Nice’s Critical Mass had brought together more than two hundred cyclists on Friday, September 25th. Starting from Rauba Capeu, participants had strolled through the streets of Nice in a festive atmosphere. Behind this space of conviviality, advocates of soft mobility had not hesitated to express their demands.

Under the sundial of Rauba Capeu quay, more than two hundred cyclists had gathered on Friday, September 25th to participate in the Critical Mass. From 7:30 PM onwards, the procession had set off through the streets of Nice to stroll in a festive atmosphere.

During this hour-and-a-half journey, the group had split into two: the first part had headed towards the 109 and Apollinaire high school, while about thirty cyclists had headed towards the Castel beach to celebrate.

Riding together to claim your space

Every last Friday of the month, participants of the Nice “Velorution” event would meet in front of the iconic I Love Nice. Nice participants peacefully made their demands heard, faithful to the founding principles of the movement’s creators in San Francisco in the 1990s.

Nice’s Critical Mass was based on a deliberate absence of hierarchy and established route. Everything was decided on the spot, at the very moment. Before the departure signal, one of the participants stepped up to remind everyone of the event’s rules. Through his megaphone, Pierre* reminded everyone that “the group stays as compact as possible […] by blocking intersections to let the entire column pass.”

The purpose of Critical Mass was to form a critical mass and therefore to protect each other through the density of the number of participants. Camille*, a 24-year-old recent graduate accompanied by her father, had confirmed this feeling of security provided by the group. For her, “it’s great to take up space as a cyclist, in a group, you feel better than being alone on the road with cars.“

Building momentum to make Nice move

Behind this festive and convivial self-management, many Nice residents had come with their signs to defend their ideas. Simon, a regular participant who equipped his bike with a bubble machine and a speaker, emphasized this horizontal dimension of the event. “There’s no leader, it’s a place where everyone brings their thing!” Without a main voice, all agreed to denounce the shortcomings of local cycling infrastructure and the daily incivilities they had faced.

The transformation of Nice’s urban landscape was also defended by Thibault, a figure in Nice’s associative movements aged 63, who wanted to “change the philosophy of the city. Instead of having a city that is entirely car-based, it would be having a city that is mobile by bike. He clarified that one car for one person with three empty seats takes up one parking space, yet six bikes could fit there!”

Beyond each person’s own demands, the Nice Critical Mass represented for them a way to think that another world was possible. Faced with climate challenges, “we advocate for genuine transition: we have built our societies on the car model, planetary limits show us that this was no longer viable […] we must massively develop public transport and bikes!“ said Sofiane*, a 27-year-old economics and social sciences teacher.

The evening ended in conviviality for both groups. Those present on the beach continued the event with an improvised DJ set, sealing this record edition for them.

The next Critical Mass will take place on Friday, October 30th.

*Names changed to preserve anonymity