The Naked Bike Ride Is On June 29

Photo courtesy of World Naked Bike Ride on Facebook.

Wearing helmets while riding bikes has been an important topic of discussion for both residents and elected officials over the last few months. But cycling through the city sans pants and shirts—almost completely in the nude—is something that a different group of bike advocates is currently focused on.

Organizers of the annual “Naked Bike Ride” through Boston announced they were gearing up to host yet another event, inviting riders to ditch their tops and bottoms, and bike the streets of Boston in the buff.

Organizers wrote on their Facebook page Monday that the event will be held at 9 p.m. on June 29, and attendees will meet (clothed) at the bandstand on Boston Common before stripping down for the breezy adventure.

While event details are as sparse as the riders’ apparel will likely be, this will be the fourth time the group will get together to let the wind hit their naked bodies while traveling through Boston. Last year, 45 participants rode bare-back down Newbury Street towards Massachusetts Avenue, and crossed over the bridge into Cambridge for the event. “We were actually assisted by the Cambridge Police force, so I think after three years, the city has finally come around to the ride—regardless of what anti-fun and angry Boston Globe columnists think,” said event organizer, Sara, who didn’t want to give her last name. “We ride to show Boston is a friendly, fun, and traffic-law abiding bike group, while at the same time demonstrating how exposed we are as bike riders on the city streets. Boston is becoming more and more bike aware, which is so wonderful, and we hope that our ride encourages more people to hop on two wheels”

Riders are encouraged to bring clothing for both before and after the ride, and it’s not a requirement to bike nude, according to Sara. “The dress code is ‘As Bare As You Dare,’ clothing is simply optional. Pasties, body paint, thongs, merkins, spandex, and tighty-whities are highly encouraged,” she said.

The stunt, which is an international event that started in 2004 in Spain, before spreading across the country to dozens of other cities, isn’t just about expressing cyclist freedom through near-nakedness—it’s also aimed at raising awareness about using alternative modes of transportation while pointing out the vulnerability of people traveling on two wheels on congested streets shared with cars and other vehicles. “By riding in the WNBR we face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy,” according to a statement from the national organization.