Tag Archive for: world naked bike ride

It wasn’t all fun and games during the World Naked Bicycle Ride

This is one of those times you just have to ask: What is wrong with people?

The World Naked Bike Ride (we wrote about the event last Friday) is a yearly event that promotes the use of bicycles as an alternative to cars. The naked part was meant to demonstrate “the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.”

Unfortunately, not everyone “got it.” A fight broke out on Saturday during the ride near the Echo Park/Silver Lake border along Sunset, during which a couple of men in a car in traffic got out of the car and started beating up two cyclists. The Eastsider LA has the scoop, sent to them by someone who was filming the cyclists when the fight suddenly broke out:

 

And from the witnesses themselves, via The Eastsider LA:

While driving down Sunset, we came upon on a nude bike ride that looked like a protest of some sort. People were having fun it seemed, we took a video to document the fun things that happen in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some guys behind us in traffic, got out of their car to beat up the riders. I don’t know what provoked them to do such a thing. All I heard them yelling was “faggot” at the riders.  In the shaky video, its hard to see, but one of the guys picks up a bike and slams it into a rider.  It happened so quick, but we got the license plate info.

The cyclists were okay and declined medical attention, but the perpetrators won’t get off easily as the beating is being investigated as a hate crime because they yelled the “f-a-g” word.

Lt.Wes Buhrmester also provided a description of two male suspects:

The first suspect is described as a male, 20 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 5-8, 180 pounds, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect is a male, late 20s, black “buzz cut” hair, dark complexion, 5-10, 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans. If anyone has information, you can either call or e-mail me at the addresses below (confidentiality will apply, other than me referring your information to detectives), or call Rampart Detective Division at (213) 484-3450. Refer to DR No. 11-0212143. There are some leads upon which detectives are acting.

Let’s hope these guys get what they deserve!

UPDATE:

Suspects were arrested on Wednesday, June 22, according to an article published by The Eastsider LA.

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The nude and barely clothed to descend on Echo Park… with bicycles

Another exciting Saturday for Echo Park tomorrow as our community hosts (unofficially, of course) the start of the World Naked Bike Ride. The idea isn’t to just flash Echo Park, downtown, Silver Lake, and the other communities the ride will take the brave bicycle riders through, but to demonstrate “the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.”

And this is, you guessed it, a world-wide event, not affiliated with similar concepts like CicLAvia, and brings some very creative folks out for the ride. To participate, you aren’t required to be naked – they’re just happy you’re helping spread the word that bicycling is much better than driving.

Yet the biggest question is, wouldn’t that be… uncomfortable? You know, riding naked? The wiki page has an answer for us:

Suprisingly, for both women and men, riding naked isn’t especially less comfortable than riding clothed. When riding with clothes on you’re often rubbing against the seams, so in some ways naked riding is comfier! Ride routes will often be chosen with less experienced cyclists in mind, so will avoid hills and be more leisurely in pace, increasing comfort.

I think I’ll pass, but it looks like it will be fun from the sidelines!

To join a ride, you have to sign up and contact the organizers directly. Check out the World Naked Bike Ride website for more details, and if you have young children and you’re concerned about the extra skin being exposed … maybe avoid the area where they’ll be gathering. Departure time is planned for 2:30 pm from Echo Park (click here for details).

There’s also a Facebook page for the Los Angeles ride, which you can check out here.

If you missed it last year, click here for a slideshow from last year’s bike ride via the LA Weekly.

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