Naked Bike Chic?

Is it possible to be naked and stylish on a bicycle? I was hoping to find the answer to this question at the Bare as You Dare ride in Vienna.

But just as people were beginning to frolic joyously in their velo-nakedness, police officers came round and asked everyone to cover up. The cyclists cooperated and there were no clashes. But neither was there much nudity.

The behaviour of the police confused me. In Vienna, public nudity is not at all uncommon: you can see women sunbathing topless in city parks and men lying on the grass with their naked behinds visible to all. So why this objection to some lovely naked cyclists? Perhaps someone Austrian can enlighten me.

Still, under the circumstances, the cyclists came through with flying colours. Red was a particlarly popular choice for accessories: it works well both with nudity and with political messages.

The edge of the monument in the background reads "Freedom to the European People," in Russian...

This lovely couple juxtaposed delicate pink underthings with industrial-yellow safety wear.

With her turquoise helmet, leopard print tie, and strappy sandals, this beauty clearly knows how to accessorise black underpants.

A gentleman and his roadbike.

A Veniaitan shade of red, looking lovely with grass-green body paint.

The most striking participant of the ride was a lovely lady in nude undergarnments who rode a stacked bicycle. She chose not to have a close-up photo displayed on the web, but trust me -- she was stunning!

Is it possible to be naked and stylish on a bicycle? I think it is. A bicycle is extremely flattering to the human figure: It tenses all the right muscles, lengthens the body, and encourages beautiful posture. It would be interesting to see a true Naked Bike Ride without police censorship.

Posted in: bicycle events, social commentary, urban cycling, Vienna