Bicycle nude in the Fremont Parade

Got a late start, because I wasn’t really up to going out, I finally decided to give it a go, got to Fremont just about noon, couldn’t find anywhere to park unless I wanted to park in the U-District, gave up and went home. Anybody got any pictures of the Bicyclers?

Very fun indeed. Oddly I didn’t even really feel awkward being nude. Probably comes from the fact that I hate wearing clothes to begin with and spent the first 2 years of my life not wearing them.

Next year I would like to ride with a better bike (that low rider was a little hard to ride) and better paint (grease paint gets EVERYWHERE!) but otherwise it was superfun!

Additional photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marqueton/558804336/in/set-72157600377734614/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimin/558480071/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_dorion/559468744/

This was an OK experience, not as fun as I had hoped.

Things that were good:
- People were really nice
- It was useful, for the first time out, to be in an organized group. We knew what we were going to “be”, we had other bees to help us, we did street theater as a group, and got a lot of attention and applause
- Even if I looked only OK as a bee, we looked really great as an ensemble.
- Riding stoker on the tandem meant I could ride no handed and wave at the adoring crowds
- Our decorated bike looked fab
- At first it was weird to be naked; as more people came and were painted, being naked became normal.
- It got warmer as the day went on
- The paint acted as an exfoliant; my skin is silky soft all over
- I heard 308 people were nude cyclists that day

Things that weren’t as good
- We didn’t need to wake up as early as we did. We didn’t need to get there as early as we did. We could have slept another hour or so, arrived at the painting party 90 minutes later, and spent less time standing around being cold
- I believe some of the photographers are perves; don’t know what to do about that
- The tandem just isn’t maneuverable in a crowd
- I got tired of doing the street theater – I was ready to stop being a bee at the end
- David and I shed trillions of yellow flakes on the bike, in the car especially, and on our way to the shower
- We had a hard time finding our way back; we might have been better off parking in Fremont (since we were there so early), riding to the paint party, and then just loading up and leaving at the end. Instead, we rode blindly through city neighborhoods (me in my starkers, as I thought my clothes were stashed in the pannier; no, they were left in the car) trying to figure out how to get to where we had parked.

Overall, it was interesting and fun, but next year, I hate to say it – I think I’d rather do Flying Wheels!

(Edited to add link to PI article)

I made the commitment to do the Fremont Parade and not Flying Wheels this year.

I signed up to be a bee and ride with a group of other bees. I think this will be fun.

Most excitingly, my husband said he’d join in! He’s a little concerned about being photographed, seeing how he’s a school teacher, so he’s going to wear something over his naughty bits, which is no harm. I think he’d make a good bumble bee seeing how he’s kind of a furry guy.

It’s less than a month away!

I just need a bike and some body paint. Any suggestions on where to buy body paint? Champions maybe?

And do the people meet somewhere before hand? Is this totally organized or what?

It’s time to confess…in a fit of solstice madness, I rode topless across the East Channel bridge.

Once again, this event falls on the same day as Flying Wheels!

OK, since the Seattle’s participation in the World Naked Bicycling event is probably going to be 7/7, I will participate in that, instead, as my goal for this coming year.

John, which are you going to do?

You both must join the solstice cyclists. The group is well organized and we have a lot of fun. You laugh so much your cheeks will hurt ;-)

I will do this at the Fremont Parade 2007; alternatively, I will participate in World Naked Bicycle Day if the Parade again falls during Flying Wheels.