PROVINCETOWN — It’s the Friday before Labor Day, and there’s a cavalcade of dudes riding bikes down Commercial Street wearing nothing but jockstraps. They smirk, shimmy, and toss playful winks. Onlookers hoot and holler, hurriedly drawing their phones to capture the expanse of bare behinds. A bystander shouts, “It’s a full moon tonight!” It’s a scene, even for Provincetown.
The Jockstrap Bike Ride is an event the organizers at the Provincetown Brewing Co. say they hope will come to herald the unofficial start of “Townie Summer.” This year’s was the second time it’s been held.
“It’s just about adding some queer, fun, and unexpected whimsy into the world,” said Chris Spaulding, the creative director at the brewing company. It’s not a charity event or political stunt. There’s no profound motive. Instead, it seems, a little bit of mischief draws riders to take part.
“I love riding my bike, and Provincetown is my happy place,” said Jim Mineiro, here from Brooklyn, N.Y. “So, why not ride my bike in a jockstrap in my happy place?”
Participants apparently did not give joining in a great deal of forethought. “I just saw a friend of mine down the street,” said Provincetown resident Peter Concosta. “He said, ‘We’re going to the jockstrap ride!’ So, I ran home and got in my jockstrap.”
Evan Snavely, a manager at the brewery, was not shy about his reasoning for participating: “Honestly, I have a nice butt, and I need attention because it boosts my self-worth.”
Devin Rahal, visiting from New York City, seconded the idea that the event had an empowering vibe. “It was kind of like Dykes on Bikes — but the gay version,” he said. But he was candid about an inconvenience. “It was amazing,” Rahal said, “but I was chafing, so I just stood up the whole time.”
The jockstrap was actually designed to protect bicycle riders from injuries to their undercarriage –– specifically bicycle jockeys navigating the cobbled streets of Boston, according to ESPN Magazine.
Mike Ackerman, who lives in Provincetown, wore a big smile after the event. “It was liberating,” he said.
