Flashing lights, neon tutus and skin-colored leotards lit up Central Avenue for a good cause Friday.
Around 25 cyclists rallied at the Duck Pond for a (nearly) naked ride Friday evening to promote sharing the road with vehicles.
Lee Ann Ratzlaff, founder of Bikeburque, said bringing people together for a themed ride helps break the barrier between cyclists and drivers on the road.
The group rode down Central in various states of undress — although they were careful to not break any laws, she said.
“Per the city’s ordinance, there were no main genitals,” Ratzlaff said. “Basically, you can’t show your junk and women can’t show their nipples.”
The idea behind the ride was to get drivers to notice bicyclists, whether the sight made them laugh or yell to get off the road, she said. Group rides, she said, help bring awareness to cyclists on the streets and assist others who aren’t as comfortable on the road to build confidence.
“I am comfortable on the road; I take the lane,” Ratzlaff said. “I really do feel confident in my abilities to be on my bike on the road, but a lot of people don’t have that.”
Rafael Martinez, who is working on his doctorate in American studies, said UNM has a safe and welcoming bicycle community. He joined in the (nearly) naked ride and said he really enjoyed the group atmosphere.
“Some of the people were wearing tutus, some of the people were wearing skin-tight body suits, and some people were just riding in their underwear,” Martinez said. “And a few of us — like myself — who weren’t as brave, were just wearing regular clothes.”
Martinez said he was happy that the group received only positive responses from others on the road. Nobody said anything obscene.
“Everybody was honking, people were screaming, it was a good time,” Martinez said. “We definitely got people’s attention. Overall, I think it achieved the goal of bringing awareness to biking.”
Freelance writer Billy McCall said rider awareness is not the only problem bicyclists face in this town. He said he feels that Albuquerque is among the worst cities to ride bikes in.
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One of the biggest problems McCall encounters while riding is being unable to lock his bike up in a designated rack, he said. Another issue regards marked bike lanes.
“You’ve got to get drivers to understand that better bike lanes are better for drivers too,” McCall said. “It’s better for traffic and it’s safer. There are very few bike lanes; there are bike paths that take you into the middle of nothing. If you want to exercise it’s great, but if you want to go to the store or go to work, there’s no bike lanes.”
Albuquerque is one of the least commuter-friendly cities, he said. Drivers buzz by and don’t give the necessary space, but large group rides are always much safer.
“You can’t ignore a bunch a people on bikes,” McCall said, “especially if they are naked. Suddenly people are like, ‘whoa look at the bikes,’ and everyone pays attention, so it’s safe to ride in this group.”
Moriah Carty is a staff reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MoriahCarty.
