Clarence House begged us not to publish this photo, saying “it’s not him”. But we don’t take orders from dudes named Clarence. And let’s face it, that false beard doesn’t fool anyone. And, hey, what is there to be ashamed of? It’s good for young people to let off steam.
Besides, who among us hasn’t sometimes found themselves cycling around London naked on a Saturday afternoon being photographed by attractive young members of the opposite sex?
We asked top members of the British cycling world what they thought of the sensational Prince Harry nude cycling photo.
Michelle Smooth, Transport for London: ‘Here at TfL we are all very excited to see the Prince sending out the message that cycling in London is cool and sexy and exciting. In view of the Prince’s intervention we have decided to divert this year’s cycle promotion budget to feasibility studies into raising speed limits on London’s bridges and eliminating more of those congestion-causing pedestrian crossings.’
Edward Himmler, ‘Right to Ride’ convenor, Crapburgh Cycling Campaign. ‘It is important for cyclists to occupy the moral high ground and win respect from motorists. Frankly these kind of antics do us no good at all. Naked bike rides, critical mass, and red-light-jumping do the reputation of all cyclists immense damage.’
Midge Dimm, Bicycle Crown Trust. ‘The figures speak for themselves. Last year not a single cyclist hit by a motor vehicle was wearing a crown. We’re delighted to see the Prince sending out the message that wearing a crown can quite literally save your life.’
Gary Speed, ‘Share The Road’. ‘It is impossible for drivers to share the road when it is full of naked cyclists. This is why we are calling on the government to lock up all naked cyclists so that our streets can be shared by BMW drivers, lorry drivers, and van drivers, who will all drive much more carefully once there are no naked cyclists to distract them.’
(Below) Planning to go cycling in Las Vegas? These easy-to-slip-off pants are highly recommended for British visitors. Available from all British Cycling outlets.
