In the future, the 2013 World Naked Bike Ride will be remembered as the year things got sophisticated.
Thanks to a permit to gather in the South Park Blocks and a deal with the Portland Art Museum to allow entrance to their bike-design exhibit Cyclepedia for the unique fee of $1 per piece of clothing, this year’s WNBR started with a stiff dose of urban energy and culture.
Check out lots of photos by our photographer Alex Milan Tracy after the jump.
Things got underway outside the museum around 8 p.m.
We finally started to roll a bit before 11.
It’s not clear yet just how many riders showed up, though due to the clear warm night, it was surely one of the biggest WNBRs ever. We’re looking forward to hearing about your own favorite moments over the next few days.
In the meantime, you can also take a roll down memory lane with our WNBR archives.
Maureen Young contributed to this post. Thanks again to Alex Milan Tracy and his camera for stepping in while Jonathan was getting on a plane back to Portland.
Thanks for reading.
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Sunday morning, check.
NSFW warning in place, check.
Freedom of expression executed and defended, check.
I had a great time.
Epic.
Incredibly well executed.
Killer work by all the WNBR volunteers.
Ted Buehler
I had a good time last night. I did not enjoy this route as much as it pretty much cut out SE, but still a great job by the organizers once again.
And, in the last four years, this seemed to be the coldest one because of the wind. I was really looking forward to putting clothes back on!
Well executed? Over by the Schnitz we waited an hour to move an inch. Another 15 to get started walking. Hey we entertained ourselves, but The theme throughout was The Naked Bike Walk.
Yeah, I wish there was an effective way to get people to step back and not pinch the route.
I have pretty much come to the realization that when the ride starts, it is the Naked Bike Walk or Naked Bike Scoot along. This one, however, was too much. The ride itself once I got going was great and I just wish there was a way to stop the spectators from pinching the routes. I wonder if sending out people in waves like they do at the BridgePedal or other organized rides would help?
That wasn’t my experience at all. It definitely took awhile to get out from the art museum, but after that there were only a couple of small pinch points. Kudos on the route!
Indy — 10,000 naked people, 12 mile ride, minimal budget, zero fees, everyone had a good time = well-executed.
Well, hopefully people pitched in when volunteers were going around asking for money. It cost $5,000 to put on the event. More contributions = more things like railing to hold the high-fivers at bay. Ditto Ted Buehler’s comment.
Definitely pitched in!
Not to be a jerk, but the museum staff was quite contradictory. The press releases said FREE if naked. The (rude) lady behind the admission counter demanded $2 from everyone. Of course, all of us packed our wallets/purses away before reaching said counter, thus crating a traffic jam whilst we had to dig out the requisite funds. The man at the door told my wife that her bag was small enough to NOT have to be checked. The (rude) lady behind the counter demanded that the bag be checked.
$2 fer yer shoes, doh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsxJfcFVnpo
THANK YOU organizers for the many hours and months you spend finding a start location that can accommodate many thousands of people, organizing a route that can as well, working with PPB, working around Rose Festival and Pride, organizing volunteers, partnering with orgs like PAM, and doing it all completely unpaid and on a shoestring budget.
(no thank you to Sunday morning complainers and armchair quarterbacks.)
I had a gr8 time and will definitely agree with the potential for another record setting turnout this year. Kudos to all WNBR volunteers you make the ride more enjoyable with your efforts. I will say I was towards the front of the ride with the police escort in sight and when the ride ended under the Hawthorne bridge I rode back to the ride start and the very last of the riders were just getting started so 7 plus miles of naked riders?
7 miles ~36,000 ft… so assuming 10,000 riders that is 1 naked bike rider for every 3 feet. Sounds about right!
I think we have explored the upper limits of our street capacity for moving people.
Glad we all had a good time.
Unfortunate fact: Someone among the ranks left an unsightly trail of dark body paint on the museum grounds from the coffee shop all the way past the loading dock. It’s unsightly and it ain’t coming off.
While we all enjoy a party and a little exhibition, the message of this ride is far too important to be dragged down by carelessness and disrespect.
If anyone knows of an effective solvent for this stuff, please speak up.
Paint spill at an art museum? Unfortunate, but I bet they have a pressure washer that can take care of it.
That’s what I’m saying. I watched museum maintenance go at it with the pressure washer and the stuff didn’t even fade. This reflects poorly on us.
