Cyclists Cover Up During Bedford Bike Protest

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Below-freezing temperatures forced cyclists to cover up during their planned-topless protest ride through an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Williamsburg Saturday. Heather Loop, center, leads protesters down Bedford Avenue in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to protest the removal of a bicycle lane, which Loop says was removed because the neighborhood’s Hasidic Jews “can’t handle scantily clad women.” AP

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Despite the snow, a group of about 15 left the Brooklyn Wreck Room on Flushing Avenue between Central and Evergreen avenues near dusk, timing their departure to the end of the Jewish Sabbath. Some riders pointed out that their excessive clothing made it just a bike ride, while others agreed that its iconic purpose was to show that the lane would be used properly if it were repainted by the city. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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The cyclists had planned to conduct the ride topless in order to battle complaints that the often-scantily clad bikers are offensive to Hasidic residents, but were forced to cover up due to the freezing weather and snow. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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Cyclists ride through the Williamsburg neighborhood to protest the removal of a bike lane at the behest of the area’s Orthodox Jews, who complained that scantily-clad bicyclists were offending their values. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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A Hasidic Jewish man walks past the riders biking down Bedford Avenue. AP

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A cyclist blows a kiss through the snow. J.B. Nicholas

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Cyclists ride through the Williamsburg neighborhood to protest the removal of a bike lane at the behest of the area’s Orthodox Jews, who complained that scantily-clad bicyclists were offending their values. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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Cyclists ride through the Williamsburg neighborhood to protest the removal of a bike lane at the behest of the area’s Orthodox Jews, who complained that scantily-clad bicyclists were offending their values. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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Cyclists ride through the Williamsburg neighborhood to protest the removal of a bike lane at the behest of the area’s Orthodox Jews, who complained that scantily-clad bicyclists were offending their values. J.B Nicholas / Splash News

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Cyclists ride through the Williamsburg neighborhood to protest the removal of a bike lane at the behest of the area’s Orthodox Jews, who complained that scantily-clad bicyclists were offending their values. AP