Route revealed for Saturday’s Philly Naked Bike Ride
The roughly 13-mile ride travels from Lemon Hill to Independence Hall.
The Philly Naked Bike Ride returns Saturday for its 14th edition, with riders going on a 13-ish mile “bare as you dare” trek throughout the city.
This year’s ride kicks off at 5 p.m. at Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park, following a pre-ride body painting session from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Riders will cycle in various states of undress on a course that includes jaunts down Market Street, 13th Street, 21st Street, South Street and Broad Street, among others.
The ride wraps up at Independence Hall. Unlike last year, there is no afterparty because the ride’s “capacity and nudity makes it difficult,” organizers said on social media. Instead, they recommended participants support their favorite local bars or restaurants, while wearing clothing.
A Philadelphia tradition for more than a decade, the Naked Bike Ride arrived in the city in 2009, when a four-mile course reportedly drew about 400 riders. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a cancelation in 2020, but it returned the following year. Today, it typically sees several thousand participants, and promotes body positivity, cycling advocacy, and economic sustainability.
Last year’s ride also began at Lemon Hill, but wrapped up at the Fillmore.
As organizers note online, the event is clothing-optional, and riders are not required to participate in the buff. If you go, note that the Philly Naked Bike Ride has a code of conduct that includes strict enforcement of policies against physical and sexual harassment.
“Ultimately, one of the goals of the Philly Naked Bike Ride is to desexualize nudity and to encourage everyone to embrace nudity as a normal, enjoyable way of life,” the code of conduct reads. “Following this policy will help further this goal and teach all of us how to be better people in general.”
The event is free and doesn’t require registration, but online donations (or merch purchases) are encouraged. And you don’t even need to ride a bike — all kinds of human-powered transportation from skateboards to rollerblades (even walking) are acceptable.