On the day when 7000 enthusiasts pedalled 51 miles from Glasgow Green to Leith in the Pedal for Scotland event, ministers were forced to slap down the suggestion which emanated from a question inserted in the consultation by civil servants.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman insisted: "Scottish ministers have no plans to charge cyclists for using the roads in Scotland."

When Finance Secretary John Swinney was asked in a television interview about his forthcoming Budget if he was contemplating some form of road tax for cycles he replied simply: "No."

The cycling pressure group Spokes suspects the question was included in the consultation for the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland (CAPS) in order that a bike registration scheme could be knocked down at an early stage, either as counter-productive or bureaucratically unworkable.

But Gary Bell, of Spokes, said: "This document is trying to increase the number of cyclists and here they are constructing a barrier to prevent people getting a bicycle. It is utterly laughable."

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson set a target of 10% of all Scottish journeys being by bike by 2010, taking us closer to European countries such as the Netherlands (currently 27%) and Denmark (13%).

He stated in the report: "CAPS is about everyone in Scotland who is able to, having the choice to cycle in their everyday life by creating safe, welcoming and inclusive communities.

"With the correct measures in place to meet the public’s demand for cycling infrastructure and road safety improvements and by working in partnership, we can emulate our European neighbours."

But Spokes’s official response to CAPS said: "There are some excellent ideas in the government's action plan, but no commitment to funding the plan -- and without European-style funding, the government’s European-style target cannot possibly be achieved."

The consultation document also stated: "Should all road users pay road tax? If so, how much should it be for cyclists and how could it be enforced?"

This prompted Green MSP Patrick Harvie to say: "One thing’s for sure -- if the SNP actually try to impose this absurd tax then the non-payment campaign will be immediate and unstoppable."

Labour’s transport spokesman Des McNulty was among the cyclists taking part in Pedal for Scotland. He said: "This proposal is totally barmy. If we want to get more people out of their cars and on to bikes then introducing a road tax would have the completely opposite effect."

The event has been growing in the last decade and increased by 2000 participants this year, delighting organisers Cycling Scotland’s chief executive, Ian Aitken.

He said: "The fact that 7000 people made the 51-mile journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh by bike today shows that not only is this a unique event with mass appeal, but also that cycling is becoming more and more popular."

He added: "Our riders today will realise that their commute to work would take a fraction of the time, and might start to leave the car at home more often."

Andrew Pankhurst, of Cycling Scotland, said: "Road tax for cars is based on how much pollution your car makes and as cycling is carbon-free we feel there should be no question of road tax

for bikes."