Like cyclists, star-gazers have always been drawn to high places. Up in the mountains, a lack of light pollution and the clear, thin air bring the stars even closer, and help to make the workings of the universe intelligible. For these reasons, the Alpes-Maritimes have always attracted star-seekers, from ancient tribes engraving rock patterns according to cosmological alignments to early astronomers and scientists probing the far reaches of the Milky Way.

In the 1880s, a telescope was built on Mont Gros, overlooking Nice, just above what cyclists know as the road to Col d’Èze. With a dome engineered by Gustave Eiffel himself, it was the largest in the world at that time, and it has been responsible for identifying more than 2,000 stars. Those same astronomers quickly headed even higher inland, away from the bright lights of the Riviera, establishing one of the first true mountain observatories in the world on the 2,700-metre Mont Mounier. Today, the region is dotted with astronomical sites, and much of the backcountry is designated as a ‘Dark Sky Reserve’ – a place that connects us to night-time nature and protects our universal heritage in the night sky.

Key sites include the Vallon de la Moutière, home of one of our favourite hidden cols near the Bonette, and the astonishing, space-age observatory on the Plateau de Calern above Gourdon, where we shot some of the SS26 collection. It was built in the 1970s by Antti Lovag, a self-taught Hungarian architect who is better known for his Palais Bulles on the coast near Cannes – a house in a similar “bubble” style that was once owned by the fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

As Forever Outsiders, we love being out under the wide open skies, and although we may be riding in the gutter, we’re always looking to the stars. Our Cosmic designs are themed Supersonic, Sunloop, Stars Tripping and Eclipse Chasers, and we’ll be showcasing cosmic content and events all summer, culminating in a ride from our Mallorca store into the 'Path of Totality', during the solar eclipse on 12 August. See the collection here.