Nope, that wasn’t just post-earthquake paranoia: Those cyclists you saw in Downtown L.A. on Saturday morning were definitely nude.
Yep, the World Naked Bike Ride L.A. was back this weekend. According to organizers, more than 355 riders assembled Saturday at a staging area by the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. After some riders painted themselves and masked up, the pack began to pedal along an eight-mile route that made its way all over DTLA, including a jaunt up Figueroa by L.A. Live (where the Emmys were being held just a day later).
Bare behinds certainly make the biggest splash, but the WNBR has quite a few stated goals: Primarily, it’s actually a demonstration in favor of car-free transportation alternatives and a healthier planet. As far as the bare-as-you-dare dress code, that’s in the name of showing that nudity isn’t necessarily indecent, and as a means to celebrate body positivity.
Last year’s ride was planned for late June and put on hold amid the uncertainty of stay-at-home orders (it was eventually scrapped altogether). Things were mostly back to normal this year, though—save for some added nose-and-mouth protection. It also marked the first year with a spin-off ride, WNBR Womxn, which met up in the Arts District later that evening.
If you missed out on Saturday morning’s ride, you can catch up with some innocuous but definitely NSFW photos below.
