Following a year off due to Covid lockdown, the Brighton Naked Bike Ride aims to return to the city streets for their main ride on 15 August. They already had a small secret fundraising flash-mob ride on 25 July which was received with Brighton’s usual whoops and cheers! The pandemic has been a wake-up call to the wider crisis of global climate change. In response, the “protestival” ride’s celebration of car-free,human-powered travel – and demonstration of the vulnerability of human bodies in urban traffic – is now more relevant than ever.
Briony, one of the ride organisers and part of the collective, said: “We’ve seen the world change almost unrecognisably since the Covid pandemic struck. People have come together to fight the invisible threat of viral infection. Let’s hope we can unite to fight climate change equally as effectively. There were beautiful moments and unexpected benefits during lockdown: streets denuded of gridlocked traffic, people exercising at home and on city streets, birdsong instead of car noise, a realisation that human life on the planet is fragile.
There have also been bold moves by Brighton & Hove City Council to make cycling and other active travel safer and more appealing during lockdown. Hopefully this will continue, moving into the future. There is much to be optimistic about.” A fundraising flash-mob ride, with limited numbers and a secret start location, was planned for Sunday 25 July, during the day. This aimed to raise much-needed money to sustain the ride organisation and pay for fencing, equipment, publicity, and other costs, to make the event safe for all participants.
The start location was announced 24 hours beforehand, strictly to ticket holders and followed a route through the city centre streets. A bigger, open participation, “New Normal” protest event is planned for Sunday 15 August (the day after London’s ride). It will join many other World Naked Bike Ride events around the UK and the globe. The ride will be free to join and as close in spirit as possible to pre-Covid rides that took place from 2006 to 2019 in cooperation with Sussex Police. Donations will be welcome via Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-naked-bike-ride-2021-tickets-164956668837 ,
Riders are invited to assemble in Preston Park (Brighton, BN1 6SD) at midday, where they can decorate their bikes and bodies before the ride sets off at 2.00 pm. The “naked sightseeing” route goes past the Pavilion, seafront, Palace Pier, i360, Lanes, North Laine, Kemptown, and finishes at Black Rock naturist beach for a post- ride swim and picnic. Participation in the ride is family-friendly and “as bare as you dare”.
Public nakedness is entirely legal in the UK and the ride supports the demonstration of “Body Positivity” [ https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-body-positivity-4773402 ].
Riders are encouraged to paint their bodies and decorate their bikes with environmental messages under the “New Normal” theme. To find out more about the event and how to take part, please visit http://worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton or see our Facebook Group, Page and Event. Look for Brighton Naked Bike Ride
