Asheville has made yet another list — but don’t bet on this one sending second-home buyers flocking to the mountains. Rather, it aims to send droves of naked bicyclists pedaling into the streets.
Asheville is listed as one of the cities scheduled to join an international event called the World Naked Bike Ride. Described as “the most exhilarating cycling experience since taking off your training wheels,” the event was created to “protest oil dependency and celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies.” From Auckland to Barcelona, cyclists clad in little more than body paint will gather en masse to bike through the streets as part of an annual event that’s been happening since 2004. (See “Naked in Asheville,” June 9, 2004 Xpress.) Asheville’s own “bare as you dare” ride is scheduled for Saturday, June 9, but the starting location has yet to be announced.
It is illegal to go naked in public in North Carolina, as it is in most cities where WNBRs are scheduled. “Yup, it seems that almost everywhere in the world riding your bicycle naked is illegal,” WNBR organizers note on the FAQ page. “But still we do it!”
— Rebecca Bowe, editorial assistant
