MONTREAL — When Michel Perrault headed out for a bike ride on Saturday, he made sure to fasten his helmet and slip into his birthday suit.

Perrault was one of about 30 nude cyclists who pedalled through the streets of Montreal to draw attention to the excessive use of gas-powered vehicles.

"I certainly wouldn't do it if I didn't have to, but I want to be part of the gang. I want to prove the point,'' he said, while waiting for the event to start.

"I want to get undressed in front of everybody and show them I am completely free of any kind of shame.''

Instalments of the World Naked Bike Ride were also expected to roll in several European cities, as well as the United States, Japan and Mexico.

In Canada, in-the-buff cyclists planned to take to the streets of Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Moncton.

Montreal participants -- the vast majority of whom were men -- followed a 30-minute route through the city's trendy Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood.

Word of the demonstrators' breezy ride stirred more than 200 people to the starting line, where dozens of gawkers snapped photos and captured video.

As the sun beat down near the starting line, a waft of sunblock filled the air.

Some bikers were also careful to address another area of concern -- the comfortable ride.

Perrault slapped his oversized, gel-filled bike seat and predicted his bare rump would be just fine.

The Montreal resident said his participation was geared more towards supporting nudists than saving the planet.

"I'm an ardent environmentalist, but I've given up,'' said Perrault. "As far as I'm concerned we're too late.''

Organizer Eric Lemieux was pleased the event managed to lure curious onlookers.

"If I wasn't naked you wouldn't be interviewing me,'' Lemieux said. "This would be just a regular bike ride that wouldn't interest anyone.

"The means we used to attract attention, which seems to have worked, is nudity.''

But not everyone was comfortable with the public display of skin.

"I find that this is a provocation and I sincerely believe there needs to be more citizens like me who say `No' to this type of thing,'' shouted Edith Simard, a local resident.

"They shouldn't be allowed to do this.''

However, Montreal police gave the event a green light.

A police spokesman says the naked pedallers have the right to demonstrate as long as there is no crude behaviour.

"They're not doing that just to show their parts or anything like that,'' said Const. Raphael Bergeron.

"It's just a way to protest. It's not an indecent act (and) that's why nobody will be arrested.''

Meanwhile, cyclist Jean-Guy Beaulieu, who travelled 120 kilometres from Drummondville, Que. for the demonstration, compared being naked in front of a crowd of people to holding a sign at a protest.

 He said the event enabled him to support naturism and environmentalism, which are both close to his heart.

"There are ways to save on gas and save the planet as well,'' he said. "We have to use (gas) rationally and stop continuously developing big engines (for cars).''

At the start of the tour, cyclists had to weave their way through a gauntlet of spectators and were followed closely by police cruisers.