Biking through the burger bar

<*>The manager of McDonalds in Oxford Street, London, had a shock last month when his "restaurant" was included in the itinerary of the regular Critical Mass bike ride.

Critical Mass is a fast-growing worldwide phenomenon in which cyclists gather to assert their right to ride without being killed, maimed and gassed by cars by cycling together at a very leisurely pace for an hour or so. The exhilaration of traversing London's streets without fear of being knocked off is beyond description.

Since the Criminal Justice Act became law there have been worries that the police would clamp down on Critical Mass. Shortly before the Act came into force a senior officer was heard to tell riders that they would be charged with "Conspiracy to Block the Public Highway". I'd not been aware that there was such an offence but I look forward to the first prosecutions of rush-hour motorists who gather twice every working day to clog the streets with cars!

Critical Mass is not a demonstration, but a coincidental gathering of cyclists. No route is planned in advance of the ride. The itinerary takes shape as the ride goes along, by chance and consensus. Previous rides have ended up at the Department of Transport where an impromptu boo-in was held, and at Parliament Square and Downing Street. So it was that McDonald's was privileged to have a visit from about 200 cyclists who decided to turn the place into a "Bike-Through". Cries of "Go ahead and sue us!" were heard as the ride left. On McDonald's past form they just might do that...

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The London Critical Mass happens on the last Friday of every month, gathering on the South Bank under Waterloo Bridge at 5.45pm. Critical Mass rides take place in many other cities in Britain and worldwide; details from CHARM (Cyclists Have A Right to Move), PO Box 3736 London E8 2BA (enclose a small donation to cover costs)