The Tweed Run

The Tweed Run is a metropolitan bicycle ride with a bit of style. We take to the streets in our well-pressed best, and cycle through the city’s iconic landmarks. Along the way, we stop for a tea break and a picnic stop, and we usually end with a bit of a jolly knees-up.

October 2012, Jane, a Pino owning friend phoned up… were we free with our hase Pino to go to London to take part in an Alan Titchmarsh Show for an item on different forms of cycling? They couln’t make it because her hubby and Pino pilot was unable to ride. We were in the same boat, as Karon was also unable to ride, so we agreed Jane and I would fulfil the requirement – Jane would drive up from the New Forest, with their Pino in the back, collect me and we would head for Thames House on the South Bank.

After cycling across the stage – Jane and her Pino with me onboard and Alan Titchmarsh with Ned Boulting on the slot about cycling.

We parked up between a couple of reserved bays… one for Alan and the other for Terry Wogan. As it was, we spent most of the day in the ‘Green Room’ with a couple of other cycling guests. Joff Summerfield, who had ridden a penny farthing around the world, as you do, and a lady by the name of Jacqui Shannon who had organised the first Tweed Run in 2009. Theyt were recording three shows that day and so it was a long wait, but at one point ex PM John Major swanned past with an entourage in tow. Anyway, those hours waiting for our short slot gave us plenty of time to discuss and through Jacqui I learned all about the Tweed Run.

Back home I told Karon about the day, and the Tweed Run, and we detirmined to try for tickets for the 2013 run in April. There are a limited number of tickets and they usually go pretty quickly but we bagged a couple.

2013

Stayed overnight on the Friday in the Royal National Hotel in Bloomsbury and the next morning set off for the start area at University College.

We arrived early, before the place got really packed.

The start is usually kept secret and only participants are told to discourage ‘outsiders’ joining in. The route usually sticks fairly close to the city centre, sometimes crossing the Thames. A late morning tea stop acts a s a regroup then a lunch stop for a collective picnic. That first year we took part, the run finished at a pub and there were gin & tonics covering the bar – free for all! Since then the finish has been in a small park but there are always refreshments and a prize ceremony for the best dressed, best bike etc. That first year we were awarded the most eccentric couple! Probably on account of the Pino.

Tweed is the order of the day and if one has a vintage cycle, all the better.

Adding to the Saturday London traffic chaos. In those early days outriders would escort us across junctions while they held back the traffic, but on the more recent rides we have all been required to obey traffic signals, so the group ends up subdivided into smaller packets.

Readying for a group photo at The Duke of York Column just off the Mall.

It started to rain about 20 minutes before the end of the ride and wet tweed inside a small pub does not produce a pleasant atmosphere! On arrival at the pub, we were greeted with the sight of a bar completely covered in gin & tonics, courtesy the organisers.

2014

Stayed overnight at the Danubius by Regent’s Park. We parked under the hotel and paid by credit card which was swiped on one of those old hand-held machines. A few days later the bank phoned me to say someone had tried using my card details to make a purchase and they were checking. Needless to say they replaced the card with a new one.

The Pino was still white back then, and had bar-end shifters for the 3×9 gears. It’s a different beast entirely now.

The meeting up area was just off the Strand but we all marched over the road to the courtyard of Somerset House for a group photo while some Marshalls kept a watchful eye over the bikes.

Somerset House courtyard for the group photo.

A nice touch was the car that led us out. Note the white-walled tyre of a bike leaning up against the shutters. Later, when the shutter was opened, the bike was lifted up too! The bike was eventually rescued once the owner persuaded the operator to lower the shutter again.

The run finished at St James’ Church Garden where we were treated to a glass of bubbly.

As the afternoon wore on, many of the Tweeders retreated to the Three Kings pub behind the church, us included.

2017

Jane & John joined us the this Tweed Run so we had a pair of Pinos on the course. Our’s had been resprayed by Bob jackson since the 2013 run.

Penny farthings are a regular feature of the Tweed Run.

Lunch and group photo outside the Imperial War Museum.

Us Pinonaughts later appeared in a couple of stock photo libraries…

2018

The following year we were back at the Imperial War Museum, but this time to gather for the ride. Karon and I stayed around Canary Wharf and cycled in, mostly along or near the north bank of the Thames.

These chaps were perfect for the start outside the Imperial War Museum.

This was different! Running along the Regent’s Canal Towpath towards Camden.

Lunch and the group photo was in the Gasholder Park, next to the St. Pancras Basin of the Regent’s Canal. Later we finished at Spa Fields in Clerkenwell.

2019

Morning refreshments at the Imperial War Museum park.

The route planners managed to take us up Birdcage Walk and down the Mall, with a glimpse of Buckingham Palace.

The Tweed Run rides are often more stop and wait that get up and go.

Lunch and the Group photo in St. Pancras Gardens.

Later, back at Spa Fields, a brief cloudburst had us all sheltering inside whatever cover we could squeeze under.

2023

Once again we stayed at the East End, beyond Canary Wharf with a ride of around seven miles to get to the start at Spa Fields and the Bourne & Hollingsworth building.

These Germans came over especially for the Tweed Run!

Of course, everyone’s headgear is quite modest.

Up and down Birdcage Walk alongside some pony traps.

The ride always takes in a few landmarks.

Lunch and the group photo was, once again, in St Pancras Gardens.

Back near our hotel by the Excel Centre, we managed to find a Chinese Restaurant to finish off the day with a meal.

2025

Finding reasonably priced hotels or B&Bs within striking distance of the Tweed Run has proved difficult over the years but this time I looked north and found a great place to stay at Archway, just 3 and a bit miles from Spa Fields and this year’s start.