World Naked Bike Ride: Nude cyclists hit London streets for protest

This year’s event will take place on 11 June from six starting points across London

The annual ride will protest against car culture and oil dependency as well as highlighting the vulnerability of cyclists on the road (Facebook )

Hundreds of cyclists will bare all when they take to the streets of London this week for the World Naked Bike Ride.

The annual ride, which is also taking place in various other cities, will protest against car culture and oil dependency as well as highlighting the vulnerability of cyclists on the road.

First held in the capital in 2004 with just 58 participants, this year’s event will take place on 11 June from six starting points across London assembling between midday and 2:30pm.

(Reuters (Reuters)

The starting locations this year include North Carriage Drive in Hyde Park, Cumberland Green in Regents Park, Granary Square near King's Cross, Grant Road near Clapham Junction and Tower Hill where riders will all assemble at 2:30 pm, while riders will assemble at 12pm at Knights Hill near West Norwood.

The bare-bottomed riders will cycle a 9 mile journey through the capital, riding past some of its most famous landmarks including Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus, concluding at Wellington Park at Hyde Park Corner by around 5:30pm.

Canterbury, Southampton, Cardiff and Bristol have already hosted the event, with scores of riders wearing bright coloured body paint to ride in protest through the cities.

The ride encourages a carnival atmosphere and all riders are encouraged to participate “as bare as you dare”.

Rider Mike Ambler, who is behind the Welsh event, told the Mirror: “There are lots of reasons behind it but the main one is that we have a poor infrastructure and the roads are quite dangerous for cyclists.”

In advance of this year’s London event organisers have asked people “not to undress until just before the protest moves off, as this will undermine our positive relationship with the authorities”.

“There is no law against nudity in Britain,” they add, “but please don't exercise your right to nudity in London before the ride, as it will impact on our ability to make arrangements with police.”

The event will be held in more than 50 cities across the world this year, 20 of which will be in the UK. Around 3,000 people are expected to participate in the UK protests, taking place until 23 July.