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This weekend it's Los Angeles' turn for the World Naked Bike Ride. If you're a nude-biking virgin, we've compiled a list of (mostly commonsense) tips to make sure you're as comfortable as possible while you let it all hang out.
1. Wear SPF 50. Make sure to pay special attention to those places where the sun (very often) doesn't shine.
2. Bring a comfortable bag. You're not going to have pockets, but you'll need a decent place to put your phone, keys money and those just-in-case or on-the-way clothes. A well-placed bag might offer some modesty but be careful about chafing, which leads up to our next tip...
3. Stock up on Gold Bond powder. Gold bond powder is a good idea for any long haul biking trip, and it's especially a good idea for this if you've got a lot of skin exposed. That means you have to watch for all sorts of skin-on-skin, bike seat-on-skin or messenger bag-on-skin chafing action.
4. Double-check your bike seat. You're going to be up close and personal with your bike seat. Make sure the shape itself is comfortable and maybe get a new seat cover if you notice fraying, tears or other stuff that could make you even more uncomfortable than showing off your goods to strangers.
5. And don't rent a bike. A good corollary to our last piece of advice: you won't know what kind of seat to expect and you don't know where that thing has been! Would you rent bowling shoes and wear them without socks?
6. Wear a disguise if you want some privacy. So you're, um, ballsy enough to go full frontal, but you still don't like the idea of someone snapping photos of you and putting it on the internet for posterity? Consider some sort of disguise, like a mask, a bandanna or sunglasses paired with a hat or wig. It might be a good idea to keep toward the center of the pack, too. Or maybe, like Tobias Funke, you could only strip down to your cut-offs.
If you're a naked bike-riding vet, give us your best tips in the comments.
