The Philly Naked Bike Ride Is Already Getting Weird


Photo via Philly Naked Bike Ride/Facebook

Photo via Philly Naked Bike Ride/Facebook

Two years ago, I was biking along Spring Garden Street when, seemingly out of nowhere, I was suddenly engulfed in a sea of naked people on bikes. I quickly saw there was no escape route so I went with the flow for a few blocks until I had the chance to turn off. It was the Philly Naked Bike Ride, and it had taken me by surprise, but I knew it was a thing that happened, so I wasn’t too taken aback by the steady stream of bare-naked butts peddling past me. You know what would leave me incredibly taken aback, though? If I were sipping on a soy latte at Rocket Cat Cafe and, all of a sudden, I looked up and saw a naked man ordering from the barista.

That’s what happened to some not-so-happy customers last Friday, after a man promoting the Philly Naked Bike Ride showed up to the cafe naked and, with the owner’s permission, walked around the cafe with zero clothes on (!!) for a good hour.

Why, oh, why didn’t the owner think this was the worst idea ever? Well, as owner Karen Breese told Philly Mag reporter Holly Otterbein, she agreed to let the naked guy — a co-organizer of the Philly Naked Bike Ride — walk around naked to spread the word about the ride (happening August 29th, by the way) because she’s down with what the annual event promotes: positive body image ideals and cycling safety. But she now regrets it.

You can read up on how horrified the cafe’s patrons were (and see photos!) over on the News + Opinion section of Philly Mag.

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