I was there, at three minutes to twelve with the browser window open, ready for when the Tweed Run 2014 tickets became available at twelve midday on a work day in April. Ninety seconds later the 400 tickets had gone! Luckily I bagged one.
This time we stayed overnight on the fringes of Regent’s Park, so we could get to the start nice and early and have somewhere to sleep off the day’s indulgence afterwards.
Tweed Run 2014
As we had taken part last year, we were a little less self conscious and a little more practiced at ignoring the looks from other hotel guests as we made our way through the lobby. But hauling The Beast out of the back of the car and readying it for riding kept the doormen and waiting taxi drivers amused.
We’d decided to skip breakfast in the hotel – at an extra £15 each and head out to find a café along the way. In fact there was one just around the corner. Then we took on the early Saturday London traffic, using the Regent’s Park outer ring before heading for Somerset House and the start. An impromptu bike park had been organised in the traffic-free street opposite and, as we were early, we were asked to position The Beast at one end to act as an informal barrier.
The place gradually filled with other ‘Tweedies’ and their mounts. Some in traditional ‘country’ attire, other in different dress from the past.
The bicycles too, were a mix from modern ‘retro’ like these Pashleys...
A Pedersen...
and some with a style of their own
One poor chap lost his bike when the shutters he had leaned it against were raised
