Naked, and nearly naked, cyclists hit the street on Saturday as Guadalajara participated in the World Naked Bike Ride for the fourth time.
The Naked Ride is an annual event that highlights the vulnerability of cyclists everywhere and decries society’s dependence on pollution-based transport.
Hundreds of bikers were expected to turn up at the ride’s starting point: the city’s Arches (Arcos) on Avenida Vallarta, a block from the Minerva Glorieta. The “make-up” preparation took place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. then the riders went down Hidalgo to Alcalde, up to La Normal Glorieta, down Av. Division del Norte to Federalismo to Washington and back via Alcalde to the city center, ending up in the Plaza de la Liberacion.
The rides, which now take place in more than 80 cities worldwide, are billed as a “peaceful, imaginative and fun protests against oil dependency and car culture. A celebration of the bicycle and also a celebration of the power and individuality of the human body. A symbol of the vulnerability of the cyclist in traffic.”
Not all cyclists take off all their clothes. According worldnakedbikeride.org, the rides are “clothing optional and the dress code is “as bare as you dare.”
Participants are encouraged to decorate their bodies and bikes and many will express messages that strike at the core of the ride: opposition to oil dependency and celebration of the human body.