Naked driver’s contempt for tandem couple: Naked cyclists had bruises when deliberately hit by a car
- Colin Unsworth and Sadie Tann ride a bike around Britain naked
- They’re raising money for charity as they drive from John O’Groats to Lands End
- The couple, who are on a tandem, said they were knocked off their bike by a motorist
Cycling au naturel across Britain for charity, Colin Unsworth and Sadie Tann thought the only challenges they would face during their light-hearted stunt would be to fend off mosquitoes and saddle sores.
But the pair were left bruised and shocked when they were deliberately thrown off their tandem by a car during their drive from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
Police are investigating Monday’s collision near Bridge of Earn, Perthshire.
It was caught on camera by Miss Tann, 31, who was filming a live video as the car swerved into them. Someone in the vehicle also yelled abuse. The naked couple escaped with scratches and bruises after being thrown onto the road.
Mr Unsworth, a carpenter and mushroom picker from Adlington, Lancashire, said: ‘It really shook us up. On the live video you can see the driver passing us in the opposite direction and then they’ve turned around and come steaming back down to overtake us and it’s made a swing at us.
Colin Unsworth and Sadie Tann, pictured with John O’Groats, drive to Land’s End to raise money for charity
The couple, pictured, said they were deliberately hit by a car while driving through Perthshire
“I’m a pretty skilled cyclist, I’ve been glued to a push bike saddle all my life and I managed to dodge the first swerve. But when I slammed on the brakes to come to a stop, it swerved out again and hit us that second time. He knocked us to the ground.
“We weren’t injured as such, just a few bruises and scrapes. I was just back on my feet at the time and thought it was okay, we’re not hurt, but it didn’t give me half a sleepless night that night.
‘That has a big impact on you emotionally. We are very, very vulnerable, naked on the bike.’ Mr Unsworth, 52, and Miss Tann, a Sheffield student, take the ride to raise money for Rewild Britain and Mind, sending a message of body positivity. They left last week and use custom merino sheepskin saddle covers to protect against chafing.
Unsworth said they couldn’t have done the whole ride naked due to Scottish law. Public nudity is not a specific crime, but they were asked to hide after a complaint. They also had to get dressed after being ‘assaulted’ by young people on motorcycles.
He added: ‘As we planned everything out, I had this image of a beautiful hot glorious summer like we’ve had for the past few years, and that we’d be biking the whole way completely naked…with nothing but smiling and waving. and cheers the audience on.
‘I was afraid of the mosquitoes, but we were hardly bothered by them. We are all devastated and our bums are killing us.
“It was also a bit of a personal challenge for us to get over that body shape and challenge ourselves to be comfortable with no clothes on.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘The police investigation is ongoing after a 52-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman riding a tandem bicycle were deliberately hit and run over by a car on the A912 near Bridge of Earn. at about 2 p.m. on Monday.’