Naked cycling

[Karla]

I've been wondering about naked cycling recently. I know that there are naked bike ride events, but what about on a more regular basis, maybe in a small group? I'm thinking of using a mountain bike on a dirt track in the countryside rather than cycling in the city. I personally commute every day along such a path by the side of a river.

I reckon it could be difficult to lay claim that the naked cyclist is intending to cause offence if all anyone sees if a blur whizzing past. And nor can people feel so threatened by it, say compared to a lone naked man lurking in the bushes for example.

There should be far more relief from cycling naked than walking naked because you can work up quite a bit more of a sweat. Conversely, I never understand why there is this obsession with sporty clothes made out of wicking material. I have used wicking thermals underneath a dry suit when scuba diving in cold water because if you wear cotton thermals then the moisture clings to your skin and water transmits heat about 25 times faster than air so you end up quite cold. But wicking materials when you want to try and cool down? It's always sold as keeping you dry, but if you weren't so hot in the first place you wouldn't sweat so much. And if your sweat wasn't immediately wicked away then the body would not have to produce more to cool down so you moisture would not be so much of a problem anyway. A perfect example of how technology is developed and sold to provide a solution to a problem that doesn't have to exist. I don't think you can beat the naked body in this regard.

It seems in the United Kingdom, people have been arrested for doing this.

A naturist who found fame as the Cambridge Nude Cyclist has hit out at seasiders who don’t share his passion for biking in the buff.

Richard Collins, 53, faces a three-day trial later this year after he was arrested for riding along the promenade in Bournemouth without clothes, allegedly “causing harassment, alarm or distress”.

But the dad-of-two said he never faced such problems in the city he made his home – where he was often spotted riding around the countryside or even along King’s Parade.

Naked cyclist streaks through Suffolk village

A Suffolk man has discovered to his cost that the courts do not consider cycling naked through sleepy villages a "fun" activity for a Monday afternoon.

[stuart]

There are some who do it in Germany it seems:

http://vimeo.com/30545818

[Greenbare Woods]

I've been organizing some naked bicycle events near here.  Spokane, WA, USA.

http://www.meetup.com/Nude-Is-Natural-in-Spokane/events/129222392/

[ravenrider]

During the summer I managed a short spell of naked cycling - I had to drop my son off for a school trip early on a Sunday morning so rather than go back to bed I went out for a spin. For most of it I felt it necessary to wear clothes (although I only saw one or two cars) but for a few miles on back roads in the country I was nude. It felt great. Although it was a little chilly, I felt perfectly comfortable as long as I was working hard enough to stay warm. I could feel I was sweating but I still felt dry which was a little strange. The logical conclusion is that my body was able to work how it was "designed" to maintain the correct temperature. I think that clothes just confuse the body's natural systems.

As for lycra, I've never worn it, but surely the point of wicking the water away from the skin is that it can then evaporate from the surface of the material so that it behaves like a second skin. Being so tight fitting would help this too. If society won't let us go out in our own skin, then perhaps lycra is the next best thing.

[Karla]

I've been cycling 22K a day for the last four months. The weather has warmed up quite a bit recently but the last two weeks were rather chilly and often raining. Temperatures were in single digits in the morning. I've continued to cycle in the same sleeveless sports top and cotton shorts and some of the locals have looked at me as if I am mad. The Germans believe in dressing appropriately for the temperature it seems, probably because they can have such a huge range of temperatures within a the space of a couple of months. I much prefer it much chillier though because I soon warm up from cycling and it feels quite invigorating. Quite a few times I've got into work soaking wet because I've had a waterproof jacket in my backpack and haven't bothered wearing it. I've sttarted wearing cycling gloves again though because even though my body feels warm enough my fingers can go rather numb.

[jbeegoode]

In daylight, it is difficult to stop a bike and cover up. It is easy to come across someone surprising both parties. It is a quicker get away, but the escape route is predictable and it is difficult to stash a bike. Old rail track beds, remote hiking trails, and back alleys may work.
Bicycling under a full moon at night can work, well. It is difficult to see details. One evening like that, I painted on black bike shorts. I put an LCD headlamp on the front to obscure the view and force people to look away. I then rode several miles along a river park path that I had reconded previously. I made sure that no one could come up behind me. I couldn’t be certain that there would be bicycled police. It worked. I don’t know if it was worth the trouble, however. I haven’t repeated the project. There was more excitement and thoughtful caution than just enjoying the ride. If you are looking for excitement and risk, then riding around naked in public through people like that might feel adventurous. It might be nice very late at night, but I wouldn’t do that in the city alone. Maybe acting as a police biker would make trouble scatter, like wearing a pouch belt.

If conditions are good, then riding naked has to be more pleasant. Anything is better when bare, except cold and those midges of yours. It should be a crime to restrict nudity and sexualize it.

