Thousands of cyclists take it off for World Naked Bike Ride; meant to raise environmental awareness

Thousands of bikers around the world traded their bike shorts for their birthday suits on Saturday night for the 8th annual Naked Bike Ride.

Hordes of cyclists in the buff in 80 cities globally observed the day with rides across the globe to raise awareness about the environment, and to have a little fun too.

The ride's organizers have been encouraging people to get naked since 2004.

"This is just a way of drawing attention to the need to be more green and replace fossil fuels with natural power," Ken Johnson, who was body-painted grey at the Portland route, told Reuters.

In Portland cops even sent out a press release stressing it is legal to be naked in public in that city. They did, however, urge participants to wear a helmet.

"It's the most liberating, natural feeling possible," rider Brooklyn Jay told Reuters.

In Madison, about 70 people participated in the naked bike ride, and only one person was cited for disorderly conduct, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

That city has no naked laws, but nudists can be asked to cover up if someone complains.

Riders said the experience gave them a huge sense of self-respect and helped to promote confidence in their body image.

"I had a history of eating disorders when I was a teenager, and I had to take medications in my life which made me gain more weight than I expected. I have a very fluctuating body image,” Laura Burke told cbc.ca before she participated in Halifax's naked ride last week.

"For me, being naked in public provokes a lot of fear. So it was a really meaningful thing for me to do."