San Francisco hosts the World Naked Bike Ride

In keeping with its reputation for being a place where people let it all hang out, San Francisco recently hosted the World Naked Bike Ride.

Approximately 75 riders, mostly men, a handful of woman and a few transgender individuals, met at noon at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. The mostly sunny, 55-degree weather provided somewhat ideal conditions for the riders, who were joined by dozens of onlookers, reporters, and supporters of the protest.

The event, which is organized as a collaboration of many groups, has been going on since 2004. Our local edition of the nude protest is a relatively small affair when compared to the Australian and Brazilian protests that attract hundreds of colorfully painted cyclists.

The bells of the Embarcadero Ferry Building clock tower rang as the riders got ready to embark on their 10-mile ride through the busy streets of San Francisco. The route took the nude cyclists along the Embarcadero, past Pier 39, cut over to Lombard Street and back downtown.

“The ride is a statement on transportation and our dependency on oil,” said Jeff Wheeler, a co-organizer of the event.

“Libya controls 2 percent of the fossil fuels we use in America, and look what it’s done to the cost of a barrel of oil,” said Wheeler, who passed out maps of the route and greeted riders behind dark shades, a bike helmet and a smile. “We’ve got a good turnout this year.”

The enthusiasm of the crowd culminated in a pre-ride roar of approval after a few words from the organizers of the demonstration. A sign that read, “Pump pedals, not oil” hung from the handlebars of one supporter.

Although no political recourse caused by The World Naked Bike Ride has been reported, event coordinators and participants are already planning next year’s event, which plans to be bigger and full of more nudity.