Nelson Mail: Naked cyclists decry a bum rap

The vulnerability of cyclists on the road was highlighted in one of the world’s “oldest forms of protest” when 70 riders bared their bodies in Golden Bay on Saturday. Unlike last year, when 200 people signed a petition to try to stop the event, there was no organised protest against the fourth annual World Naked Bike Ride from Tarakohe to Pohara. However, one passing motorist in a van shouted at cyclists: “Get your clothes on!”.

The children in the back seat of the van were covering their eyes with their hands. Many cyclists travelled from other parts of the top of the south to join the ride, which also included visitors from Germany, Britain and the United States. Naked bike rides took place simultaneously in other parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Brisbane, Sydney and South America.

Cyclists rode in various states of dress, from fully clothed in fancy dress to completely naked, with some riders covering their bodies in paint. There were noticeably more men than women riding naked and a small number of families with children also took part. Naked rider Kevin Hague, from the West Coast, said he liked the “message of unity and power” that a group ride sent out.

“Burn fat, not oil is a really important message and cycling naked emphasises the vulnerability of cyclists on our roads,” he said. Clifton physiotherapist Peni Connolly, dressed as a “fallen angel” wrapped in bandages spotted with blood, said she represented the “children who had died on the road”. A wooden cross was attached to her handlebars. “It’s to alert motorists to the fact that we risk our lives every time we venture out on Golden Bay roads, and yet on the other hand cycling can be a wonderful experience and great exercise,” she said.

Slogans written on the riders’ bodies included: “No Iraqi died to fuel this bike”, “Fragile” and “Beware, no meddling with the pedalling”. Constable Jonathan Davies, of Takaka, said there was no trouble at the event and no arrests. Organiser Victoria Davis said she was pleased with the turnout and the “real spirit along the road”. Baring bodies was one of the oldest forms of protest in the world, she added. “In ancient times African women took their clothes off when there were shameful events taking place.”