Porto Alegre, Brazil25.02.2011

Banker Ricardo Neis sped his car through a group of 150 cyclists.

17 people were injured

30.03.2011

More than 2000 people took to the streets to protest

They protested against

impunity

they protested in favour of the right to ride a bicycle

they protested in favour of the right to ride a bicycle

they protested in favour of a better world

From that point on, many changes began to take place!

Using a bikeas a means oftransport and as a

tool for cultural transformation made the headlines

of magazines

and became the subject of heated debates, generating new thinking and attracting public opinion.

the movement spread and motivated cyclists in

Porto Alegreto explore the debate on the

subject.

Community workshops were set up

as well as communal bike rides

and art exhibitions

(a year after the cyclists at Critical Mass were run over)

in February 2012 and then

the first World Bicycle Forum took place

Organised horizontally and independentlyThe Forum relied on a voluntary contribution from participants of

various different countries and states in Brazil. They paid for their own transport, volunteered to speak in public, and were given a place

to stay by other others involved.

The first ever World Bicycle Forum was a

success in terms of public, collaborative

and guest participation.

About 7,000 people participatedas speakers and participants in workshops, including visitors from various countries and states in Brazil who took part in the main body of events, as well as in parallel events including exhibitions and bike rides.

Chris Carlsson,the American writer and bike activist

(who co-founded Critical Mass in San Francisco in 1992 – an event that takes place to this day) was one of the panellists.

Other participants included the English urbanist Fiona Roy who

is now settled in Brazil, thePresident of both Green MobilityBrasil and the Instituto Mobilidade

Verde – Lincoln Paiva, and theDirector General of the São Paolo Association of Urban Cyclists –

Ciclocidade, Thiago Bennichio.

The amount of coverage

the mediagave to theForum wassurprising!Coverage of the Forum that was organized in just two months totalled over 50 reports in the printed press, with around 50 TV and radio pieces on the subject before, during and after the event. In addition there were 384 internet insertions devoted to the Forum.

More and more people are dusting off their bikes...

Drivers who once shouted

‘get off the road and onto the pavement!’

now smile

at the sound of a

bike bell!

But wemustnot stopnow.

we want toCYCLE FOR CHANGE

And we want YOU to do itwith us

21st – 24th February, help us make

the second World Bicycle Forum happen!