Hundreds of nude cyclists took to the streets for the return of the city’s Naked Bike Ride.

A huge throng of cyclists set off from Preston Park in Brighton for a seven-mile journey across the city, passing by some of the city’s landmarks, including the Royal Pavilion, North Laine and the Palace Pier.

The route ended at the Black Rock naturist beach, where the cyclists took a dip in the sea to cool off as temperatures soared to 26C.

The annual event sees cyclists bare all to celebrate car-free and human-powered travel, while also calling for greater action on environmental and social issues and promoting body positivity.

It is also done to illustrate the vulnerability of cyclists on the road.

Cyclists carried banners and flags along the journey, while others painted slogans on their body which said “less gas more ass”, “burn fat not oil” and “no indecent exposure to air pollution”.

One man even painted his entire body green to look like an alien as the cycled around the city’s streets.

Passers-by lined the streets and cheered as the cyclists made their way through the city, with spectators urged to donate money into collection tins to raise money to cover the £1,000 cost of the event.

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Naked Bike Ride ‘better than Christmas’

Eric Heath, who was taking part in the event for the fourth time yesterday, described the event as “liberating” and said it highlights the vulnerability of cyclists on roads.

He said: “I’ve been knocked off my bike before by people not paying attention, but obviously everyone pays attention to you when you’re naked.”

His friend, Rey Bell, had taken part in the event for ten years and said: “I really like that it’s a protest for awareness about cyclists. It is so important to be a part of it.”

The Argus: Eric Heath, left, and Rey BellEric Heath, left, and Rey Bell (Image: The Argus)

Another cyclist at the event, Twydall Fairweather, said he has participated in the Naked Bike Ride for 13 years.

“It’s my favourite day of the year - it’s better than Christmas, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“It’s nice to ride around my city stark bollock naked, feeling the wind rush against my testicles. It is one of the finer things in life.”

‘I cycle every day and I don’t feel safe’

Organisers praised the atmosphere of this year’s event, with one marshal at the event claiming that more women had taken part than compared to previous years.

Bryony, who did not give her surname, said: “It seems like there are more women than usual this year after years of us promoting the event and challenging problematic behaviour.”

She stressed the importance of the event in highlighting the need to improve the safety of cycling across the country and worldwide.

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“I cycle every day and I thank God that I’m still alive, as I don’t feel safe," she said.

“Although Brighton is a green city, the infrastructure is really bad. There are potholes and drivers often park in cycle lanes.”

She also said that the annual event had an important message about body positivity and said: “We all live in a society where we are all under pressure to look perfect all the time.

“Being able to see that everyone has lumps and bumps and come in different shapes and sizes is really important - it doesn’t matter what you look like, it’s who you are at heart that matters.”