Tweed Ride 2015

I thought I was going to be late for the Tweed Ride. Facebook said 10:00, and I was having real trouble getting up after doing First Friday.

I got there thinking I'd just go to the museum where it ends, ride the route backward until I met up with folks, then ride back up. But when I got there nobody had left yet.

10:00 was when registration started, the ride didn't roll until 11:00.

If you're not familiar, a Tweed Ride is a throwback to the days when bicycles were status symbols as well as transportation. You know that scene in Wizard of Oz, the 'Christian Woman' scene where Mrs. Gulch is demanding to take Toto to be destroyed on her bicycle. She's rich enough to afford a bike. Today, a lot of people who see me commuting to work by bike assume I can't afford a car, when Wizard of Oz was written, there were no cars, a bike or a horse or a horse drawn carriage were for people who could afford to expand beyond walking distance.

So back in the day, folks would dress up in their Sunday Best and pedal about checking each other out, and that's what the annual Tweed Ride is about. Some people bring antique bikes, we had a couple of penny-farthings as well as an antique Pedersen, some run what they brung. Some folks have nice wool/tweed/lace finery, some folks show up on their sticker-colored 2013 Surly wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

As usual Good Time Charlie performed at the after party/picnic.

I always think I'm going to find some thrift store dandy clothes to wear for this ride, and every year I forget until past the last minute.

One woman who showed up with one of the best costumes (don't take my word for it, the crowd voted for her, too), I kept trying to get shots of her. Her outfit was awesome, corset, lacy dress, and she had great long, voluminous hair and gorgeous angular features to her face. Plus, she drank tea, which is as good as it gets on a tweed ride. I got a couple of good shots despite her tendency to suddenly move or talk or hide when she saw the camera coming.