Portland is going to have a very nude summer.
An offshoot group of naked cyclists has already announced a date for their own World Naked Bike Ride, while organizers of the city’s well-known event are getting closer to deciding on a date for 2025 (to make up for the cancellation from the previous year).
On Tuesday, the organizers revealed that the spin-off event will take place on Saturday, August 9. Similar to the first event, the route will remain a secret until the ride starts, and the starting point will be revealed closer to August.
In a press release announcing the return of Portland’s annual World Naked Bike Ride, the organizers of the newer ride did not specifically distinguish it from the one that has been occupying Portland streets since 2004. They only mentioned at the very end that their ride is not connected to Umbrella, a nonprofit organization that promotes cycling and supports the World Naked Bike Ride as well as other regional events like Pedalpalooza and The Ladd’s 500.
The offshoot’s organizers are the same bikers who, after the original event was canceled in 2024, planned a last-minute naked bike ride. They led a group of naked riders to a die-in at Zenith Energy in North Portland before going downtown for a dance party on the waterfront.
“This year’s ride will intensify calls for environmental justice by holding Zenith Energy and the City of Portland accountable for practices that harm residents and the environment, building on the momentum from the 2024 protest,” the organizers said in a news statement.
The cyclists in charge of the original ride, meanwhile, announced that they will be deciding on their own date for 2025 and working with the offshoot event to support and cooperate while making their event and ours clear to the public.
In an email, a group representative stated, “We welcome any rides that bring more awareness to our dependence on fossil fuels and seek to bring about positive change.”
When asked how they intend to coexist with the old event, the organizers of the newer ride did not reply.
The World Naked Bike Ride in Portland is a part of a global protest movement, but it is not connected to any formal organization. To launch their own rides, cyclists are urged to organize locally. This implies that doing many World Naked Bike Rides is not out of the question in a place like Portland, where the protest culture surrounding naked riding has truly taken root.
–Jamie Hale co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast and writes about travel and the outdoors. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-294-4077, or HaleJamesB.
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