Boris Johnson has apologised for peddling his barrister wife Marina Wheeler through the city late on Thursday night on a bicycle designed for one person.
The Mayor of London has been criticised after footage of him giving his wife a backie was caught on camera.
Sam Jones, from national cycling charity CTC, said the mayor's actions were "very naughty" and said "he should have known better".
He added: "We wouldn't encourage other cyclists to carry passengers in such a fashion. We would never encourage cyclists to break the law."
Mr Johnson's romantic gesture could land him in trouble with the police as giving a backie is illegal under Section 24 of the Road and Traffic Act (1998) and offenders can be fined up to £200.
The act states: "Not more than one person may be carried on a road on a bicycle not propelled by mechanical power unless it is constructed or adapted for the carriage of more than one person."
Boris Johnson is a fan of cycling.
The footage, obtained by The Sun newspaper, was shot by passengers in a passing car as the couple cycled along Barlby Road in North Kensington.
It shows Ms Wheeler sitting on the saddle, without a helmet, clutching onto her handbag as Boris stands on the pedals.
After the passengers informed the mayor that he was breaking the law, Mr Johnson stepped off the bike and said "night, night" to them.
They can be heard in the video asking the mayor: "Mate, you all right? Saddling that's a good one eh?"
Another says: "You're not allowed to do that mate."
The mayor, whose responsibilities include London transport, has had the city's bike-sharing scheme colloquially named after him.
The mayor's official spokesman said: "The mayor wishes to apologise for offering his wife a short lived lift on the back of his bike! He was unaware that he was apparently in contravention of the Road and Traffic Act.
"He wasn't intending to ride all the way home from North Kensington to North London with Marina on the back, rather he was attempting to transport his wife to a main road, from where they hailed a black cab for her.
"As everyone knows the mayor is a huge supporter of cycling, and an even bigger fan of the black cab trade, hence his desire to combine the two!"
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