Ouch. One would hope that they would have some secret weapons for getting that surface clean. Two years ago they had all of the classic cars (and the Blastolene Brothers!) parked on that same area and I don’t recall any lasting oil/grease stains. I live nearby and will keep an eye on it. If I see that the paint is gone, I’ll report back.
I walked by there about 90 minutes ago. There was a guy with a pressure washing going at it, again, but I couldn’t tell how effective he was being. I’ll check again in a day or two.
I stopped by there again a couple of days ago. It looks like the paint has been *mostly* removed but is still there if you look closely. It is worse by the coffee shop where it was probably originally spilled. One thing that makes it more noticeable, to me, is that the surface next to the spill is whiter due to the cleaning efforts. Once that surface gets some normal wear it will darken slightly, making the paint-affected area less visible.
Certainly this was unfortunate, but ultimately I don’t think it was a major disaster. In future years, wherever the event begins, more care should be used. Drop cloths? Bigger drop cloths? No bikes in the painting area?
If WNBR is performance art, then the remaining paint is part of that art, right?
I don’t know the material upon which the paint is spattered, but I would try alcohol, paint thinner, and then lacquer thinner (not all together!). But: the solvents may react with the substrate.
Oh I bet this was fun. If y’all sit down an eat a huge bag of oranges together, get like a bunch of vinegar together in some huge ass Mason Jars. Then put the orange peels in the jars with the vinegar. Let that shit sit in the sun for ohhhhhh 4-7 days. It will clean up the mess
I know that the route is unpublicized to keep down gawkers (not that it does much good – Sandy Blvd was lined with people) but it is a PITA for people trying to get around where the route is. I wanted to go out to listen to Franco and the Stingers at the Blue Diamond. Got off the freeway at Broadway and tried to go across the freeway on 21st. Blocked. Try to go up to get across at 28th. Traffic at a dead standstill on Clackamas. Turn around, try to get across on MLK. Dead stop at the bridge. Left turn onto the Banfield east bound. Flashing blue lights, 33rd Ave exit blocked. Up to 47th, get onto Sandy. Road closed at 33rd. Roamed throught the back streets of the Kerns Neighborhood to get there.
Cost me probably 45 min.
This may be great fun for the participants, but it’s no fun for bystanders.
You should join in next year then!
Thank you for leaving a calm, reasonable comment. I sympathized with all the people in cars trying to get around (although not the drivers who nudged forward into the cyclists’ path). I wonder if better funding would allow for some detours to be set up. Of course that might neuter the sort-of “guerrilla” feel of the ride.
I appreciate the organizers for putting this together. I really liked this new route.
I would like the organizers to put a little more emphasis on health and safety next year. Being stuck between two building in a cloud of tobacco and lot smoke for an hour was almost unbearable. I also witnessed several bad wrecks caused from intoxicated or just reckless cyclists who swerved into others or stopped abruptly in a crowded pack to look for friends.
If enough people get injured it would be easy for the prudes to shut us down.
Thanks to that (those) mysterious Shifties that started the ball rolling with the PAM to allow the WNBR riders to enter the show as part of Pedal Palooza. The bar has been raised for future partnerships! (Even with some of the aformentioned hiccups.)
As I has peddling home northward after seeing the Cyclepedia Show – it was interesting to see the trickle of semi dressed WNBR riders entering Portland through Delta Park from Vancouver.
I thoroughly enjoyed the museum show. Thanks again Pedal Palooza!
Thank you everyone for coming out! thank you to all the volunteers and organizers oh my god that was so fun! Thats me there in the patriotic outfit in the pics, just wanted to clear up the ambiguity of the picture with the police officer. We are not having an argument. I was the lead ride marshall and that was us having a important conversation right before we started off the ride. We have a great working relationship and I give much thanks to the portland police and the city for being so awesome and accomodating
Officer Balzer, or someone else?
Thanks for helping out!
My first WNBR since 2002 – I was inspired to ride again in large part because of NW Documentary’s documentary on the ride which premiered at Filmed by Bike this year. What a great night for a ride.
Huge thanks to all the organizers and volunteers.
My first ride was last year. I had two friends join this year because I shared that documentary with them. It was a great night for a ride.
Michael. Love your coverage of this & thanks for helping us out!