The nude body certainly is the best in heat and/or exertion. I can work out in the 102F and even 105F nude, but even a pair of shorts changes that. Still, I must pace myself. It allows me to go many places freely nude because others are indoors during those times (wearing clothes and using extra power because they are dressed, silly). It helps a great deal with detoxification, like a sweat/sauna. These bodies are hardwired to be nude. When very hot, extra water is consumed and more must be carried with.

Please, tell us about your adventures and solutions.
Jbee 

[Greenbare Woods]

The town I live near has a bicycle path that formerly was a railroad line.   The 4.5 miles east of town is paved and popular for bike riders and walkers.  The entire path belongs to our State Parks department and goes about a hundred miles, but only about 25 miles is maintained, and all but 4.5 miles is loose deep gravel not very suitable for bicycles.

Most of it is out in the farm and ranch land so you never meet anyone else.  I have walked almost 20 miles of the trail naked, one section at a time.  I wanted to cover the whole trail naked, so I got an idea that I could ride a bicycle naked near town and be gone before anyone who saw me phoned the police.  In our state it is "not a crime" to be naked in a state park, but instead it is a "civil offense" like a traffic ticket.  A park enforcement person could give a "ticket" for being naked, but I figured that wasn't likely. 

On a warm sunny morning I rode my bicycle from  one trail access parking lot near to the other one.  Then I took off my shirt and shorts and rode naked back to where my car was parked.  It felt really good to have the sunshine and breeze on my whole body, not clothes restricting my movement.  I passed probably a dozen walkers and a couple of bike riders on the trail. I don't mind being seen naked as long as I don't get arrested.  It doesn't hurt them to see a human being either.  I put my shorts on about a hundred yards from the parking in case anyone had summoned a police, but I needn't have bothered.   Life was good. 
Bob

[skin]

The annual WNBR events are becoming more & more popular.
Attempts in Scotland have so far not really taken off, as authorities have so far banned full public nudity.
It would be nice to be able to this here, either in Glasgow, Edinburgh or a rural ride here in Fife.

[Georgew1959]

Agree with you on that Skin, it would be great to host a proper WNBR event in Scotland. I've been down to the London ride and hope to go again this year, but travelling so far for a protest against unsustainable travel feels like a contradiction!

[peter]

We have had a court case in New Zealand involving nude cycling
http://www.3news.co.nz/National/Story/tabid/42
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3394892/Naked-cyclist-not-offensive-judge-rules3/articleID/144649/Apps.aspx
Nick Lowe an NZ naturist was convicted of being nude while cycling but appealed and it was overturned. This was in 2010

Peter

[Greenbare Woods]

Sounds interesting Peter.  I get a 404 error on one link and a "Page not found" on the other.   Can you check it out and see if its still working.  Thanks

Bob

[peter]

Sorry I stuffed that up badly
http://www.3news.co.nz/National/Story/tabid/423/articleID/144649/Apps.aspx

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3394892/Naked-cyclist-not-offensive-judge-rules

If this still doesnt want to work then Google "Nick Lowe Nude Cyclist NZ" and you will get several hits 

[jbeegoode]

Happy endings make me smile.

[eyesup]

I haven't been cycling naked but in response to Karla's comments about the body being perfectly able to adjust it's temperature to the environment, I tested this a couple of times.

I went out on a nude hike once in January when the temperature was 37F at the trail head.  I started at about 8:00 am.  The sky was clear and there was little to no wind.  Once I got up to a good pace I didn't even notice the cold.  With no clouds and only a slight breeze it was a perfectly enjoyable time.

By the time I left, about 3 hrs. later, the temp was probably up into the low 50's.  I think the body adapts to it's optimum functioning level.  As long as you don't push it to extremes where it can't adjust you can have a great time.

Clouds and a wind will ruin your day quickly though.  I always have protection in case that occurs.  Being naked with no direct sun and a stiff wind is not fun at all.

[jbeegoode]

We tried out the new Ultra light camping gear last weekend. It got into thirties F, which is colder than what we expect this coming summer in the mountains. We put on clothes! We huddled around a campfire. We got into the separate sleeping bags. I got kinda cold, but my girlfriend, a light weight when cold hits didn’t particularly. She wore a wool hat to bed and put those hand warmer packets that last ten hours into her socks. Head and feet kept an okay temperature and the rest of the body is then fine. We were discussing this with a friend yesterday. She told us that she uses those kerchiefs with those pellets that hold cool when wet. She puts one on her head and then on her ankles. It kept her cool on a trip to India when it was 130’s (!?!) with humidity, as she slept nude.

I have been out at freezing with just warm boots on, but with no wind. It doesn’t take much air movement to change the entire experience of nudity. It does certainly help, keeping a nude body cool during extreme heat.