Nude Bikers

Cyclistsbare all to promote pedal power


Hundreds of naked cyclists havetoured the streets of London and other cities around the world toprotest oil dependency and the car culture.


Traffic came to a standstill andonlookers gaped or took photographs as the bare cyclists streamedpast London's landmarks, blowing whistles and waving flags saying"Rights for Bikes".


Cyclists in Paris, Madrid andVancouver, among other cities, joined in what was the fourth annualworld naked bike ride.


One London participant had painted"Less Gas More Ass" across his bare back to extol thebenefits of pedal power. More modest cyclists wore shorts, bikinis orstrips of tape.


"We shouldn't be so dependenton oil," Bogdan Potrowski said, a 36-year-old Polishelectrician, wearing just a baseball cap.
"We also want to show everyonehow defenceless we are on the roads."


Tom Whelehan says the protest hasnumerous objectives: to urge more people to ride bikes, to highlightthe vulnerability of cyclists and to celebrate the human body, in allits shapes and sizes.


"We're trying to find thesimplest, safest and most natural way to make our point," MrWhelehan, a teacher, said.
He says cycling naked is reasonablycomfortable, but added that some of London's cobbled streets hadproved a challenge.
Others were just there for fun orto bemoan the difficulties of being a bike-owner in big cities.


Organisers of the London ride hadhoped for more than 1,000 on Saturday, helped by sunny weather.


French television said about 400cyclists attended the ride in Paris.


Police arrived quickly on the sceneputting an end to the rally and telling them to put their clothes on.

Cool!