The Chainlink

If you haven't seen the article: http://bikeportland.org/2010/06/20/an-estimated-13000-take-part-in-... 

Portland stomped us in turnout for the Naked Ride.

I saw the posting earlier and have been racking my brain as to why Chicagoans, many on this very site, wouldn't attend an event like World Naked Bike Ride-Chicago.

This is an event that stands for several important causes from less cars and less oil to positive body image and safety for cyclists (shows how naked we are on that bike.).

It's also a ride that you can attend or help out with in various manners and different level of dress (or undress) something we call "Bare as you Dare".

Portland is about 1/5th the size of Chicago, not counting Chicagoland and they had about 6x the turnout as we did.

Gotta tell ya Chicago, that's PATHETIC!

So why didn't you come to Naked Ride? There are more of you that didn't than did so why didn't you feel this was important? Was it religion? Poor body image? Weather? Or is it just not important to you?

I'd really like to hear good reasons to not attend.

I have a strong feeling this will just end up falling off the board cause people hate facing there own weakness but maybe getting called out will get you off your duff for next year!

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I didn't attend because nudity outside of the privacy of my home is not my thing. Pretty simple, no need to rack brains over it. I love to ride, but do so on my terms. It's fun for me, and gives me a good workout. I ride with family and friends and create life long memories. I don't want to turn it into a political action. Others do, and that's totally cool. You get my respect. My reasons are good enough for me.

I consider myself an active member of society. I raise money for the American Heart Association, I volunteer my time to raise money for Boys Town, and I'm a teacher which gives me the responsibilty of working with our youth...and you better believe I give a yearly lesson on bike safety, I support local bike shops, and I'll help get that couch to the 2nd floor if you need me to. I'm happy with my contributions to the world. I'm not on my duff.

I'm off to my garage to finish building another bike.

Live and let live..
one more thing i wanted to note...to all that commented towards this...

COMPARISON IS NOT COMPETITION...merely...a COMPARISON.

Yes, it may be difficult to compare apples to apples in this situation. Especially noted that we are so heavily relying on word of mouth. (By the way...XRT did mention it, and so did NPR-neither were promotional spots, just a 'by the way' comment.) However, if we cant find promotion for Portland...how do you think the word got around there...maybe word of mouth?

yes, chicago is waaaay more conservative, on many fronts. but thats not in question here either. i dont think anyone was judging anyone else at their level of participation in this event, nor their agenda in it. like someone else said...'to each their own.'

maybe comments regarding 'inactivity' could have been sparred.
I am a firm believer that the June date is a mistake. July would be a much better time. But tradition is tradition.
Im naked right now and eating a bologna sandwich while watching CHiPs on my couch...
This is how I picture you in my dreams, it's refreshing to know it's true.

Aaron Bussey said:
Im naked right now and eating a bologna sandwich while watching CHiPs on my couch...
weather
I don't like riding naked
I don't feel the world should get to see my naughty bits.
And in the past people get annoyed that I'm not naked.
And to them I say suck it!
But I just didn't feel like dealing with it and getting shit for not being naked in public.
That's my reason :)
It's sad when a thread gets so long that people haven't read the things that come before.

No one has to ride naked. There are many different ways for people to help with the ride. All have been covered.

Weather is trully an awful excuse.

And once again, I'm not here to be nice. You're an adult others can hold your hand.

And for the person that said "I ride over 1 million miles a day blah blah, I'm active blah blah" More than one meaning to the word active. You are not active in the sense you are out supporting other riders. Advocating for bike lanes, bike safety, etc. You are active in that you are fit. Different.

For the guy that WAS saving the world that day. Good for you dude! Amen! Fix them bikes. This is geared toward people that were doin nothin, and still didn't come to the ride. You were fixing bikes for poor people in Nairobi, Well done! Thanks for your resume! :-)

Thanks Iggi, for the love.

Now people, go join Joe Sak's discussion and help in a manner more fitting to your conservative standards. If ya don't do that either you are just full of it! ;-)
I avoided this thread because I knew it would just piss me off. Why didn't I ride? I had other plans. If I didn't have other plans, would I ride? Maybe.

Regardless of any intentions that the ride be a protest against oil dependence, I can assure you that it isn't how it is perceived by the public at large. It was a bunch of people who had the chance to ride naked through the streets of Chicago with basically no risk of getting into trouble. A big, naked party. And you know what? That is totally fine with me. It sounds like people had a blast -- riders and spectators alike. People are too uptight about nudity, and I'm glad people got a chance to let loose.


Gabe, I could go through the pages of responses and probably wind up writing quite a few rebuttals to you. I'm not the mood to do that, so I'll just pick two that stand out for me:

1. Your "reasons" for people not showing up for the ride - lack of perceived importance, religion, body image, weather

2. That cycling is an obvious form of protest against oil.


First: I'm not even going to get into my problems with any of the "reasons" you listed for not attending. Instead, I'm going to tell you why I didn't attend (which just happens to not be in your little list).

I didn't attend because I know a lot of people in the cycling community, both male and female, and I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing any of my friends naked. In a totally selfish way, it would be a bit awkward to see someone at a different event after the WNBR after seeing his or her birthday suit on the ride. (And I wouldn't have been naked! I would've been rolling with the security crew.)

Second: Sorry, but cycling is NOT an obvious form of protest against oil. I started in the cycling community with CCM a few summers ago when one of my siblings was in town and said we should go ride Critical Mass. I didn't have a clue what it was, but I had a lot of fun on my first CCM.

Finding that I enjoyed rolling around on two wheels, I started biking to work. It wasn't that far, and I thought that keeping the cost of a CTA 30-day pass in my pocket would serve me a lot better than waiting for trains (especially in the dead of winter once I was introduced to the whole Bike Winter scene).

With my new job, I can easily afford to take a train to work, but I'll continue biking - year-round. Why? Because I like it.

Sorry dude, but you're getting mad at people for not showing up for reasons that they don't have to explain to you, and for which you can't hold against them for not going to the WNBR-C.

So, may I suggest that you come down? Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

And this is in no way meant as discouragement for continuing on your way in this thread. Bitching people out is a very interesting, albeit odd, way to get people interested in the WNBR.

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