How to find a Tweed Ride
Do you love bikes and vintage fashion? Do you like puns and old fashioned cocktails? Then a Tweed Ride might be for you!
What is a Tweed Ride?
A Tweed Ride is a leisurely group bike ride where participants dress in vintage or retro-inspired clothing. Picture 1940s suits, houndstooth jackets, vintage hats, and wingtip shoes. The whole point is to slow down, dress up, and ride through your city looking fabulous while doing it. No spandex required.
Tweed Rides started in London in 2009 and have since spread to cities around the world. They're not races. They're not about speed or distance. They're about style, community, and the pleasure of riding a bike while looking like you stepped out of a classic movie.
How to find one near you
The best place to start is The Tweed Ride Report, a global Facebook group where organizers post upcoming rides in their cities.
To find a ride near you:
1. Join The Tweed Ride Report Facebook group. Search for "The Tweed Ride Report" and request to join. The group is open to everyone.
2. Search the group for your city. Use the search bar at the top of the group and search for your city name or region. Organizers post upcoming rides with dates, times, and meeting locations.
3. Check the comments. Sometimes people will post updates or ask questions about rides. You might find local groups or organizers who are planning something in your area.
4. If there's no ride near you. Consider organizing one yourself! Many Tweed Rides started because one person decided to just... start one. If you're in a medium-sized city with bike-friendly infrastructure, you probably have the foundation for it.
What to wear
The beauty of a Tweed Ride is that there's room for interpretation. The basic idea is vintage or vintage-inspired but that could mean 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, or even a modern outfit that just doesn't scream "athlete."
A tweed jacket, wool trousers, a nice hat, leather gloves, and shoes you'd actually wear to brunch. That's the whole thing. If you already own the Straw Hat Bike Helmet, you're halfway there.
I've been to Tweed Rides in San Francisco and vintage rides in France, and I can tell you that the most important thing is that you're having fun dressing up and going for a ride. Some people show up in full vintage suits. Some people show up in a nice dress and a cardigan. Both are perfect.
For inspiration, read about the 2016 San Francisco Tweed Ride and check out what people wore at the London Tweed Run.
Beyond Tweed Rides
The Tweed Ride concept has inspired similar rides around the world, each with its own style and flavor.
The Beret Baguette is the French answer to Tweed Rides. Held in Paris in the summer, it's all about French style on bikes. Think berets, striped shirts, and wine.
Anjou Velo Vintage takes place in the Loire Valley in France and goes even further back in time. Riders must bring pre-1987 bicycles and dress in vintage clothing. They also have a beauty pageant for riders and bikes.
Seersucker Rides are emerging in North American cities as a warmer-weather alternative. Same idea, different fabric. Instead of heavy wool tweeds, people wear seersucker suits and summer dresses.
All of these rides share the same spirit: slow down, dress up, ride through your city looking fabulous.
Rides worth knowing about
In case you need proof that this is a real, widespread, genuinely delightful thing that happens in cities you'd never expect, here are a few worth knowing about.
Washington D.C. - Dandies & Quaintrelles
Founded in 2009, Dandies & Quaintrelles organizes vintage-themed bike rides in Washington D.C. They ride twice a year: a fall Tweed Ride and a spring Seersucker ride through the city's neighborhoods. The name alone tells you everything you need to know about who shows up. Click through the link to feast your eyes on their gorgeous photos!
Huntsville, Alabama - Tweed Ride Huntsville
Yes, Alabama. Tweed Ride Huntsville is a dapper social cycle that takes place each fall in historic Huntsville, with stops for local historians along the route and prizes for best dressed. Riders have come from as far as Texas and Michigan, which tells you it's worth the trip.
Ballarat, Australia - Ballarat Tweed Ride
This one is run by Liana, a friend of Bike Pretty, and it is genuinely wonderful. The Ballarat Tweed Ride takes place each May as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival, with rosettes awarded for best dressed and entertainment at the start and finish. Helmets are required in Australia, which means participants get creative with helmet covers. There's even a prize for most spectacular safety gear.
Chico, California - Chico Tweed Ride
Chico hosts both a Seersucker Ride in May and a Tweed Ride in November, which is the right approach, if you ask me. Two chances to dress up, two different fabric requirements, all a very good time!
Detroit, Michigan - Detroit Tweed Ride
Even the Motor City has a Tweed Ride! There's something poetic about rolling through Detroit in plus-fours on a vintage Schwinn.
Go find your ride
If you've ever wanted an excuse to wear a nice jacket while riding a bike, a Tweed Ride (or any of its cousins) is it. The rides are free, the pace is easy, and the community is genuinely lovely.
Have you been to a Tweed Ride, Beret Baguette, or any style ride? Let me know where you went and what you wore!
