- Surprisingly, the larger public didn’t seem to mind.
The early fall is the perfect time for a little road trip. The weather is still warm but not too hot, summer crowds have dispersed and autumn tourists haven’t arrived yet, and nature is still gorgeous.
That’s what the British friends Neil Cox and J. Antic also thought. So, they decided to hop on a tandem bicycle to travel through southwest England.
In early September, Cox and Antic set off from Gloucester. The end point of their 260-mile-long planned route was Land’s End, Cornwall, at the very southwestern tip of England.
Sounds like fun, but apart from the mildly unusual vehicle choice, not that special. So what’s the big deal?
Well, Cox and Antic didn’t wear any clothes.
Both of the buck-naked riders are naturists, meaning they don’t believe in wearing clothes if they really don’t have to. True to their beliefs, they stayed nude for the vast majority of their journey — even when they popped into towns for dinner or drinks.
Unlike what you might expect, the riders say the public response to their project has been overwhelmingly positive. And you know what, good on them.
The Naked Itinerary
As we mentioned, Cox (36) and Antic (25) began their trip in Gloucester, a city on England’s western coast some 95 miles from London. On September 7, they mounted the tandem bike and began pedaling down the road wearing nothing at all.
Well, Cox had a bicycle helmet on, but that’s it.
This isn’t the first time the friends have bicycled down to Land’s End naked, though. They did the same trip in 2022 to raise money for charity, earning a nice $6,600.
“This time, it’s been more for enjoyment,” Cox told the Independent Journal Review.
Cox’s and Antic’s first major stop was Bristol, from which they proceeded to the Mendip Hills National Landscape. Then, the next big break happened in Glastonbury, and finally, the duo headed down to Cornwall.
Along the way, they chose their accommodations according to the weather. On some nights, they camped outdoors, but when it got too cold, they stopped at a B&B or a hotel.
Yet, they didn’t compromise their naked vision by putting on clothes. Well, except for one stretch, but they had a good reason.
“After we went through Glastonbury we did get dressed — but only because it was windy and chucking it down with rain!” Cox explained.
Surprisingly Positive Response
You might expect the prim and proper English to be horrified at the naked duo riding by. However, Cox and Antic say the response they got during their trip was very positive — sometimes overwhelmingly so.
During their stop in Bristol, the friends went to grab a few drinks in bars to wet their road-parched whistles. They say nobody really cared about them being naked.
“In Bristol, people had a casual indifference, but that’s what we want to be the case, really,” said Cox.
Whether that was because of Bristolians’ welcoming nature or because they were weirded out is anybody’s guess.
Moving down to Glastonbury, the response Cox and Antic received was way different. The locals seemed to love the nude riders.
“People in Glastonbury were overwhelmingly positive; it was a bit overwhelming … One lady even thanked us,” Cox recalled.
“There were times I was worried about a negative reaction, but it was all in my head.”
Well, not entirely. Some folks did voice their unapproving opinions, but they did it through the safety net of social media. Cox and Antic, however, don’t pay them much mind.
“People on social media always have opinions — but we haven’t had many negative reactions,” they say.
No Hanky Panky
Now, let’s address the undressed elephant in the room. We’re all probably thinking that the naked bike trip is some kind of sex thing, right?
According to Cox and Antic, however, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. To begin with, they’re not even dating — they are just friends.
In fact, Cox is in a steady relationship with another woman.
“It’s not a sexual thing. I have a girlfriend of 10 years, and she’s comfortable with me going on trips with other women because she knows it’s a wholesome thing and there’s nothing going on,” said Cox.
The nude bikers only think nudity is natural. They also hope that seeing their non-super-model bodies might help other people with self-image issues.
“I heard somewhere that supposedly having more exposure to non-sexual nudity can have a good impact on others’ self-image … There are lots of issues around body image in the world, and if we can do something to make people think all bodies are OK, then that’s a good thing,” mused Cox.
In the end, though, Cox and Antic are simply more comfortable out of clothes.
“I feel happier and less stressed when I’m naked, and most people seem supportive of that,” Cox summarized.