Originally published by LawnStarter,
Where can you bike ride in the buff and stay on the right side of the law?
As the World Naked Bike Ride kicks off in cities this month, LawnStarter ranked 2024’s Best Cities for Naked Biking.
We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories. We looked at naked biking events, local interest in nude cycling, biking infrastructure, and public nudity laws, among 17 total metrics.
Cycle through our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
City Rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
Key Insights
Cyclists are shedding inhibitions along with their clothes in a cheeky twist on urban cycling. Clothing-optional bike rides have become a trend in 16 major cities across the U.S. Portland, Oregon (No. 1), Chicago (No. 2), and Philadelphia (No. 3) lead the pack with excellent bikeability and event popularity.
Most southern cities seem to prefer a more covered approach. Clarksville, Tennessee (No. 495), North Port, Florida (No. 494), and Buckeye, Arizona (No. 493) land at the butt of our ranking, with low popularity, cyclist-friendliness, and nudist-friendliness.
Standout Stats
- Portland Pedal Power: Portland, Oregon tops the charts this year, thanks to high numbers of Google searches for the World Naked Bike Ride and its cyclist-friendly infrastructure. While public nudity is illegal in the city, Portlanders participating in the ride can strip down without worry. Thanks to a legal exception, nudity is permitted as an act of political speech.
- West Coast Wonders: The West Coast proves it’s the wheel deal for naked bikers. Seattle (No. 4), and Los Angeles (No. 5) join Portland, Oregon in the top five, showcasing not just their scenic routes but their liberal attitudes and top-notch bike lanes. While Los Angeles offers more favorable riding conditions, Seattle puts a unique touch on the event, celebrating the summer solstice with a naked bike parade and body paint.
- Bare-ing the Weather: Cities like Austin (No. 9), Houston (No. 13), and Madison, Wisconsin (No. 7) face weather challenges with higher chances of extreme heat or precipitation. Despite this, their strong infrastructure and legal environments make them top choices for cycling nude.
- Surprising Spokes: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (No. 12) has a flair for bare despite recent legislation aiming to ban the World Naked Bike Ride in the state. This unexpected metro pedals its way to the top 15, with impressive nudist-friendliness and popularity.
Ask The Experts
It’s not every day you encounter bare skin on bikes. If you’re new to this unique activity, equip yourself with some practical knowledge before embarking on your first naked bike ride to avoid any pitfalls.
We reached out to some experts for insights and tips to help you steer clear of dangers ahead. Read their thoughts below.
- What are your top three tips for first-time naked bike riders?
- How does one gear up for a clothing-optional bike ride?
- Judging by the lack of nudist-friendly laws in the U.S., public nudity is considered taboo in our country. How likely is this to change in the near and far future?
- Some cities in our ranking registered high volumes of Google searches for the term “naked bike ride” over the past 12 months but ranked low overall, which suggests high interest in the event. What gives?
