Critical Mass = Legal

Loads of people out riding their bikes through London's famous London on a friday night instead of rotting their faces off in front of the telly. A chance for angry lcc members to shout at the police.

Actually, LCC has no connection with Critical Mass. Individual members go of their own initiative, but I think you'd find that they wouldn't come to CM particularly angry. We have lots of ways in channelling our energy positively.

CM is just another cycling event among the many that happen in London. As Chris and others say, it's a bit of fun, although of course different people perceive it in different ways. For some, the mere fact that people come together in pursuit of a minority activity means that it must be a protest. It's all part of the wider discussion of what it means to use our streets for more than the daily grind and rushing around. You don't have to formally protest to do something positive, you can just get on with actually doing what you're in favour of.

I go to CM because it's one of the most relaxed ways of catching up with friends while riding around London and going for a pint or a meal afterwards. I have many happy memories of CMs.

Historically, it was quite a new idea when it first started. It is less new and original now but I think it still has its place. Many people feel a little isolated in everyday traffic owing to the low modal share of cycling and CM can be a nice experience of togetherness. I also like the fact that it does bring very different people together.

Some people are unlucky enough to go on their first CM and have a bad experience and some witness confrontations and are very much put off by them, but I would say that on balance it has probably shown more people what is possible through cycling than it has pissed people off.