As Bare as You Dare: Naked Bike Ride Brings Together Thousands in UK (PHOTOS)

Thousands of cyclists have pedalled through British cities in the buff over the weekend in a bid to raise awareness about the joys of cycling, promote environmental causes and celebrate body positivity.

The cheeky rides are part of an international campaign called the World Naked Nike Ride. Events of this movement are scheduled on different dates, but are usually clustered in March for the Southern Hemisphere and in June for the Northern Hemisphere.

This weekend, the campaign brought together over 3,000 people in the UK, including Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London and Manchester, while Toronto, Mexico City and Cork also joined in.

The organisers of the Manchester event said they wanted to "protest against fossil-fuelled climate change" and the ubiquity of cars, as well as celebrate "bikes, bodies and low-impact living".

"Even when we are fully clothed we are naked to the danger of motorists on the road. We want to live in a world not blighted by traffic pollution, where the car is seen as the go-to form of transport. Most of all, we are here to celebrate people, who come in all shapes and sizes and are beautiful as they are," they said.

The cyclists were encouraged to go "as bare as you dare", and while some were wearing swimsuits and pants, most paraded completely naked or in bizarre NSFW dresses.