79 thoughts to “Naked cyclists take a spin through Ballard”

  2. ‘Silver sent us this photo of the mostly naked, brightly colored group at 24th & Market.’

    Is Silver a person?  Is that a typo or something?  I’m confused that the blog owners would just expect us to understand this sentence.

  6. Yes, what a joyful, colorful surprise to hear and see the hundreds of them pass right under my window on a small Ballard street!  

  7. If we have to endure this kind of behavior and exposure, I think it is best left in Fremont. Never understood why naked parades are allowed in Seattle to begin with. It is illegal behavior any other day of the year but somehow not addressed during certain events. At least when we know that it is happening and the police are going to allow this kind of illegal behavior we can protect our children from being exposed to it.

  21. So there’s a naked man in front of YOUR house. What do you do? Call the police and have him arrested for indecent exposure. You have a group of naked people and it’s “fun” and “joyful”?

  23. Here’s the problem.

    One naked hippie bicycle parade is fine. The first time you see it or hear about it, you probably smile and think, “Hah, that’s cool. I’m glad we have this.”  It’s different, it’s unusual.

    But once there are naked hippie bicycle parades in lots of neighborhoods, or after you’ve seen it for 10 years in a row, it kind of loses a lot of its charm, and it just seems…I dunno, a bit pitiful.

    Look – things that seem whimsical, racy, a little shocking but humorous and harmless, they’re great THE FIRST TIME YOU EXPERIENCE THEM.  But after constant repetition?  They become tedious.

    Have you ever trued to explain to a 6 year old that a joke (especially some joke that involves poop or some of the other more gross human bodily functions, or  something “naughty”) is not worth repeating endlessly?  I have.  They delight in discovering that they can get a positive reaction from everyone with a surprising, risqué joke. Then they go on to tell it over and over and over again, expecting the same delighted reaction. They just don’t understand it when the same joke becomes tiresome and annoying.

    It’s the same thing with those awful “Henry” murals. The first one was a nice surprise. The next few still made me smile. But now that every other flat surface in Ballard has been painted over with the same crude, badly drawn childish images, it’s just annoying drecht (as my grandmother would say).

    The solstice parade and the nekkid bike riders are now a well-established institution (an irony there). That’s fine. But that doesn’t mean we should have it every weekend and on every street in Seattle.  

    Bottom line: If something is unique and surprising, it’s not worth repeating endlessly, just because you can. Lots of things do not stand up well to replication.

  27. Have you ever noticed that the guys that ride naked in these events have the smallest weenies you’ve ever seen? Does pot shrink the penis? It’s so odd cause they are all so tiny!

  28. Yes I did but thank you for asking. I don’t have a problem with the “colorful” outfits. It’s the naked bodies colorfully painted (or not)that are a commonly talked about sighting at these events that I have a challenge with.

  29. Come on! Where’s the acceptance if diversity and the anything goes attitude known in Fremont?! Adam has a right to his opinion without being called idiot and he should grow up. Don’t have to like it or agree with it but he has a right to his opinion just like the rest of you do.

  30. Hey John, you ever think about how this attracts child molesters and other sexual criminals?

    No?

    Think rape is funny? Think child molestation is funny?

    Do you believe that all these participants are good, decent, fun-loving folks, having a blast…. or… do you think that maybe, ….just maybe, intelligent sex offenders have learned about the internet?

  33. Honestly, yeh I do think they are good, decent, fun-loving folks having a blast.  I can say that honestly because i was there, and I witnessed it.  Something I doubt you have done.

  37. Your children are going to grow up being sheltered, useless members of society.  I see fast food or possibly serial killer occupations in their futures.

  38. Elderly!  Ha, that gave me a good chuckle.  I hope we 50 year olds don’t really come across as elderly to you young folk – we could whip your butts!

  40. I suppose the world should conform to your rigid definitions of right and wrong?  Quirky behavior once a year by a large group of people is called diversity, culture, open-mindedness.  These groups are celebrated in Seattle at the Gay Pride Parade, Folk Life Festival, and Hemp Fest; even Bumbershoot has it’s share of quirky.  The quirky group at Solstice just happens to be absent of clothes, although you can barely tell because they are so heavily painted.  Yet they are one small group that help to exemplify and define Seattle as a tolerant, open-minded, educated city that is accepting of people that don’t share our individual beliefs.

    A naked person on the street in front of my house–you’re right, I’d call the police because he is likely dangerous.  I don’t think the vast majority of people in the Solstice Parade are dangerous.  What is just as dangerous as a naked person in front of my house, is narrow-mindedness that leads to intolerance.  Thanks Adam, for reminding us what narrow-minded danger looks like.

    Your intolerance suggests to us that you are Christian.

  41. “The solstice parade and the nekkid bike riders are now a well-established institution ”

    Since it’s so mainstream, maybe it’s time to start painting ads on their ass*s?BTW, do not get stuck behind a line of these cyclists when they have to ride up an incline…talk about a bunch of a**holes.

  42. I hate to burst your misinformation bubble Guest, but the overwhelming majority of child molesters are family members or family friends of their victim. Random nudity in a public setting with many thousands of witnesses ain’t gonna do it.

  54. “Gay Pride Parade, Folk Life Festival, and Hemp Fest; even Bumbershoot ”

    Funny, I’ve been to all those events and people there are 95% white and college educated. So much for ‘diversity’.

  55. “Your intolerance suggests to us that you are Christian.”

    Wow, can be more contradictory in one short sentence? I hear cycling naked in Riyadh is welcomed too.

