On Sunday 19th July, around a hundred cyclists gathered for Birmingham’s 4th annual Big Vintage Ride. Dressed in vintage attire and riding vintage bicycles, they celebrated the long-standing appeal of the bicycle as a sustainable and enjoyable means of transport.
The day began at 2pm with an informal picnic in St Paul’s Square in the Jewellery Quarter. They set off on a leisurely ride around the city centre at 4pm, before partying the evening away at the Rose Villa Tavern.
The ride coincided with the Jewellery Quarter Festival, which included a helter-skelter and free outdoor performances including musicians, bands, theatre and dance troupes.
Phil Ward, a local musician who participated in the ride, said “It was a really lovely day, I always enjoy cycling around the city, but it’s fun to cycle with such a great bunch of people – a really great vibe and some lovely outfits. Cycling is becoming more and more popular in Birmingham and on days like this, it’s easy to see why.”
History of the Event:
The event was originally inspired by the Tweed Run which was first held in London on the 24th of January 2009 and organised by London Fixed Gear and Single Speed, an online cycling forum. Various tweed rides, using a similar format, have since been held in places including San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Paris, Riga, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., Durango, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri, Fremantle, Western Australia and Traverse City, Michigan.
