This Thursday is another bike ride progressive beginning in Royal Oak. Here are the details:

Please join us for “Spring Rolls,” our Spring 2011 Progressive Dinner on Bikes, in Royal Oak, Clawson and Berkeley.

Thursday, March 31st.  The itinerary:

(Optional) Before-dinner drinks at Lily’s Seafood 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

• Leave from Lily’s to begin ride at 6:30pm sharp.
• Appetizers at Black Lotus, corner of 14 Mile and Main in Clawson.
• Entree at Pasquales, 3155 Woodward in Royal Oak.
• Dessert at Sugar Kisses Bakery, 2688 Coolidge in Berkley (they normally close at 6pm but are staying open late just for us).
• Free! After-glow courtesy of Urbane Apartments at their co-work room, 310 W. 6th in downtown Royal Oak.

The ride will end after dark, so please wear reflective clothing and put lights on your bike.  There is no fee to participate, you only pay for what you eat and drink.  Please bring small bills to ease paying the tabs.

Join us for a fun and productive evening.  We’ll get the latest updates about the non-motorized transportation plan in Royal Oak and the campaign for complete streets in Berkley.

RSVP requested but not required.  4 ways to RSVP:

• Join our Facebook group, and then RSVP to the event
• Visit our Facebook community page
• Respond to  RoyalOakBikes@hotmail.com.
• Call or text me at 248-797-1075.

Tom  Regan

Perhaps upwards of 400 Santas participated in this fun Milwaukee ride which resembles a more sober Santarchy on two wheels.

Anyone up for organizing this in Detroit next year?

With the weather taking a turn towards colder temperatures, it’s a great time to pull on a Halloween costume and bike with others.

There are two rides this weekend in Detroit.

Friday is the Critical Mass ride — this month called the Detroit Critical Massquerade. As usual, the ride leaves from Trumbull and Warren at around 7pm.

Saturday at 2pm is the Devils Night Alley Rat Costumed Bike Race. That ride meets outside The United Specialty Produce Door at 1501 Division near Riopelle in Eastern Market.

According to the flyer, there are “Trophies for Podium, DFL” and “Awards for Best/Worst Costume.”

Another Detroit Tweed Ride is set for tomorrow, Sunday October 24th at 2 PM — rain or shine — at the corner of Warren & Trumbull.

From the very stylish Detroit Tweed web site:

Our Ride will last 2-3 hours with a break for refreshments in the middle. We will tour some of the historic areas of the city and wrap up at the Woodbridge Pub, (the proprietors of which are kindly offering a drink special of $1.50 per bottle of Pabst or Stroh’s for riders wearing tweed.) The Ride is open to all, but please try to wear some tweed or at least something with an historical feel. Look through the links at right if you seek inspiration.

Tell your friends and enemies, and encourage them to find us on facebook!

So wax your moustache, button your Knickerbockers, pull on your argyle, mount your velocipede, and join us for a rollicking ride!

This Friday, October 1st at 5 PM is the first Tweed Run in Detroit. The group is meeting at the corner of Warren and Trumbull.

What’s a Tweed Run?

According to the main web site (out of London?), it’s “a metropolitan bicycle ride with a bit of style.” And everyone wears tweed. The Tweed Run gallery has numerous photos to give some idea of what to expect.

Now that Detroit poster is pretty darn cool, but that’s not how Detroit cyclists looked in the 1890’s. Detroit wheelmen wore Greek fisherman hats and wore black. They also tended to have larger mustaches, at least in the photos we’ve seen.

But whether you dress more like a Detroit Wheelman or a tweedster this Friday, you’re probably going to be just fine.