These small rides seem to get pretty much no coverage except a small piece, usually full of 'bare faced cheek!' standard puns in the local press, at most. I covered Canterbury and Folkestone last year. Nothing very exciting but at least there were a few snaps out there. Canterbury isn't happening this time.

Weather for the coming weekend inevitably doesn't look like being great, especially for the Brighton ride, as usual. Current forecast says 21C, chance of sunny spells for C London, which is decent enough. But only 18C and cloudy for Brighton. Could be a lot worse but if it that holds (or downgrades) then it's likely to be yet another somewhat less than wonderful turnout. It's amazing the difference the sun makes. 2014 was one big party from beginning to end in hot and glorious conditions. Last year was a bit meh till the sun appeared. When it did, everyone suddenly sprang into life and started whooping it up.

From a snapping point of view, a lack of sun is usually a good thing. 2014 Brighton was an absolute nightmare in the midday glare of the sun. So was last year in London. It's one extreme or the other - 2016 London, it was so dark at the start that it looked like dusk.

dailyecho.co.uk/news/16265194.PHOTOS__Bearing_all_for_Naked_Bike_Ride/

So much for journalists......they can't even spell correctly! Baring all is what the riders were doing...tw*ts!

The best of a poor showing from Southampton, the fully nude is the perennial rider in the Portsmouth ride! From the body painting, the younger girl was nude when she was painted...wonder if she stripped fully for the ride?
I used to cover Southampton for OCC and some of my favourite riders stripped a few years ago there, it's just across the road from the Uni and bringing it forward a week was to catch students before they left for the Summer, clearly didn't work!

I do hope not, but having ridden from 2008 until 2014, it looks like the glory days might be behind us.

The sheer amount (and rudeness) of the male snappers which was always a small problem seems to have tipped the balance in the past two years. Great weather might do it, (if only the big rides had been a week earlier!) but the same old London/Brighton pattern is forming yet again on the weather front:rolleyes:

From what is on Flikr so far, things look a little bleak for the UK at least, hopefully the States can save the day!

This is the DE, though. They repeatedly fail to tell a story without mistakes (grammer/spelling) and given it's their sole perpouse in life, it's a total joke of a paper!

Not sure if the WNBR glory days are in the past. I think a lot is down to weather. 2012 saw only about 300 ride in Brighton under grey skies that later unleashed steady heavy rainfall. Temperature hit a dizzying high of 12C that year, one of the worst on record in the UK. Only a handful completed the full ride. 2014 saw over 800 take part and that figure was surprisingly bettered the following year. 2016 saw another day of cool, damp and windy conditions for Brighton and turnout fell accordingly, though still topped 500. Think there were about 700 last year. So clearly it's an up and down trend mostly related to the weather.

London seems to hold steady at about 1000 or so riders. Problem with this one is that, with seven starting points, some riders only do a short bit and many seem not to be snapped at all, or barely. The fact that it usually feels pretty warm in June in the middle of the capital, even under grey skies, and the fact that people particularly enjoy this one because of all the landmarks, helps to keep turnout to a good level. The laid back nature of the marshaling also helps to make this one worthwhile and the past two years it was definitely more fun than Brighton.

What you do see is a lot of new faces each year, which can only be a good thing. Old faces drop out but fresh blood tends to replace them.

Forecast for Brighton has changed since this morning. Now saying 19C and sunny intervals. The trend this year has been for warm weekends and we can live in hope that Brighton gets lucky and at least has no worse than last year - grey start, then increasingly sunny at the ride progressed. And this is the last time I'm looking at a forecast till Friday evening, because you can easily drive yourself insane :eek:

I know just what you mean, becomes a rollercoaster of hope and failure every few hours...and it's only any good about 36 hours in advance and then with no great certainty!:D

Are you going to these big rides this year fdooby? My days of riding are now long gone, so I'm hoping others will get some (respectful) photos for this forum.

The ride FB site only has 175 odd confirmed for Brighton, this could be an indicator of less riders (500 was normal a couple of years ago, but not all went) or possibly less people admitting things on FB as it tells your FB friends that you are going along to get naked. Not something you would want bosses or relatives to have plastered across their screens.

No Comment! :D

There's a little bit of doubt for me this year. But I'm intending to do both, all being well. I never have any problem with the people taking part (touch wood), nor with the marshals in London or any of the small rides. It's just Brighton that's the problem. Last year I avoided using my big grey lens till the ride was in progress. Like you couldn't just stand nearer to someone with a point and shoot and get shots of their bits, if that was your aim :rolleyes: :D People in the painting area were going about, as ever, with erections and snapping without permission. And nothing was said to them - always the case. I had some ridiculous trout come over to cross examine me when I was snapping Phantom Limbs (the regular band). FFS :rolleyes:

I never take much notice of what FB says. One year it was showing over 150 'going' to Folkestone WNBR - 20 actually took part. In 2015 it showed around 500 for Brighton - almost double that went. But I would rather a smaller turnout of fun people than just a huge faceless mass. The characters make the day.

Haven't done Brighton for the last couple of years, it is difficult getting good shots, you will get lumped in with all the idiots and mob rule kicks in with the added problem of the police doing their bidding, bizarre and no logic behind it. I have witnessed some unacceptable sexual behaviour at some WNBRs, get a camera out to record it & you are the pervert, hmmm.
I may try and do Brighton this year and get my mind set together. Move around quickly, don't linger on any female unless you happen to know they are a real exhibitionist. Never react to the Feminazis and don't take it personally, they hate every man anyway.

Fdooby, I think I've got London cracked except at the end, is the Buckingham Palace area any good for snaps? Am I right in saying that many abandon the ride before Hyde Park somewhere along Constitution Hill?

Buck House is usually excellent for shots. There's almost always an impromptu stop there involving a large number of the riders. Some then ride down Constitution Hill on the road, others go along the pavement (in deep shadow of the trees), a few go into Green Park. Last year there was a pretty big gathering at the bottom of Constitution Hill, plus the usual fairly big group on the grassed area to the right. No one seems to congregate at Wellington Arch any more.

The main issue looks like being the weather. As per almost every year, it's turned damp, windy and cool in the immediate run up to the London/Brighton weekend. Last year it was glorious in London so people hung around. The sun also appeared towards the end of the ride in Brighton and lots of people stayed to dance to the band outside the kiosk at Black Rock beach. I could and should have stayed longer than I did but I was already exhausted and had a long walk back to where I was parked, followed by a long journey home.

vimeo.com/273401454

Artsy promo for the Portland ride.

Enjoy

Fango