Video by Vincent Gallegos. Photos by Tracy Clayton.
UPDATE: Check out our VIDEO FEATURE here!
Well over 300 cyclists had met in an alley behind the corner of 8th and H Street NE by noon. All dressed in their finest retro attire, it was a truly surreal scene. Three properties were in use in this alley, one for bike mechanics, one for registration/check-in and one for breakfast and portraits. As the crowd spilled out onto the sidewalk pre-ride, you could see people stopping and staring to see just what in the world was going on.
At about noon, cyclists took to the streets in smaller groups. We headed south on 8th Street NE towards Eastern Market. A large crowd at the market cheered, yelled and stared. The route included a scenic stretch on Constitution Ave, riding past the Capitol, up 7th Street through Penn Quarter and Chinatown, and a stop in front of the White House. There we were greeted by tourists, joggers and protestors, the general White House crowd. Conversations of those walking past us included “What’s this for?” and “Yeah so it’s that’s the first Tweed Ride in DC…” Rumor is that the First Lady greeted a few riders, however that is unconfirmed. (more…)
