Die-hard bicycle commuters and fans of Flagstaff’s annual Bike to Work Week festivities have a new event to add to their schedule this year with the inauguration of the first Flagstaff Tweed Ride on Monday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. A fancy-dress social event for ladies and gentlemen on bicycles, the spring Tweed ride is a grown-up option to the family ride, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Mia’s Tavern and with a likely stop at Pay and Take. Flagstaff Biking Organization member and event organizer Ray Walker says the leisurely ride will be appropriate for rider at all levels. “Wear your finest, ride your best is the motto”, he says.
Tweed rides originated in London in 2009, but soon crossed the Atlantic to become enormously popular with bicycle enthusiasts in cities like Boston; New York City; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, where growing numbers of people are opting for bicycles over cars for getting to work. Participants typically arrive dressed in traditional British or vintage bicycle riding attire. In the spirit of the past era, riders of both genders routinely show up sporting handlebar mustaches. Despite less investment in infrastructure supporting similar levels of bike commuting, recent Tweed rides in Phoenix and Tucson proved very successful as well. Flagstaff is ideally suited for a Tweed ride due to public support of the urban trail system and a downtown community used sharing the road with bicycle riders.
Tweed rides have been so warmly embraced and their fans so committed that biking clubs and organizations in various cities have set up Tweed websites to promote future rides and celebrate previous rides with photos and video clips. Flagstaff bicyclists should expect no less and information on the May 17 ride and future Tweed rides can be found at www.flagstafftweed.com. Like all Bike to Work Week events, the Tweed ride encourages participants to consider bicycling as a legitimate option to driving, especially for trips of 2 miles or less. Because it is an adult ride, helmets are not required and event organizers ask all riders to follow the same rules of the road as expected of car drivers to ensure an enjoyable evening for all.
Mia Tavern is located at 26 S. San Francisco Street. The ride departs at 6 p.m. and will conclude about 10 p.m.
