Nottingham Classic Ride : Pedal Powered Charm Offensive (17/7/21)

"Wow look at you lot" (photo: David Easley)

17^th July 2021 is a boiling hot day and riders have gathered in the shade outside Nottingham Train station.   I count 17 of us as ride leader Andrew gives his introductory chat / Q&A: more than a quarter are women riders – this is common on style / heritage rides.  It’s pleasing to see that despite the heat, riders have made an effort dress-wise: this adds to the fun atmosphere and passers-by smile and take phone-snaps of us.    

We take a Trent-side route towards Beeston, avoiding busy roads.   Riding along I chat to a few riders I don’t know:  people have joined us from Mansfield, Loughborough, Derby and Halesowen - such is the draw of the style / heritage bike ride. 

Are 3 Speeds enough? (photo David Easley)

Near the crest of a Cycle/Foot bridge, a man walking towards us does a double take and then clicks away with his phone camera as we ease past. “Wow, look at you lot” he says.   I recognise David from local Cycle Campaign meetings years before –  and he later shares his photos with me.

Blues skies and high-20's temperatures: less threads required.

As we’re prepping to ride off from the Lakeside Centre, a beaming woman makes a beeline for me and asks “what’s this all about? – its looks great fun” – I think I said something like “it’s called Nottingham Classic Ride, a bit of fun on bikes wearing nice clothes – we post the rides on Facebook”. 

Later on I reflect that I might have further explained that aside from the fun and companionship, something more radical has also been taking place: it always does on rides like these...

Pedal and Thread Power! (an earlier NCR)