This weekend most people in Bristol were nervously gripped by England's opening world cup game. Yet, for another 200 people, nerves gripped them for a different reason all together: Baring it all for Bristol's naked bike ride.

Sunday saw 200 people lose their clothes and take to their bikes in Bristol's city centre to protest about how important they feel the bicycle should be in society.

The event's website tells us that Bristol naked bike ride 2010 was also designed to 'focus on the idea of regular Car Free Sundays, and highlighting proposed traffic free environments in Bristol such as Park Street, Baldwin Street, the Centre and Corn Street.'

The origins of the World Naked Bike Ride event come from Zaragoza, Spain, where the first official Naked Bike Ride was held in 2001. The rides now take place in over 70 cities across the world and they're designed to protest against global warming and oil dependency.

The event's motto is 'as bare as you dare', a challenge which many people in Bristol rose to.

At 1.30pm cyclists of all ages and all manner of shapes and sizes wound their way from the Full Moon pub in Stokes Croft, passed Cabot Circus and through the city centre towards College Green, watched by bemused motorists and pedestrians.

One on-looker said: "I saw you all today, I was one of those amazed people with their jaws on the floor. Your effort worked though as it created awareness for your cause as I had to search what it was all about. Traffic free Sundays is a neat idea for a city like Bristol - good luck."

It seems like the event encouraged plenty of new cyclists too. One of those taking part said: "I so enjoyed being on the Bristol Naked Bike ride. I haven't ridden a bike for years as I have become too frightened. However, today was a big step towards regaining my confidence and such fun."

The Cycling City project is helping hundreds of people to regain their confidence and have fun by bike so this event certainly gets the thumbs up from us.

If you're keen to find out more visit: http://bristolwnbr.blogspot.com/

Picture credit: www.antinbath.com