Mostly naked cyclists draw crowd for ride
By Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/03/2008
Public nudity — or at least the prospect of it — definitely draws crowds.
Hundreds of curious voyeurs and mostly nude bike riders flocked to Tower Grove Park on a steamy Saturday night for the 10-mile "World Naked Bike Ride" to protest America's dependence on oil.
The police showed up, too — in uniform, by the way — to make sure riders wore the bare minimum.
Although the ride was a first for St. Louis, about 70 cities worldwide have hosted the World Naked Bike Ride since 2004. The riders rolled out of the park about 9 p.m. and were scheduled to end at the Atomic Cowboy in the Grove neighborhood along Manchester Avenue near Vandeventer Avenue.
At least one man took everything off, except for his pink derby hat. Police officers standing nearby didn't seem to notice.
Most riders covered up strategically by wearing thongs, pasties, loin cloths, underwear or bathing suits. Body painting also was popular.
And spectators — many of them — came ready to flash the protesters with cameras.
