Brighton Naked Bike Ride to end with skinny dip

The Brighton Naked Bike Ride organisers said that they planned to celebrate body power with a naked triathlon this year.

They said that the World Naked Bike Ride eco protest and celebration of bikes and body power would return to Brighton and Hove for its seventh year on Sunday 10 June.

Inspired by the Olympic traditions of ancient Greece, where athletes competed naked, this year participants are invited to take part in a mini triathlon on the day.

A naked fun run will kick off the clothes-optional cycle ride through the city, followed by a post-ride skinny dip at the nudist beach.

Co-organiser Duncan Blinkhorn said: “In this Olympic year let’s celebrate the awesome power of the human body which, fuelled by food and partnered with a bicycle, can propel us over six miles on just one banana!”

He added: “We plan to hand out bananas to riders to fuel them on their way.”

About 1,000 people are expected to assemble in Preston Park – a different start point to previous years.

The “bare as you dare” bike ride will set off at noon. The riders will take a scenic route through the heart of Brighton, encouraged by crowds of onlookers and accompanied by a fleet of bike sound systems.

They will pass along the seafront, into Hove, through The Lanes, passing the Pavilion and the Palace Pier, before finishing in Kemp Town at the Black Rock naturist beach.

A feeder ride from Sussex University will pass the point where student Jo Walters was killed in an accident two years ago when she came off the narrow cycle track into fast-moving traffic.

Sussex student Sama Bakr said: “We fully support the Jo Walters Trust and Brighton and Hove City Council in their proposals to improve Lewes Road for cyclists, pedestrians and public transport, to prevent such tragedies in future and to encourage more people to get on their bikes.”

The ride is one of more than 50 around the world. The organisers said that it challenged society’s destructive dependence on cars and oil and promoted cycling as a sustainable urban transport solution for a low-carbon future.

Riders will paint slogans on their bodies and dress up their bikes prior to setting off.

There are 11 other rides in Britain alone taking place around May and June in Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton and York.

Mr Blinkhorn said: “The Naked Bike Ride is partly about facing our fears and challenging ourselves.

“Many people are fearful of cycling on the roads but evidence shows that the more people cycle the safer we all are.

“By cycling naked we are symbolising our vulnerability, both as individuals and as a species, while also demonstrating ‘safety in numbers’. We are stronger and safer together.”

The ride is free to enter, has been cleared with Sussex Police, and is a family-friendly event for National Bike Week.

To find out more, look for the ride on Facebook and Twitter, and visit worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton.