Nice Promenade des Anglais to Villefranche-sur-Mer Seaside Cycle Lane — €1.50 Tram or 6 km Pedal?

#localrules I rented a decathlon city bike near Gare Nice Ville for €12/day (card, ID swipe), and rode the Promenade des Anglais east toward Villefranche—6 km, dedicated cycle lane most of the way, separated from the pedestrian promenade. Started 8 am: low sun on the Baie des Anges, roller-bladers out, no traffic stress. The promenade itself is free, 7 km of belle époque railings and pebble beach; past the Port of Nice the lane dips into a tunnel shared with buses (watch for exhaust and blind corners), then climbs gently to Mont Boron viewpoint—optional 20 min detour for a 180° bay panorama. Descending into Villefranche, the old town huddles under the citadel with a sandy bay and moored yachts. I locked the bike (bring your own lock or use the city Vélobleu dock—€1.50 unlock + €0.10/min) and ate a pan bagnat for €7 at a quay kiosk. Return options: pedal back (30 min easy), bus 15 (€1.50, 20 min), or train from Villefranche-Gare to Nice-Ville (€2.10, 7 min, runs every 15 min). Mistake: I rode westbound at 1 pm once and the promenade crowd plus headwind made it a slog—morning eastbound is the play. Another mistake: assuming the whole coast is bike-separated; the tunnel stretch isn’t, so ring your bell. Worth it? Yes for the Côte d’Azur compression—palms, pebble beaches, citadel, and alpine foothills behind—all for a bike rental and a sandwich. If you hate cycling, the tram+bus combo gets you there cheaper but you miss the sea-level glide. Discussion: is a 6 km seaside bike ride more satisfying than a €40 coastal cruise, or does the bus give the same view with less effort?