Some splashed body paint over their breasts, and others wore nothing but leopard-print speedos.
On Friday night, dozens of students and residents rode their bicycles about 8 miles across Gainesville to call attention to bicyclists being struck by cars in the city.
As a part of Critical Ass: the 3rd nipple!, the group of about 60 cyclists began the hour-long “rolling protest” at The FreeWheel Project, located at 618 South Main St., and traveled up to Southwest 34th Street, said Ana Fajardo, the outreach and programs coordinator at the bicycle shop.
“We’re here and we’re fragile,” Fajardo said. “Nudity is very parallel to showing how vulnerable we are.”
The event was held in conjunction with The World Naked Bike Ride that happened on June 25 in Portland, Oregon, for the same reason. Friday marked the third year the event was held in Gainesville, but the first time The Freewheel Project hosted it. Previously, the event had been managed by Pleasant Cyclery, another bike shop in Gainesville.
Asked why The Freewheel Project decided to continue the annual protest, Fajardo said bicyclists are just as vulnerable now as they were three years ago.
In 2014, 726 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
Fajardo said bicyclists usually try to ride on major streets in order to evoke a stronger message.
This year they rode from Southwest Second Avenue to Southwest 34th Street before cutting through campus and heading back downtown to the bicycle shop.
Before the cyclists started their ride, they bunched together and raved about how excited they were to begin.
Riders, bunched together in about 10 groups of three-to-five riders, complied with Florida indecent exposure laws, but just barely, Fajardo said.
“I think according to Florida law we can’t be fully naked,” she said. “There’s lots of body paint, [and] sometimes people wear nipple pasties. People usually just cover their private parts.”
Angela Melidosian, a 20-year-old UF sustainabilities senior, dressed in a bra and shorts as she rode with her friends Friday. During her time as a student, she has been hit twice by cars while riding off campus.
And although the crashes only resulted in minor injuries, like cuts and scrapes, she said riding through the city is frustrating.
“On campus biking is really easy,” she said, “but once you’re off campus it’s really hard because there’s no bike lanes.”
