Get out your tweed and your bicycle to join the eighth annual Corvallis Tweed Ride on April 24 – it’s a bit down the road, but we’re giving you time to find fitting attire. So, pack a picnic and join up for a slow, scenic, family-friendly ride through town.
Tweed Rides originated in London 2009 and quickly spread to other cities, including our very own Portland – yes, they do wear clothing at some Portland area bike rides. Corvallis organized their first Tweed Ride in 2015.
Dress is inspired by traditional British bicycling attire, which involves tweed and “plus fours” – sports clothing worn in the late 1800s through the 1920s, consisting of trousers that end at the knee to keep fabric out of bike chains. Riders who have participated in the past have been sharing clothing inspiration finds from local thrift stores as part of the effort to recreate that bygone era.
Any bicycle is acceptable on the Tweed Ride, but vintage bicycles are encouraged and wildly appreciated.
The ride starts at the intersection of Washington and 2nd at 10:00 a.m., then proceeds over an eight mile route that the City of Corvallis has designated to be Neighborhood Bikeways – low-volume, low-speed residential streets that have been enhanced to prioritize the safety of non-motorized transportation. Streets included in the ride are 11th, 27th, and Tyler – a route that explores the murals and public art of our fair city.
If April 24 doesn’t work in your schedule – or if the Corvallis ride is so much fun you can’t bear to wait an entire year to do it again, there’s the Albany Tweed Ride on May 14, where riders will tour the historic sites and end at the Deluxe Brewery which will be holding their annual Vintage Bicycle Show and Swap Meet.Albany Natty Dresser
By Stacey Newman Weldon
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