Naked Bicycle Riding in Seattle

[barerider]

Yesterday I turned out for my fourth World Naked Bike Ride, in Exeter (UK, that is). Leaving home the temperature was 17C with very misty conditions. Forty miles on, on the lee side of the intervening hills, it was 23C and sunny. Perfect conditions for a naked ride. My wife left at home was prepared to feel sorry for me being out in such weather, but there was no need.

The event was sadly not well attended, with 24 participants, as opposed to 31 last year. The ride was curtailed for reasons that were not immediately apparent. It was probably because there was a great deal happening in Exeter that day - regattas and rugby matches as well as us. We had a great reception as usual with a great deal of smiling, waving and clapping, especially when we rode down the main shopping street in the midst of all the Saturday afternoon shoppers. I only heard only a few negative comments and saw only a few children with their eyes covered.

It would have been nice to venture out of town on such a lovely day, Exeter has many canal and riverside cycle routes. However, the basic premise of the WNBR is a protest against oil dependency and also to emphasize the need for more awareness of cyclists by motorists, and it would be hard to justify the ride if we were away in a more rural area. As it is, most riders, including myself, just see it as an opportunity to ride naked in public without the threat of any repercussions.
 
I suffered no chafing or other discomfort during the ride, and am looking forward to 2017s events. London perhaps?

if you get the chance - try it!

barerider 

[nudewalker]

It is on the "bucket list" however I can't justify the expense of fuel to protest against oil dependency. Raising awareness of motorists to me is a worthy cause, in fact here in the US motorcycle clubs should do "nude" poker runs to raise money and teach the automobile drivers to look for them also!

[eyesup]

The main reason, out side of publicly riding naked through a city, is my hesitancy to align with a group that advocates the dissolution of the oil business. While I agree with some points of argument with that position, no viable alternative is available.

I suppose I could participate and wear a sign that says, "I agree to disagree", with the oil statement but support the naturist position. As long as the process furthers a vigorous discussion on alternatives, I wouldn't have a problem with that.

The idea of a long distance naked bike ride has always appealed to me.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

I believe that it is not about dissolution of the oil business, just ending oil dependency by the available means. For may, of course the oil giants are the bad guys, but no one would expect them to go away tomorrow. So, there are many alternatives, if we try individually and group efforts, many of which I find to be a pain in the A. Reduction is possible, and ending over reaching influence in the political process amounting to ownership of government would be a positive. Big oil had to be broken up before, but this is about reducing need.

Such a hard line does not have to be taken. Just driving a more fuel efficient car, car pooling, walking, or using a bike when practical (some good exercise) are goals to get people to participate in, by having fun riding your bike naked to get their attention. That seems enough for me. I don't think that anyone takes it to be much more than that. Originally, it was more about choosing the bicycle as a practical healthy alternative. It would be hard to convince most anyone that we could stop using oil tomorrow.

Just trying to help you give yourself permission to do something that you know that you would love to do. The website is paid for by a Body Freedom International. It is probably better known as "naked bike ride" than "try alternative energy sources" anyway to millions of casual observers who caught a blip in the media.
Jbee

[eyesup]

Just trying to help you give yourself permission to do something that you know that you would love to do. The website is paid for by a Body Freedom International. It is probably better known as "naked bike ride" than "try alternative energy sources" anyway to millions of casual observers who caught a blip in the media.

Yes. I am coming round to that conclusion.

Duane

[nuduke]

Well, well.  Haven't I been remiss!  I had no idea what the WNBR was about until Duane's last post - hitherto I just assumed it was a mixed charity fundraiser. 
Well, well.  Oil dependency protest indeed.
....I think it's really about opportunity to be naked on a bike!

John

[eyesup]

Riding for my own reasons would make the participation more palatable.
Besides, you never know who you might bump into. They rode here in June this year, but not sure I would. The next closest one is Los Angeles, I believe.

Duane

[reubenT]

While I agree with some points of argument with that position, no viable alternative is available.


Duane

Better do a bunch more research on that one.     I have,   and would differ.       Only one reason for no alternatives being introduced.    The iron hand of greed crushing them all out.   Death threats and assassinations behind the scenes keeping things under control for the profit of the rich oil men of the world.  I personally know some men who received death threats due to their success on oil alternatives.   Also know some who pushed it too far and lost their lives over it.   Inventing an alternative to petroleum is dangerous business.  The first man I know of who did that was Nicola Tesla,  and they stopped him fast when they realized what he was doing. And that was when a few men were just beginning to realize what that black gold could be worth.   But since he didn't have the technology to miniaturize his system and give it to everybody, all they need do was cut his funding to stop him.     With the extent and wealth of the oil system,  no one can fight it. Not even governments.   Since he who has the most money has the most power and can control the world.    Much as I like the naked biking idea,  I know that no matter how hard the protest, nothing can be done about it openly.   Only exceedingly secret can anything be done,  and then it's almost impossible to spread any technology with the kind of secrecy that must be kept to remain safe from the assassins.   I risk talking about it occasionally on some form of media (internet)  but without any specifics.   Since all electronic communication is being monitored to catch those who might threaten the system.  It's slavery.  To oil.  Real slavery maintained by those who profit from it.   The slaves carefully kept in ignorance of the fact in order to prevent mass protest and rebellion against the suppression of technology.   

[Peter S]

If the oil men want to stop us cycling naked, they'll be helped by the fashion industry - have you seen how much those cycling "clothes" cost!

peter

[eyesup]

An interesting idea Reuben!

When I say that no viable alternative is available that simple statement describes perfectly the state of affairs you describe. Availability! Not whether it exists but whether it's available.

