Brighton Naked Bike Ride to Celebrate Body Power with a Naked Triathlon

May 28, 2012, Brighton, UK. Press Dispensary. The annual World Naked Bike Ride eco protest and celebration of bikes and body power returns to Brighton & Hove streets for its seventh year on Sunday 10 June. Inspired by the Olympic traditions of ancient Greece, where athletes competed naked, this year participants are invited to make a triathlon of the day. There will be a naked fun run to kick off the clothes-optional cycle ride through the city, and a post-ride skinny dip at Brighton's naturist beach.

Co-organiser Duncan Blinkhorn said, "In this Olympic year let's celebrate the awesome power of the human body, which, fuelled by food and partnered with a bicycle, can propel us over six miles on just one banana!". He added, "we plan to hand out bananas to riders to fuel them on their way."

Around 1,000 people are expected to assemble at Preston Park (Preston Road/A23, BN1 6DT - location changed from previous years) at 12 noon for the "bare as you dare" bike ride. A scenic route will then be taken through the heart of the city, encouraged by crowds of onlookers and accompanied by a fleet of bike sound systems. It will pass along the seafront, into Hove, through the Lanes, passing the Pavilion and the Pier, before finishing in Kemptown at Black Rock naturist beach.

A feeder ride from the University of Sussex will pass the point where student Jo Walters was killed in an accident two years ago when she came off the narrow cycle track into fast-moving traffic. Sussex student Sama Bakr said, "We fully support the Jo Walters Trust and Brighton & Hove City Council in their proposals to improve Lewes Road for cyclists, pedestrians and public transport, to prevent such tragedies in future, and to encourage more people to get on their bikes."

The ride is one of over 50 around the world, challenging society's destructive dependence on cars and oil, and promoting cycling as a sustainable urban transport solution for a low carbon future. Riders will paint slogans on their bodies and dress up their bikes prior to setting off. There are 11 other rides in the UK alone, taking place around May and June in Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton and York.

Duncan Blinkhorn said, "The Naked Bike Ride is partly about facing our fears and challenging ourselves. Many people are fearful of cycling on the roads but evidence shows that the more people cycle the safer we all are. By cycling naked we are symbolising our vulnerability, both as individuals and as a species while also demonstrating 'safety in numbers'. We are stronger and safer together."

The ride is free to enter, has been cleared with Sussex Police, and is a family-friendly event for national Bike Week. To find out more, look for the ride on Facebook and Twitter, and visit worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton

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Notes for editors

Event listing:

Brighton Naked Bike Ride
Sunday 10 June 2012
Meet 12 noon at Preston Park, Preston Road/A23, BN1 6DT
worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton

Brighton web links:

* Website: www.worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton
* Press office: www.pressdispensary.co.uk/bnbr
* Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/250096205021149
* Twitter: @btnnakedbike
* Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wnbr-brighton

Body power facts:

* HowStuffWorks: "Is there a way to compare a human being to an engine in terms of efficiency?"

Other links:

* UK rides information: http://worldnakedbikeride.org/uk
* Worldwide rides information: http://worldnakedbikeride.org/
* Bike Week (UK): http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/

Photos available to download:

* Press Dispensary Image Library
* Alamy
* Rex Features

Body power facts:

A car uses 1,800 kilocalories to travel one mile and a person uses 35 kCal when traveling on a bicycle (source: Marcia Lowe of the World Watch Institute). A body powered bike can therefore carry a person 50 times further than a fossil-fuelled motor (with a single occupant) using the same energy.

A person riding a bicycle at 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour) burns 0.049 calories per pound per minute. So a 175-pound (77 kg) person burns 515 calories in an hour, or about 34 calories per mile (about 21 calories per km).

1 banana = approx 200 calories
1 gallon of petrol (approx 4 litres) = approx 31,000 calories

If a person could drink petrol, then a person could ride about 912 miles on a gallon of petrol (about 360 km per litre). Considering that a normal car gets about 30 miles per gallon, that's pretty impressive!

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Duncan Blinkhorn, ride co-organiser
Tel: + 44 (0) 7944 152706

Nick Sayers, ride co-organiser
Tel: + 44 (0) 7812 036415

William Morris, ride co-organiser
Tel: + 44 (0) 7952 424356

Email:
Website: http://worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton