Put a Sock on It

Will nude cycling achieve critical mass?

by Brian Howard

You may recall that our cover last week featured a pair of models, wearing only what God gave them, straddling bike saddles for Isaiah Thompson's "Biketopia" story. Coincidence? Yes, completely. With a splash of not entirely.

"We'd been working on how we would get [a naked bike ride] together since March," says Clifford Greer, a lighting designer/theater pro/USciences AV tech. The World Naked Bike Ride — wherein riders in cities around the globe hop bare-assed onto their bikes in unison — takes place Sat., June 13. (Naked Bike Rides have been happening since 2001, hoping to, as per worldnakedbikeride.org, "put a stop to the indecent exposure of people and the planet to cars and the pollution they create.")

There will be rides this Saturday as near as New York City and Washington, D.C. Philadelphia has never had one of its own, and won't take part this Saturday.

"We had kind of given up on 2009," admits Greer. "Part of that was because Conrad [Schmidt] of World Naked Bike Ride really likes the world to ride together." Then they decided that the time was just right.

The naked cyclists on our cover had nothing to do with the worldwide event, or with the Philadelphia ride specifically. They were just supposed to be, like, bicycle Adam and Eve.

The image may have, however, served as a sign for the organizers, several of whom had met a couple of Sundays ago to figure out how to pull off the ride. "In other cities, the Naked Bike Ride has been underground. Particularly on the East Coast where police officers are a little more, um, conservative," says Greer. "We were making a decision about whether we were going to open the ride to the entire city."

In the end, they decided, fittingly, on transparency.

"Then Mark [fellow organizer Andrews] called me and was like, 'City Paper has nude cyclists on it!'"

Initially worried that someone else was planning a June 13 ride, the organizers eventually came to see the cover as free publicity — for the idea if not for their ride.

Greer is working with Andrews, Heidi Fuhr, Derek Hachkowski, Wil(ma) McCormick and Tony Spectacular to put together Philly's Sept. 6 maiden voyage. He specifies that the ride is not about the organizers, but the participants, and the idea behind the ride is to "inspire people to shed the excess. I'd like people to start believing that working less means they can consume less, and consuming less means they can be happier."

The ride's not about nudity, nor is it sexual. In fact, the ride is better described as clothing-optional. "It's really as bare as you dare," says Greer who has, in fact, rode nude before. "Not for any good reason, but yes," he laughs, before offering a secret: "A single ankle sock is helpful."

(Greer was so kind as to solicit a tip from Heidi for the ladies: "If you shave, shave before you ride. She also recommends using an anti-chaffing stick.")

There's still a lot of work to be done. A route — one with safe houses and businesses along the way for people who need to drop off the ride — must be planned. Logistics must be calculated. And word must be spread. "The World Naked Bike Ride Web site has been receiving e-mail hits nominating Philadelphia for a ride for four years, so we're trying to identify Philadelphians who have already expressed interest," says Greer. "Our primary focus is to develop a group of riders that is substantial enough to render nil any laws that might keep us from riding."

If you're interested in helping or taking part, e-mail info@phillynakedbikeride.org, or sign up for e-mail updates at phillynakedbikeride.org.

"We're willing to accept whatever help comes, however it comes," says Greer. "The more the merrier."

(bhoward@citypaper.net)