Missoula Tweed Ride celebrates bicycles and civilities
In the old days of British fox hunting, sportsmen dressed up for their pursuit, wearing classy clothes and carrying themselves in a gentlemanly fashion.
An annual bicycle ride in Missoula harkens back to the notion of combining sports and class.
The Missoula Tweed Ride encourages riders of all ages and all abilities to dress in vintage clothing and take a leisurely ride through Missoula.
“It’s a classy, vintage slow-moving bike ride with an emphasis on fun and jovialness,” said ride organizer, or Tweed Lead, Bob Giordano.
This year’s Tweed Ride is set for Sunday, Oct. 18.
The bike ride is also fund raiser for Free Cycles, a Missoula bike shop that teaches people how to refurbish old bicycles.
Tweed rides got their start in London about 10 years ago, and quickly spread worldwide.
“There are a lot of communities that do these tweed rides,” Giordano said.
The Missoula ride started six years ago. Giordano’s wife heard about the idea from a coworker, and they decided to organize their own tweed ride.
After a couple years, they decided to turn the event into a fundraiser for the community bicycle shop. Tickets are $10.
“That includes all the tea you can drink,” Giordano said.
The ride includes two tea breaks, one in downtown Missoula and one in Greenough Park. Along with tea, cookies are served.
“The ride is not strenuous,” Giordano said. “We always say tweed not speed.”
The ride starts at Free Cycles, 732 S. 1st St. West in Missoula. Riders make their way downtown to Lake Missoula Tea Company, where they stop for the first tea break. Then they continue to Greenough Park and back to the bike shop.
The 5-mile loop takes about two hours.
Nearly everyone dresses up for the ride, and some people bring out old vintage bicycles.
“It’s about putting on herring bone caps and nice woolen jackets,” Giordano said. “Most come in knickers or caps.”
After the ride, drinks and appetizers are served at Free Cycles, along with live music.
There are awards in categories including “best mustache,” “dapper chap” and “dashing dame.”
The “Doff of the Cap Award” goes to the rider “who most epitomizes the spirit of the Tweed Ride with decorum and proper etiquette.”
“Last year someone helped a little child up who had fallen off their bike,” Giordano said.
Another year, someone stopped to sweep up broken glass on the road.
All are welcome and advanced registration is not required. The event kicks off at 1 p.m. at Free Cycles in Missoula. The ride gets underway around 1:30 p.m. and festivities wrap up around 5 p.m.
For more information, visit missoulatweedride.org or search for Missoula Tweed Ride on Facebook.
Missoula Tweed Ride
What: A slow-moving, vintage bicycle ride through Missoula. The ride is a fundraiser for community bike shop Free Cycles
When: Sunday, Oct. 18, 1-5 p.m.
Where: The rides starts and ends at Free Cycles, 732 S. 1st St. West
For more information: visit missoulatweedride.org or search for Missoula Tweed Ride on Facebook