London Naked Bike Ride 2025 – Best Bridge Yet

It was ideal weather for a World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR). This year, 2025, was set to be the fifteenth time I would take part in WNBR London. I made sure my panniers were loaded with essentials: a bicycle repair kit, a tyre pump, a camera and a whistle. Most importantly, I left plenty of room for my soon-to-be stripped-off clothes.

There was a choice of eight locations where the ride would start before converging to become a single mass. In the early years I started at Hyde Park (the only option back then). Subsequently I had a run of starting from Tower Hill. More recently I have been varying my start points, trying out Croydon and Regents Park.

For several years I’d had it mind to join the Deptford start. Deptford was first added to the list of meeting points in 2019. When it disappeared as an option in 2024 I thought I’d missed my chance. But, no! Deptford was restored for 2025, so Deptford would be where I undressed, saddled-up and, for the fifteenth time, hit the capital’s streets.

Deptford to Tower Bridge

To get to the start, I took the London Overground (Windrush line) to New Cross, from where it takes less than 10 minutes walking or cycling to reach Piehouse Co-op in an access road off Edward Street. I knew I’d found the right place as naked people were already there – about 40 in total. We set off at 2pm, initially on mundane city streets.

2:00pm off Edward Street: in our access road, soon to start…

2:01pm onto Edward Street: …and away we go

2:04pm onto Staunton Street: rejoining the roads

2:12pm on Evelyn Street: left turn to Bestwood Street

2:13pm on Bush Road: left turn to Rotherhithe New Road

2:15pm on Rotherhithe Old Road: Surrey Quays station on our right

2:22pm on Jamaica Road: yep, this is perfectly legal

Tower Bridge to Trinity Square

The naked bike ride route from Deptford is basically the same as that from Tower Hill but with an extra 45 minutes preceding through southeast London. The extraordinary stand-out moment, making this an essential way to begin the ride, is cycling in all our glory across Tower Bridge and past the Tower of London to join the Tower Hill group.

2:32pm on Tower Bridge Road: about to cross

2:34pm on Tower Bridge: a very satisfying moment

2:36pm on Tower Bridge Road: passing the Tower of London

2:38pm on Tower Bridge Approach: yay! WNBR London’s best bridge yet!

2:40pm on Tower Hill: about to join the Tower Hill riders

2:45pm on Trinity Square: lining-up at the Tower Hill start…

Trinity Square to Embankment

We reached Trinity Square – where Tower Hill starters depart – with perfect timing. In less than 5 minutes we were underway for a second time. Whilst on a brief loop back to south London, at least one passing traveller (of many) with pony-and-trap whipped some of our cyclists. 😡 I missed the incident, but it has been reported to the police.

2:47pm on Byward Street: …and away we go, Tower Hill-style

2:53pm on Upper Thames Street: window selfie!

2:57pm on Upper Thames Street: left turn to Southwark Bridge

3:02pm on Southwark Street: right turn to Blackfriars Bridge

3:04pm on Southwark Street: a traveller brandishes his whip – © ..Moth..

3:05pm on Blackfriars Bridge: meanwhile, at the north end

3:07pm on Blackfriars Bridge: waiting to turn left – © David P

Embankment to Forum Magnum Square

Back on the north side of the Thames, after the usual slow process of decanting from Blackfriars Bridge we commenced the long ride along Victoria Embankment. This leg fell into slight disarray as umpteen riders dismounted for selfies in front of the London Eye. Eventually we crossed Westminster Bridge to reach Forum Magnum Square.

3:14pm on Embankment: down the Blackfriars Bridge slip road

3:26pm on Embankment: with the London Eye selfie brigade

3:29pm on Embankment: spot the red head-band – © Ben

3:30pm on Embankment: bearing (baring?) down on Parliament

3:32pm on Westminster Bridge: a rat-run of photographers

3:34pm on Westminster Bridge Road: left turn to York Road

Forum Magnum Square

Since the advent of multiple start points, Forum Magnum Square has been where the tributary rides converge before resuming as one huge river of nakedness. A little over half an hour passed between my arrival and the mass departure. Apparently Croydon riders set-off 30 minutes later than planned, which I guess contributed to our wait.

3:35pm on York Road: entering Forum Magnum Square

3:52pm at Forum Magnum Square: annual catch-up with my mate Natansky

3:56pm at Forum Magnum Square: Thomas & Muse filming again

4:07pm at Forum Magnum Square: getting ready to resume

4:12pm on York Road: marshalling us out of the square

Forum Magnum Square to Lincoln’s Inn Fields

As usual we returned north via Waterloo Bridge. Whilst on the bridge, sheer numbers of buses squeezed us almost to single file. Traffic lights at Strand then clipped us into small groups, some of which didn’t know where to go next. Enough riders missed our Chancery Lane turn that by the time I reached Carey Street, I was utterly alone…

4:19pm on Waterloo Bridge: hey, it’s me! – © Chris Hutchinson

4:26pm on Lancaster Place: squeezed by buses

4:27pm on Aldwych: starting to thin out…

4:30pm on Strand: …getting thinner at the Royal Courts of Justice…

4:32pm on Carey Street: …till finally I was alone

4:33pm on Carey Street: ahh, the welcome sight of a marshal…

4:35pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields: …and others who’d made it this far

Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Trafalgar Square

The gathering of riders at Lincoln’s Inn Fields – our second official stop – looked a lot smaller than the crowd at Forum Magnum Square. Even so, within five minutes of my arrival the call came for us to set off again. There was a long pause before we turned onto Sardinia Street, but from there we were steady to Trafalgar Square and beyond.

4:39pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields: soon on the move again

4:53pm on Kingsway: Bush House on Aldwych ahead

4:56pm on Strand: right turn from Aldwych

5:01pm on Strand: naked bike riders regrouped

5:02pm on Strand: Nelson’s Column in view

5:02pm on Trafalgar Square: tailgating a bubble machine

Trafalgar Square to Wellington Arch

Alas, at this point just quarter of an hour remained of our ride, but it was time enough for four more iconic moments: pedalling majestically up The Mall; a naked fly-past for Buckingham Palace; the serene dappled light of our home straight along Constitution Hill; and crossing the finish line beneath Wellington Arch. Euphoria and exhaustion.

5:05pm on Pall Mall: flags on Pall Mall

5:11pm on Pall Mall: left turn to Marlborough Road

5:13pm on The Mall: more flags on The Mall

5:14pm on Constitution Hill: God Save the WNBR

5:15pm on Constitution Hill: the home straight

5:18pm on Constitution Hill: the finishing line

5:20pm at Wellington Arch: done!

Epilogue

I was at large for a full three hours and twenty minutes; from 2pm to 5:20pm. For me, the highlights were my first naked jaunt across Tower Bridge, plus what was probably the perfect weather for a WNBR: warm with just a wisp of breeze and sufficient cloud to temper a burning sun. Lowlights? They seemed only to befall others. Lucky me. 🙂

Our route from Deptford to Wellington Arch

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