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There is apparently a naked bike ride in Boston on Saturday
Clothing? Optional. Helmet? Strongly advised.
An annual bicycling tradition returns to the Boston area this weekend, a full-frontal grassroots movement to unite cyclists around a common cause.
And no, we’re not talking about the Pan-Mass Challenge.
The Boston World Naked Bike Ride will roll out Saturday evening, its riders embracing the tagline: “Less Gas, More Ass! Bare As You Dare! Do You See Us Now?”
According to its Facebook event, the group plans to meet up at 7:30 p.m. (location TBA) and begin the clothing-optional ride at 8 p.m. sharp. Aside from a helmet, event organizers have recommended cyclists bring an ID, phone, water, shoes, lights, snacks, tire repair materials, first aid, and something in which to carry their clothes.
Previously:
Boston’s naked bike ride is meant to support cycling, safer streets, less fossil fuel use, and body positivity, according to its previous organizers, who decided to take a step back this year and pass the baton to new leadership. Previous iterations have featured body paint, costumes, pasties, tutus, tighty whities, and everything (or nothing) in between.
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The Boston event is part of the World Naked Bike Ride movement, which promotes nude jaunts in an effort to demonstrate “the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and … protest against car culture,” per its website. There’s also an FAQ page, for inquiring minds who want to know more about legality and, er, comfort of naked bike riding.
For the record, Massachusetts’ law regarding indecent exposure is three-pronged, with prosecutors forced to prove someone not only exposed their genitals, but that they did so intentionally and that one or more people were offended by the act. (Note: breasts, buttocks, and pubic hair don’t count for indecent exposure.)
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Boston’s naked ride has seen cyclists chafe against local law enforcement in the past; in one notable 2019 incident, Massachusetts State Police troopers broke up a post-ride gathering at North Point Park in Cambridge and arrested one person while aiming a Taser at others. A State Police spokesperson told Cambridge Day troopers repeatedly asked the group to leave the park, which closed at dusk.
Still, Boston is purportedly one of the best cities for naked biking, at least according to a 2024 LawnStarter ranking. Boston came in eighth on the list, which awarded Portland, Oregon, top marks. Metrics included naked biking events, local interest in nude cycling, bike infrastructure, and public nudity laws, according to LawnStarter.
And for riders planning to utilize one of Boston’s bikeshare rentals Saturday, Hubway — the precursor to Bluebikes — had this to say in 2015: “For the love of all that is decent, please consider the other riders.”
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