Missing WNBR London

Today sees London’s World Naked Bike Ride for 2022, but I’m not taking part.

Having participated back in 2018 – and it was so much fun – I was out of the country for the next ride and then there was…the plague. This year’s ride has sort of crept up on me and I’m just not organised enough.

For one thing, my Brompton bike is in a storage room in our apartment building and needs a complete service before I take it back out on the streets. And I couldn’t bare (pardon the pun) to cycle naked on a hire bike – though it looks like that doesn’t put many others off. 😬

Twitter will be awash with pics of the event later today, including the usual mix of prudish comments and body-shaming. Not to mention close-ups of participants’ body parts. People really respond quite strangely to public nudity. For me, taking part was the opposite – all about body confidence and demonstrating there’s nothing to fear from the (quite average) naked form.

When you’re in the middle of a pack of naked cyclists, when the mood is so positive, there’s something very life-affirming and warm about the whole experience. Maybe next year.

Until then, it’s just going to be at-home naturism and my upcoming few days on the beach in Sitges. And maybe even a few hours on the very private balcony in our new apartment…