East Bay Tweed Ride
on March 30, 2010
This weekend I did the East Bay Tweed Ride. I must admit, at first I was a little skeptical. There were a lot of people affecting English accents and saying things like, “Hello, dear sir!” and “Talk to your dashing neighbors.” But I got over it. Once a couple of my “dashing neighbors” pulled out a portable gin and tonic set, I knew it’d be fun.
The outfits were hilarious and amazing — everything from big flowing skirts to tweed knickers matched with wool socks to people who wrapped their bike frames in tweed cloth — and it was fun to be out riding bikes on such a beautiful day. Also, the big bonus was the great band, Corpus Callosum, that was towed along and played as we rode. At each traffic intersection, “intersection diplomats” were assigned to stand in front of oncoming traffic, ensuring everyone crossed safely and thanking the cars for being patient.
Once the “tweeders” arrived to the main destination, the Berkeley marina, there was a contest to see who could mount/dismount their bikes with the most grace and originality. Then the band played a full concert with San Francisco’s skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge as their backdrop.
Stay tuned, once I get some free time, I’m also gonna to make a short video of the ride.
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