D.C.-based social club/hedonistic young professionals Dandies & Quaintrelles sought out to do what numerous other cities have done before, all while giving pedestrians and drivers all the more reason to hate cyclists, and indirectly, haberdashers. We speak of course of the "tweed ride" phenomenon that has taken urban cycling communities by storm, its influence even reaching to the New York Times, who seem to be heralding the arrival of so-called New Victorians.
Given the origin of the fabric from which the ride derives its name, it would make sense for it to start in Europe, but the odd act of mounting a velocipede whilst dressed like a newsie or a [insert liberal arts/non-lucrative major] professor seems a natural fit for the capital's thriving, albeit idiosyncratic, alternative cultures. This particular tweed ride also had a cause -- donations were being taken for nonprofit Arts for the Aging.
Nevertheless, for the sake of fun, exercise, and having found the right combination of a vintage YSL blazer, Incotex Nantucket Reds, and bucks that needed dirtying, PS went on the scene not as observers, but participants in the ride.
This city is not known for its style, but men and women alike came through in droves of herringbone and houndstooth, argyles and glenplaids, and more vintage/vintage-inspired clothing than you could shake a schmatta at. It was a pleasant surprise, considering the weather was definitely not appropriate for the attire the occasion called for. Tweed rides are ideally held in the moderate temperatures of autumn, but possibly due to a combination of global warming and the year 2012 drawing ever-so-closer, riders were subjected to warmer temperatures in the low 70s from the morning 'til the afternoon, which, when dressed to the nines, means you will sweat BUCKETS.
The pace of the ride itself was quite leisurely, and the pre-determined course passed many of the city's most population-dense landmarks, starting from the outskirts of Northeast DC to the wide-open Sunday roads of Constitution Ave. leading to a few pre-victory laps around the concrete velodrome that is Dupont Circle. However, the signage meant to keep riders on the designated path was barely visible, and the ride could have been better served by dapper volunteers who served as rally points, similar to how couriers handle alley cat-type races. Another complaint people had was regarding the initial registration process and the long lines at the beginning, as well as the rather substantial amount of broken glass in the alleyway leading to the registration desks, which resulted in several flat tires. Thankfully, there was a mechanic on-site for these sorts of things, but a prior street sweep would have prevented that.
All in all, I think a lot of the issues that arose with this ride came from the organizers honestly not being prepared for the overwhelming response to the event. Once groups started leaving the starting point and actually hit the road, moods lightened up quickly as people began to gain their stride, and the celebratory event at Marvin proved to be just as fun as getting there.
