Naked Bike Riders Have Returned To Philly

PHILADELPHIA - Those naked bike riders who peacefully pedaled through Philadelphia last year are back for a repeat performance this weekend.

Slideshows: Philly Naked Bike Ride | Celeb Nude Protests

Organizers of the Philly Naked Bike Ride have been promoting the September 5th event on the Internet, and praising Philadelphia police for their efforts last year.

Several hundred riders were at last year's event and many weren't naked.  But organizers worked with police to keep any incidents to a minimum and the ride was held on the Schuylkill River Trail.

The event is intended to bring attention to bicyclists and raise awareness about fuel consumption.

Similar rides have happened in more than 70 cities worldwide since 2004.

This time, organizers are using Facebook to help get riders to the event on time.

The ride, due to begin Sunday at dusk, was organized by Clifford Greer, a 31-year-old stagehand and audiovisual technician, "to promote fuel-conscious consumption," the paper said.

Organizers will send an e-mail Friday night to all 4,000 participants who signed up at phillynakedbikeride.org to notify them of the route.

Naked bike rides have become common publicity stunts to raise awareness about cyclist safety and the environmental benefits of trading in a car for a bike.