Discovering cabrage: the bikers of Martinique
Photo via Instagram: @by24lifestyle
The streets of Fort-de-France are the meeting ground for Martinique’s close-knit community of bikers. They are bonded together by a love for cabrage, loosely translated from French to wheelie, or a rodeo on wheels.
A typical gathering will see groups of bikers performing daring motorcycle stunts on the open roads of the picturesque Caribbean island. In addition to the dangers posed by their elaborate stunts, cabrage riders who participate in these rides known as barodes, face another significant risk. Cabrage has been banned in Martinique and if caught by law enforcement, riders can face a €15,000 fine and up to a year of prison time.
Despite this, a community of young bikers brave the streets and find ways to mitigate the risks, organizing gatherings that include music, food, drinks and of course, a showcase of their signature motorcycle tricks. The details of cabrage link ups are often communicated through social media and group texts, and attract the attention of large crowds.
The bikers have a noticeable camaraderie and make it a point to look out for each other, but also do not shy away from welcoming outsiders into their world. Although it is a largely male-dominated space, some women have also begun to show an interest in cabrage and can be seen frequenting the get-togethers.
In 2023, Cédrine Scheidig, a talented French-Caribbean photographer published a photo essay in the New York Times that shone the spotlight on cabrage. Her striking photos were taken at one of many recurring Sunday meetups that took place in the parking lot of the Stade Pierre-Aliker, a stadium in Fort-de-France.
“We love the bike life,” said Kevin Guillon, a teenage biker who was among those featured in the piece, “It’s a pleasure for us, and the vibe is really good.”
Spring boarding off of the global attention the Times piece garnered, some of the bikers have increasingly used social media not only as an avenue to help organize Martinique’s unique #bikelife barodes, but also as a way to teach others about their community. @by24lifestyle, a biker and photographer who chooses to stay anonymous due to past brushes with the law, is a popular figure in the cabrage space and beautifully captures his own photos of the community he is a part of.
Enzo, another well-known biker, describes cabrage as “...a feeling of freedom. It’s a moment when you only think of yourself, no one else.”
He and other bikers are making a conscious effort to change the negative narrative about cabrage that the Martinican authorities have created. Referencing the ban on barodes in one of his posts, Enzo reiterated to his over 20,000 Instagram followers his determination to keep fighting for the bikers’ freedom to continue expressing themselves without fear of prosecution.
“I tried to show them [that] bike life is so much more than a wild rodeo as they describe it, but failed. It's in our blood, it's a lifestyle…Despite this motorcycle ban for a while, we’ll try and make things better, and even hotter #Barodebikelife 🌏🔥🤜🏽🤛🏽”
While the obstacles persist for cabrage enthusiasts, Martinique’s bike life, with its infectious vibrancy, strong sense of community and a dose of danger, is showing no signs of slowing down.
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