June 17, 2005—Now, here's a cause some folks can really get behind: On Saturday hundreds of bicyclists in Madrid (pictured) and London staged a nude protest against oil dependency and the overuse of cars.

Pedaling in the World Naked Bike Ride 2005, dozens of Madrid cyclists streaked down main avenues. Pumping an additional agenda item, they appealed for more bike lanes in the Spanish capital—a move they said would reduce traffic accidents.

In London about a hundred activists rode past Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, and Covent Garden. "Oil is not a bare necessity but a crude obsession," one banner read, according to press reports. Wearing little more than his opinions, one rider had had his back painted to read "NO FUMES"—just above an arrow pointed cheekily downward.

—Ted Chamberlain

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