Of the three top alternatives only one meets the cost/efficiency problem that oil solves. Nuclear. Solar and wind do produce power but not at the level of cost that oil and nuclear do. Using the technology we have to harness wind and solar limits access to the power. Half the day has no sun and the wind cannot be directed. Which means battery storage. Which means you need a place to put the batteries. Which means land. Which . . . .  well, you get my drift.

You are fortunate to have enough land to attempt to be self sufficient. Those in crowded areas do not. I live in the southwest with millions of acres of "useless" (not my word) land. To produce enough power by solar locks up that "useless" land for simply one purpose. You should see some of the solar power arrays out here. The land is cordoned off to keep animals out and it gets so hot under the equipment, that the soil is baked. Wind has the same issue but at least a wind turbine can be located in areas not useful for much else. Plus neither of those technologies function at the cost/efficiency as does oil and nuclear.

From reading your posts it sounds like you are close to being self sufficient. But you need land to do that. I admire that. Especially when you describe your projects. Ingenuity is what gave us the markets we now rely on and to, as you say "stop the development of new tech", is to smother that ingenuity.

If there are as you suggest, true alternatives, it doesn't surprise me that those that produce the power would move to protect themselves. I've never heard of them, maybe for good reason. To see the greed and corruption that exists is disheartening. I agree, which is why I am coming round in my thinking on the whole WNBR thang. So much of current technology relies on power. Lots of it. Whatever is developed to offer a viable alternative would need to be efficient to the point that it will work as well as oil and nuclear.

If those technologies are there and are not available by design then we are, as you say, being herded for the benefit of others.
At any rate the solution is not available. Which is what I meant when I said what I did. 

Duane

[eyesup]

I've seen bicycle riders wearing that stuff and it doesn't look comfortable. Most riders I see just wear everyday stuff, I guess people riding long distances use the specialty clothes.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

Just basic padded pants and a sporty shirt are $100 to $200. With those standard worthless hard pointy seats, the bull-legged pants are necessary. When I get a bike together again, I'll look for a bubble bead padded seat cover. Better to cover the seat than to cover me.

I suppose that the Arizonan needs to wave his solar power flag. The technology is available to provide homes with off the grid power all across the sunbelt and further north than that, on an individual basis. It is in the power companies interest to shackle us with massive systems and then inefficiently send power long distances over wires. These companies can provide solar in individual homes and businesses at a rate equal to the old system. If mass produced, cost would be less. Systems require individual set up, so there would be job growth.

I'm surprised that the banks don't push this, in spite of their ties to big oil money. They can provide the loan to a power company and it gets steadily paid off over five to ten years, using the utility's monthly charge. The charge remains constant and the economy's inflation doesn't squeeze people, they have more to spend. The utilities have a stable income. The banks have a huge income, which they will sell and make into funds to provide ten times that in loans and get richer. We don't need fields of solar collectors, unless we are selling to the northern snow climates.

Plug-in hybrids can acquire enough power to take care of most urban, suburban travel needs. The fall back being more efficient use of oil products when going further. This is today's technology.

That would translate into less oil dependence, less environmental destruction and greater national security. As I remember, the desire to have "less oil dependence, destruction, economic security and need for oil wars" was the reason for the bike rides, if not a good cause to be able to run about naked (which is done for a multitude of reasons). There were no specifics, just a ploy to increase awareness of the possibilities and a reminder that there is a runaway problem.

These could be long term loans decreasing the cost of power. Or, individual loans per unit, but paying it off and having free electricity to sell customers, only doing maintenance after payoff...wow. Then there is the tech boom, the improvements as time goes on. I can get installed today, a solar system that will give me constant cost at my current rates and with a maintenance contract. No inconvenience to my present lifestyle. Need their website? I have had friends satisfied for years now, feeling good about themselves.

Big oil was broken up before for the same reasons, monopolistic behaviors and owning the government, cronyism, squeezing consumers, small business and competition. I'll leave it at that, or else the Bernie kinda guy that prefers the freedom to shed clothing gets on big banks, big pharm, health insurance and care...too political. You all have been spared.
Jbee

[reubenT]

the energy technology being used is in the dark ages compared to what's been invented.    The energy technology taught in the tech schools is only what the oil guys want people to know.   There is a whole nother world of technology that few people realize exists.  However a few hints of it can be seen in questions that have no answer in currently taught theory.  Like  "What is a magnetic field?"     and   "What is gravity?"    Both are manifestations of something that is mysterious.    If interested in digging further into what's been invented there's a lot of info on a great many devices and methods at http://free-energy-info.co.uk/

[eyesup]

Interesting site, Reuben. Thanks for the link.

Well! Since Reuben has cracked open the door to cosmological enigmas, I've often wondered about what is the nature of matter and energy in the virtual particles that keep popping in and out. Where does that energy come from, where does it go and can it be captured/harnessed or otherwise used? 

How did we get from riding a bike in Seattle to dark matter, dark energy, virtual particles and unlimited energy sources? 

As Spock would say, "Fascinating". 

Duane

[jbeegoode]

All is just energy, some moves slower than others, it all interacts. There are no little balls whirling around. When getting that small there is nothing but a kind of vortex and nothing to see, lots of space to pass through. When one rides a bike one harnesses that energy. It is an alternative fuel and propulsion, merely energy interacting. There IS an alternative source of energy, A bike..  When naked, there is feeling more a part of all, interacting. Taking the perspective of just energy interacting, there is much to discover, say, when naked in the desert. Much to be grasped and change. Got any spare change? Like in taxes? Yea, dollars. Dollars, Taxes? There's a lot of desert in Taxes.

Anyway, that is a fun site to ponder. Thank-you,
jbee