Nine naked bike rides across London draw attention to drivers 'clogging up our streets'

A total of nine naked bike rides took place across London on Saturday.

The riders - an estimated 1,000+ - took to their bikes, wearing either nothing or as little as they deemed possible.

The riders were campaigning against the global dependency on oil, and car culture. Some also painted messages on their skin, such as "can you see me now?" - pointing to the vulnerability of cyclists on the road. 

The annual ride - first hosted in London in 2004 - takes place across 200 cities, worldwide and is organsied by World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR), with a goal to "curb car culture."

Speaking about London, the group said: "In London our problem with motor vehicles is not just private cars. Much of the threat to cyclists, along with the oil burning, pollution and congestion in Central London, comes from taxis, private hire vehicles, buses, coaches, vans, delivery vehicles, articulated lorries, tipper trucks, and people travelling in company cars on business."

"What do those drivers have in common? They are all clogging up our streets because they are paid to be there and someone else is picking up the costs."The danger is compounded by out-of-town drivers who are not used to driving on streets where there are more cyclists than drivers and bicycles can often go faster than motor vehicles."

Rides began from 11am, depaeting nine locations: Croydon, Victoria Park, Deptford, Kew Bridge, Tower Hill, Wellington Arch, Clapham Junction, Regents Park, and Belvedere Road.

The group processions then met for a barbeque in Croydon, where clothes were "optional."

Brighton was another UK host, with another 1,000 naked riders estimated to take to the streets of the seaside city.

A representative told the Brighton Argus: “We will cycle with sound systems and flags highlighting the many environmental and social issues which cycling and body freedom can address."