I contributed online the night before, then to one of the WNBR volunteers; a lot of effort by a lot of folks organizing this year’s ride – I join the chorus thanking you. This was my first ride. I read the info at Shift2Bikes, so I was ready, so a big hug to whoever posted that information for us. HUGE thanks to B-Line for checking our clothes. Very nice to ride knowing all you have for a figleaf in a jam is your bike seat, then get to Ms. Katz’ parking lot and find I wasn’t going to have to ride home naked after all; I was thinking ahead to which side streets were dark enough to get me most of the way; 82nd would have been a challenge, though. I agree, it was chilly by the time I reached the lot, but that dance party (excellent idea) sure had everybody warm. I rode home down Clinton, and a woman out front of the Clinton Street Theater shouted, “Didn’t you guys get the letter? You’re supposed to be naked!” After seven miles of it, as much fun as it was, I almost looped around and gave her the ride-past, but hey, outside the ‘authorized area’, just my luck I’d get busted. Now a word about the bar folks & partiers: I loved having them there to cheer us on, 10,000 of us riding naked past them, and you could tell many of them wished they’d had the option (or the nerve) to join us. I rode to the outside and looked forward to the hand-slap ride-bys as I heard and saw the crowds up ahead, cameras at the ready, whooping it up, shouting encouragement to all of us. After a while, the ride is just a nice ride, so the fun came from the spectators and the other riders (great body & bike lights and fun outfits – thank you all!). Oh – the Art Museum – I had $5 at the ready anyway – it’s expensive to put on an exhibit – and I had no trouble getting in. I had a great time at Portland Naked Bike Ride 2013, thanks to many people, the organizers, the B-Line clothes-keepers, the excited and happy riders, and all the spectators. Oh hey Pedalpalooza People – you’d make more money if your t-shirts said Portland Naked Bike Ride [Year], rather than just Pedalpalooza. I had one made in 2011, but unlike before, this time I actually made it to the ride :). I’m looking forward to next year. I hope we luck out with similarly warm start-up weather.
Wanting to thank all for such a wonderful yet joyful evening. What energy. This is my neighbourhood, and it was such fun to all these new “friends” enjoying our South Park Blocks and the ART Museum, as well.
Well done! Well done!! Indeed….!
I agree!
Sincerely,
Naked Spartan
Around Sandy and 25th, a girl went down and there was a pool of blood about a foot in diameter from the back of her head. No matter how good of a rider you are, there are less experienced riders surrounding you.
Yes, this year, best year! Good change of route.
I hope you or someone sees how she turned out. Ride long enough and you take a bad hit, and it stays with you, coming to mind when you read of someone going down hard. Post it if you see it, please.
I saw her standing up talking to a police officer amid about 10 friends and bystanders. Granted she was covered in blood, but she seemed alert and in OK shape. I hope she ended up being OK!
Stephen – your 2002 bottle of Brickhouse was HOTTT! Classy.
It’s as if personally participating in a spectacle, for many, makes up for lack of effort for fundamental change.
You’re right, DJL, let’s just scrap it next year. Because if it’s not a “fundamentally” measurable change we shouldn’t do it at all, right? 😐
I guess “fundamental”ists come in all kinds of flavors.
Never said anything about scrapping it! There’s more to do, however, and my plea for that idea backfired. Vroom! Up with the UPPA! (United Paved Precincts of America)
Remember that some of the people going are not even regular bike riders (a couple of the noobs I brought were not) – so it’s a great ice breaker for some of them. I think that alone is a good service for the cause.
Not to say that more can’t or shouldn’t be done.
Now who is being sarcastic?
Yes Depaver,…You are correct.
Why would one choose this spectacle to participate in, as compared to all the other choices ,(lets say)…a football game, or a monster truck event, or a rally outside an abortion clinic, or protesting at a funeral of a fallen soldier who was gay, or WTO and Occupy?
There are SO many movements afoot with real traction towards turning over tyranny, I can hardly understand it either!!!
You are so correct!
Why would anyone choose to spend their time this way?
What a waste…
Yes the human circus is filled with spectacle. We all play the fool at times to our egotistically misguided agendas.
Whats your misguided agenda?
Perhaps it will rally more people than this total waste of time.
