World Bike Forum

The World Bike Forum (WBF), (FMB), is a yearly cycling activism event in which the topics of bicycle urban mobility and the planning of cities made by and for the people are discussed.

According to its creators the WBF began as an answer to an automobile driver deliberately colliding with around 20 cyclists that were participating in a Critical Mass event in Porto Alegre on February 25, 2011 (see Conflicts involving Critical Mass). The first edition of the WBF took place during the first anniversary of these events.

The WBF is composed of different events that include discussion panels with invited speakers, self-managed workshops, cultural activities including art and video exhibitions, artistic performances and several cycling events.

Beyond the discussion, the WBF tries to strengthen the social networks among participants from different cities and countries, to encourage permanent changes in the venue city and, through the sharing of experiences and practical workshops, to stimulate an immediate personal change of the participants.

The WBF has been held in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre (2012 and 2013) and Curitiba (2014). In 2015 Medellin, Colombia, was the first city outside of Brazil to host the event. The 2016 edition of the event took place in Santiago, Chile, from March 31 to April 5, 2016. The 2017 edition was held in Mexico City, Mexico April 19 to 23 2017, with the theme 'Handmade Cities'. The 2018 edition was held in Lima, Peru February 22 to 26. The 2019 edition was held in Quito, Ecuador April 25 to 28, with the theme 'MINGA' (a word from the Quechua people meaning “collective work”). The 2020 edition was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.