World Naked Bike Ride: Cambridge route map

[NudieDaniel]

World Naked Bike Ride route map for Cambridge

Hundreds of cheeky cyclists wearing nothing but helmets and body paint are expected to sweep through Cambridge on Saturday.

The city is to play host to its first World Naked Bike Ride – a global phenomenon which could see up to 200 cyclists strip off to raise awareness of bike rider visibility.

And event organisers, a group called the Four Seasons, have given motorists a stark warning that there will be no dodging the spectacle along the seven-mile circuit.

Robert Brown, organiser, said: "There will be no road closures and we will be marshalling the event from our bikes and not the roadside.

"We like the traffic to see us. It doesn't make our statement known if we have closures in place.

"We are trying to promote safety so we want people to see how hard it is for cyclists to get around."

Despite the word "naked" in the title, cyclists are only encouraged to go "as bare as you dare" with the only banned item being face masks.

Many riders coat themselves in body paint and are emblazoned with tongue-in-cheek slogans about road safety and climate awareness.

Participants do not need to register, and can either join marshals at the start or meet the fleet en-route – but they have been advised to avoid ditching the kit until the right moment.

Mr Brown said: "We discourage people arriving at the start naked. Of course we cannot stop people and it is legal, but we frown on it.

"We will start assembling at 1pm and at 1.30pm a siren will go off which marks when people can start stripping off for the body painting."

He added: "We can't stress enough people take their belongings on the ride with them otherwise they are not likely to see them again.

"We had one man who did not, and had to travel from Portsmouth to Scotland in a dress because that was the only item of clothing left."

Cllr Noel Kavanagh, a vocal campaigner for cycling safety, has offered his support for those daring to bare on Saturday, but drew the line at taking part himself.

He said: "I will not be in Cambridge that day, but I think it has a real purpose of promoting the vulnerability of cyclists on the road.

"There's an element of fun to it. I imagine it will be a spectacle like the Rio Carnival."

But Andrew West, who describes himself as a passionate cyclist, said: "What message does this give to a child who witnesses adults cycling around with no clothes on?

"Surely children are not expected to ride naked too?"

"This ride purports to highlight the dangers from cars of riding a bicycle. If that were the case I would suggest that everyone rides around in hi-viz jackets and attends a cycle safer course."

The organisers have re-iterated that all children under 16 who take part must be accompanied by an adult.

The ride will set off from Parker's Piece at 3pm and will follow an anti-clockwise circuit around Chesterton Road, Queen's Road and Hills Road.

Cyclists will then loop back into the centre via Perne Road, East Road before returning to Parker's Piece

Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/World-Naked-Bike-Ride-Cambridge-preparing-global/story-26723983-detail/story.html#ixzz3dZKd4ufI
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