  57. Adam, you’re the one who took a bite of the damn apple. If not for that, we would not have this shame. Just trying to help you out here…

  59. Wow Don_a, thanks for modeling being tolerant and open minded. However, your statement “…they are one small group that help to exemplify and define Seattle as a tolerant, open-minded, educated city that is accepting of people that don’t share our individual beliefs…”, doesn’t seem to fit with your response. It’s probably because I am narrow mined, intolerant, uneducated and Christian and as such unable to grasp your wisdom. In other words I don’t happen to share your opinion. 

  60. Why is it that when you “tolerate” quirky behaviour by a group, you’re open minded but when you do it yourself you’re a criminal. Who says that the pedifile in this group is any safer because he is painted than he is any other day. Are you saying that if someone paints themselves as a clown, a tiger, or a green goblin they can’t be any more of a risk?

    Do we tolerate public sex between consenting adults just because they are painted? Do we tolerate public urination just because they are painted? Both of those are just natural body functions by adults. We don’t tolerate it because we have social rules to protect the children of our society and have a general level of decency. 

    The rules are there for a reason. If they don’t make sense, then change them, but if they make any sense at all, then enforce them. “Tolerance” is just an excuse for mediocrity and laziness by people who would normally have a cow if this was done in their front yard. 

  61. “Your intolerance suggests to us that you are Christian.”
    Why not a Muslim? Or Hindu? Or atheist? Or would knowing and understanding that anyone, group or religion etc. etc.  can be  intolerant  actually make YOU tolerant?

  62. how you equate public sex and urinating with people riding their bikes is beyond me. 
    would a pedophile riding in the group really present any specific danger?

    it was a parade.   maybe they look like freaks to you, but your comments are really pointless.  who are you suggesting is mediocre?  the police?

  63. Everybody gets naked eventually…even the Saudis. The only difference is that the religious extremists have some guilt/shame/issues with it which they are willing to share with the people who aren’t.

  64. The only people who ever show up at the Solstice Parade to tell us all we’re going to hell over a loudspeaker are self labeled as “christians”.

  65. You can pick apart one poster’s comment all you like, but at the end of the day you’re still the one with the hangup over the human body.

  68. Oh for the love of the little baby Jesus!  Who cares already? It’s a bunch of people riding on bicycles semi naked. If I was there to see it, I could care less. I used to live in Seattle and saw a lot worse during my time there.

    It’s only a novelty that hurts no one.  Since when did nakedness offend our society? This parade comes and goes every year and it’s not too much to watch “referring to Fremont”.  Let them ride by and don’t watch if it offends you. If it does offend you then maybe you are a bit jealous of their bodies? LMAO !  Have fun Seattle!

    John Kowalski

  69. who rides in the fremont parade naked? just about the last people on earth anybody would ever want to see naked, that’s who. so many people in that parade make me wonder, “WERE THEY ATTENTION STARVED AS CHILDREN OR WHAT?”

  70. Amen, Moe.

    I think the fremont parade and the nekkkid bicyclists seem to be all in good fun and certainly don’t think they should be banned or anything. I agree that they should stay within the context of the parade, however. Including last Saturday, I’ve been to the parade for years now. Each year, I’m less and less inspired. It has the potential to be a really cool event, beyond just the quirkyness and “rebellious” naked bike ride if there was a bit more effort and pride put into things. Instead, it seems like a slow-moving, endless line of haphazardly constructed costumes and floats that even a child would put more care and pride into creating. There’s also at least a five-minute break in between each group, which kills any possible momentum. Overall, it just leaves me underwhelmed. I don’t need additions along the lines of the supposed “shock factor” of naked bike riders or anything, just a little more effort/thought/beauty/care put into things and the way it is run. I’m embarressed to say that it really does seem like a high school reject fest. Not that there’s anything wrong with high school rejects, per se, but it would be great if the parade could rise above sophmoric mediocrity and meaningless “rebellion” into an event worthy of all the hype.

  71. The parade itself (and for the record the naked cyclists are not an official part of the parade) is a reflection of the community. There are no sponsored floats, no words even, so the parade is as grass roots as it gets. If you want tightly controlled spectacle you can watch the Dorrito’s Bowl parade or the Macy’s Parade on TV. I’ll have more fun watching my neighbor’s creativity on display. 
    I will agree with you on the spacing = slow pacing issue of this year’s parade. They certainly could have done that better, especially considering the weather. 
    In the end the Parade is what we make it. If you want a better parade you should start organizing your friends and start working for next year. 

  72. I don’t ride naked, so this is only guessing on my part. It seems more to be about the people riding and less about the people watching. I don’t think that the people doing the cycling are as concerned about putting on a good sexy show for you as they are about challenging themselves to take a leap and do something they normally wouldn’t. Breaking boundaries. Putting yourself out there. It’s got to be a bit of a rush to do that. 

  73. Umm, but there wouldn’t be any “challenging themselves to take a leap and do something they normally wouldn’t” without the people watching. You realize that, right?

    The challenge and leap exists in one’s T & A being seen by hundreds.

    So. It is about exhibition. End of.

  78. Yes, there is a difference. Do you not know the definition of “context”?? Seriously, why don’t you go live on the east side in a nice quiet tract home. Sure you’ll be safe from those scary naked people in Redmond. 

  79. How ’bout this: is that a man, woman, or hybrid in the photo? 

    Far right, morbidly obsese, fuzzy cuffs and collar,  yellow body paint, black stripes. blue butterfly wings.

    Yeeeeeaaaah, that’s precisely the sort of individual I’d hire to watch my kids.

    Stay marginalized Fremont!

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