Mexican cyclists strip to protest road risks, car culture

"With "now you see me?" painted on their bodies, participants also hoped to promote the benefits of exercise and biking as an environmentally-friendly mode of transportation.

"We want to change things," said Arturo Rivera, one of the riders.

The crowd gathered on one of the busiest streets of Puebla, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the capital Mexico City, to start their attention-grabbing stunt.

While some of the women wore bathing suits, most of the men decided to bare it all as they pedaled through town in the rain.

The event was linked to the World Naked Bike Ride movement, which sponsors similar tours around the world to show the vulnerability of cyclists and protest car culture, according to its website.

Saturday's ride was sparked by the recent deaths of two cyclists and followed a similar event in Mexico City.