Two friends are causing a stir at the end of a six-day bike ride – both completely naked.
Neil Cox, 36, and his friend J Antic, 25, set out on Saturday on a 260-mile naked journey from Gloucester to Land’s End, Cornwall.
The pair are both naturists – meaning they enjoy spending time in the nude – and wanted to see some of the natural beauty in the south west of England.
Neil and J have cycled naked through Gloucester to Bristol, taken a trip to the Mendips and stopped off at Glastonbury.
The pair have spent some nights camping and others in hotels or B&Bs, even taking a few nude trips out to shop or drink in bars during their trip.
Now in Cornwall, they are in the final stage of their cycle – and say the response to them so far has been “very positive”.
Neil, a finance worker, from Stoke, Cheshire East, said: “We cycled to Land’s End in 2022 and raised around £5,000 (US$6,600). This time it was more for pleasure.
“Now we are not far from the end and we have had different answers.
“People on social media always have opinions, but we haven’t had a lot of negative feedback.
“The people at Glastonbury were incredibly positive, it was a bit overwhelming.
“In Bristol people had a casual indifference, but that’s what we really want to be the case.
“There were times when I was worried about a negative reaction, but it was all in my head.
“After going through Glastonbury we got dressed – but only because it was windy and raining!”
Neil set off with J, who is from Peckham, south-east London, on Saturday and they cycled down to Bristol – before enjoying a drink in the evening.
They went drinking naked in several central Bristol pubs and said the response was largely “indifferent” – they were just left to get on with their evening.
They spent Sunday working out the logistics of the rest of the route before heading to the Mendip Hills, Somerset, on Monday.
They have spent some nights camping, and others in hotels or B&Bs, depending on the weather and their location.
On their way to Cullompton, Devon, the next day, they stopped in Glastonbury where they had some food and drink and a wander around some of the shops in town.
Neil said: “At Glastonbury it was almost too positive. One lady even thanked us.
“Everywhere we go, people look – I think some are confused when they see two people on a tandem.
“So they find it even funnier to see two naked people on a tandem.”
Now nearing the end of their road, the pair have been pleasantly surprised by the positive response in person.
Neil said people on social media were less than fond of their nudity when he shared their journey in a local Facebook group.
One commented: “You might like to see each other naked, it doesn’t mean we do. Have more respect for other people!”
Another added: “I’ve never understood people’s need to draw attention to themselves without offering anything to the rest of society.”
But others jumped to their defense – with one saying “good for them!” and another saying it’s “good to challenge the media’s portrayal of bodies these days.”
Neil explained that their naturism shouldn’t offend anyone – it’s just a natural way of life.
He said: “I don’t think naked bodies are bad or dangerous.
“It’s not a sexual thing – I’ve had a girlfriend of 10 years and she’s comfortable with me going on trips with other women because she knows it’s a healthy thing and nothing’s going on.
“There are a lot of body image issues in the world, and if we can do something to make people think that all bodies are okay, then that’s a good thing.”
J said: “It’s been a good turning point for me in terms of my body image and confidence.
“I heard somewhere that having more exposure to non-sexual nudity can have a positive impact on others’ self-image.
“I think that’s always a good thing at this time.”
Neil added: “I feel happier and less stressed when I’m naked. And most people seem to support that.”
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Image Source : nypost.com