Naked bike ride success

One was Pete Caunter, of Newlands Avenue,and the other was 80 year old Hastings man John Lynes who has been cycling for three quarters of a century.

The event, eight miles through Hove and Brighton centre to the nudist beach on the east side of town, was a mass protest by cyclists to express how vulnerable and insecure they feel on the road.

Pete, 55, saw the naked bike ride as a way of showing motorists the need to treat cyclists with respect.

He said: "This is the third naked bike ride they have done and it was twice as popular as the last one.

"It was well received with people standing outside in the street laughing and clapping - we didn't get one negative comment. It was all to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, because we don't get a lot of respect."

Pete would like to see major change on our roads including a 20mph default speed limit in urban areas and also hopes to raise awareness so that drivers realise how insecure are cyclists in traffic.

He had taken part in other protests but thought the one in Brighton particularly successful.

He will not be taking part in the next event which will be in London on June 14 while John had intended to go, but decided not to as he suffered unexpected sunburn in normally covered-up places.

John is used to strong sunshine as he normally works in Palestine where he is a human rights observer.

He said: "I took part to show cyclists are vulnerable, that cycling is fun, that it is healthy, that it doesn't produce carbon dioxide...It is something people of all ages can take part in. There are not many things that a child and a great-grandfather like myself can do today - only swimming, or walking, and cycling."