York: World Naked Bike Ride returns to city for annual cycle

The York World Naked Bike Ride event left Millennium Bridge at the Fulford side around 4.15pm today (June 21) to applause from onlookers.

Today’s edition was the 17th running in York.

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York: World Naked Bike Ride returns to city for annual cycle

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Organisers said the ride is a protest against car culture, oil dependency, and a celebration of cycling and the power and individuality of the human body, with a message that riders should be noticed on the roads as much when clothed as when they are not.

Today’s edition was the 17th to take place in York (Image: Kevin Glenton) Some protesters looked to European cities, saying that the culture towards cycling appeared to be changing more rapidly than in parts of the UK, pointing to improvements in the French capital led by Mayor Anne Hidalgo since her 2014 election.

Grahame Cooper said: “Paris is turning it all around, but it’s really been in the last five years. They had bicycles before but they have got on with it.

“And Seville too, they went through a long process, but we don’t have to go through that if there’s political will, there’s no shortage of allocation of money for the infrastructure that’s needed in the UK.”

Grahame Cooper (Image: Kevin Glenton) Martin Williams from Burnley has been coming to York Naked Bike Ride for the last few years. 

He said his wife Jane was injured after being knocked over by two drivers as a child and still feels unsafe on ther roads.

He said: “Any parent should ask themselves ‘is it safe for my child to cycle down the road?’

“If the answer is no, then there’s a problem.

“The roads are absolutely dreadful for cyclists and the infrastructure needs to change.

“But people always forget the dangers for all the vulnerable road users, cyclists, pedestrians, and horse riders using the roads because of the view that we shouldn’t be here.

“I hope we won’t need a generational change to get things moving.

“It’s got to start from the top, the government and local councils.”

Martin Williams (Image: Kevin Glenton) Martin also felt that more needed to be done to protect the safe-passing zone of one-and-a-half metres between vehicles and cyclists.

Mike and Wendy Clarke from Wem in Shropshire met at the 2011 Brighton World Naked Bike Ride and said changes to infrastructure needed to be supported by changes in culture and knowledge about overtaking.

Mike said: “Cars get too close to cycles, close-passing. 

“Wendy rides a trike and what is surprising is how impatient people are, I guess about twenty per cent just don’t know about the dangers, and it’s the same in rural areas.”

Mike and Wendy Clarke (Image: Kevin Glenton) Berti lives in Fulford, but is originally from Eindhoven in the Netherlands where she said cycling is more “connected” to life there than in the UK, and that she does not cycle in York.

She came along to give her support to the protestors but not as a rider.

She said: “They’re trying to get attention for people to support them. 

“It’s a good way to get attention and hopefully, there are others who will be able to make the situation better.”