Tweed Ride, Brilliant!

Saturday October 3nd something like 2+ inches of rain? OMG, like we didn’t have enough this summer? Then….Sunday October 4rd starts out dark, foggy, misty, and cool. But by 1PM the sun was breaking out and spreading warmth and good cheer, as will happen after such a dim start.

But alas, there was one more thing setting up to spread good cheer (just as the sun shine would) though out Boston and Cambridge. Nearly one hundred people dressed in Tweed and riding vintage bicycles (mostly) would be cause to stop traffic and pedestrians alike. Most of them taking pictures and asking; “Who are you people?” I had a lot of fun with my replies…everything from it’s a filming of the sequel to “Good Will Hunting” to we just rode in from NYC.

Good cheer was spread by this cheeky throng winding its way over the Longfellow Bridge to the front of Trinity Church in Copley Square. Next, a short jaunt to Newbury St for refreshments. Then crossing back over the Mass. Ave Bridge to the Harvard Foot Bridge for some good hearted competition and judging.

Business partner Vin V (Oldroads.com) & I were honored to be chosen as judges. And I must confess both of us shamelessly told everyone that we were indeed official judges and could be bribed…and yet, nothing! We figured some free beer maybe… actually we did get one each for an emergency repair performed at Copley Sq. Sorry, I digress.

I must tell you, that there are some seriously nice vintage bicycles being ridden here in the Boston/Cambridge area, most on a daily basis. And a few of those, as it turns out, were sold from our shop. Thus, judging for me, I have to confess, was difficult. So may wonderful rides. As much as I like all bikes, a nice looking 3 speed has a special place with me, as one was my first “real” bike. You know, it is like any first; it is something you never forget and it becomes an eternal bench mark.

Ok, so honestly, I must report we got separated from the main group. After that quick emergency repair at Copley Square, the group had got way ahead of us. So we zipped down Dartmouth St. right past Newbury St. somehow missing where 90+ riders went. Zipping right along searching for our fellow Tweeds, we arrived at the Harvard Foot Bridge warmed by the October sun … and waited. Thinking we should have brought sun screen, we still waited until…

We were treated to the grand sights and sounds (bells, horns and of course the clicking of Strumy Archer hubs) of those nearly 100 Tweed Riders stretched out on a closed Memorial Drive. That alone could have made this incredibly nice day, but the community of “Tweed Riders” made it complete. Maybe it was a love or at least an intense crush on vintage bicycles or maybe just a really cool group of cyclists having a good time together. No matter what IT was, it was an incredibly nice place to be.

And, I only wanted to say Bike Me just once to a rather obnoxious (over use of horn) cabbie on Beacon St. Thinking that the event itself had a subtle Bike Me message to it anyway, I stayed (unusually) silent.

So if you missed what is now known as The Inaugural Tweed Ride, please keep an eye out for the 2nd Annual (?) Tweed Ride. This was serious good fun…