

Bikes can be hired from the following places:

Meetings and events

TBA

FILM & DISCUSSION EVENINGS.

Films available:

The World Naked Bike Ride - “All over the ride people are stripping off and getting on their bikes” (The story of the ground-breaking 2005 London ride, narrated by Jon Snow)

Indecent Exposure to Cars - “I see painted naked people on bicycles” (Directed by Conrad Schmidt, Ragtag productions 2007). A light-hearted slightly corny take on the origins of the WNBR movement.

Planning collective

The Newcastle Planning Collective is a small group of local cyclists working together in a co-operative way to a single end. Some of us are based in Newcastle itself, some live in the surrounding towns and villages. We always need more volunteers to get involved - that could be YOU!

Here's what the Collective does:

• answers people's questions with care and consideration
• keeps track of who is doing what, and how far through things people are
• deals with problems and follow the discussions at the national level
• provides email updates to let people know what's going on
• points out where and when help is needed
• acts as a contact point for general enquiries (email and mobile phone)
• maintains contact information (and keeps it secure)

Additional responsibilities for the coordinator or one of the Collective members:

• arranges meetings, compile agendas, provide minutes
• ensures that the Collective remains non-hierarchical but organised
• moderates an email list for Newcastle ride planning

Join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/NewcastleWNBR

Media coverage

Awaiting links

Websites

• WNBR UK – official site for UK rides