I look forward to hearing your ideas.
the words “for many” might be significant in depaver’s comment. do you see ten thousand people actively engaged in trying to dismantle the autocentric culture? i thought not.
No, not really… But I do see about ten thousand people doing something that would have gotten them all arrested when I was their age…for sure.
Obviously, DJL wants you to stop with the frivolity and come out with him to bust pavement with a sledge or a jack hammer instead…
sledge rather than jack for environmental reasons. i have done this as part of the city repair convergence. i understood depave to be suggesting that this sort of hands-on, constructive endeavor does not seem to attract as many people as the naked ride.
Dear Longgone, you’re LONG on the talent of sarcasm! I’ve gotten a little jaded, perhaps, but surely you agree that folks need to be more active. I was wrong to include daring bicyclists in that lament when it’s the motorheads who need jazzing, even sarcastic. Personally, I’m GONE, enjoying real bike lanes in northern Europe.
Active doing what? I asked you to share your ideas and requirements for acceptable participation in turning the world around.. What are they? Those of us suffering on the streets of America wish you were here still helping us with our struggle.
I wish to be an ex-pat at times, but it aint ’cause of the lack of bicycle infrastructure…Have fun being jaded from afar, I will hold down the fort here while you are away.
Once again had a great time. Missed the Hawthorne-Belmont loop. Would like to contribute financially but was skeptical of collectors at the site. Anyone know how I can do this?
Yes, look for the DONATE button here:
http://pdxwnbr.org/support/
There is a donate button on the bottom of their website: http://pdxwnbr.org/
Also, it’s too bad that you were skeptical of the volunteer fundraisers. They’re all good people working to make a wonderful, huge event happen for free. I gave my $$ to one of them first thing.
I think he was saying he was skeptical as to whether the person walking with the bag actually represented or volunteered with the ride. I thought the WNBR sashes were good enough (first time I’ve ever seen them and enough people were wearing them) for me to trust the donation collector I saw.
This was our first ride, and it was a BLAST!! Sure, there were a few hiccups, but when you’re dealing with that many people -hey! I loved the energy, the route, the camaraderie, the high-fives all around. A highlight of my summer so far!! Thanks for all the hard work, and I’ll see you again next year!
Have there been any official participant count estimates released?
Passing by the Franz bakery during a production run was almost too much to bear. By the time we went past Voodoo 2, well, I had to stop and get me a donut. I hope going off the route was OK (in our defense, we didn’t have the nerve to expose our “bottoms” so hopefully we were in keeping with Portland city code). Best donut ever. And shortest line I ever seen at Voodoo!
I take it by your avatar, that you have a cyclists ingrained predisposition for carbs… that is a tough battle indeed..
Your body’s elevated workload of combating cold air against bare skin while pedaling, combined with fighting the underlying mental stigma that being naked in public is generally regarded as taboo, made the Voo Doo Doughnut all the more irresistible and enjoyable, I hope !
Do I even have an avatar? Or are you implying I’m too fat from my carbs and donuts to include one? 😛 Remember, body acceptance doesn’t start and end with the WNBR. And yes, it was delicious. Made more so by the fact I didn’t have to wait an hour in line.
No slight intended at all, “ritzcrackerman”. I just thought that you may have a similar leaning for sugar laden gluten bombs like myself!
You do feature a refined carb of note in your comment name.. 🙂
peace.
Sorry, but I’m a little slow. I just got the joke, Mr. long-on-Sarcasm. 🙂
You say “avatar,” I immediately think picture, not my own user name/online handle…
Ugh- after scrolling through these pics… I see a co-worker of mine in one of them. This is NOT how I ever wanted to see them. Totes vomitus!
I came all the way from the Netherlands (famous for its many bikes and bike lanes) to participate. Okay, that’s not true–I happened to be visiting my relatives when I heard about it.
Not being a stranger to nudism (we also have plenty of nude beaches in the Netherlands) it was a no brainer for me! I enjoyed the full 10.6 kms of it, much helped by the roaring and cheering spectators.
That’s something you -don’t- get in the Netherlands: the wonderful Portland crowd! Thanks Portlanders! Hope to be back another time!
This was the most incredible thing ever. For the non-believers, just do it once and you will be sold. Met a cool guy on the ride – Lance. Unfortunately and obviously we couldnt exchange #’s so Lance if you read this hit me up.