One of our newest helmet designs, Vintage Velo, takes a nostalgic look back at the first heyday of ‘slow biking’ – the 1890s.

So what better opportunity to show off Vintage Velo than that famous bike ride of pure nostalgia, the Tweed Ride.

Of British, or even more specifically, London origin, the first Tweed Ride was said to take place in 2009. The purpose of the ride is to celebrate the biking era – approximately 1880-1915, when a leisurely pace and a fancy formal outfit were expected when a person took a weekend cycling jaunt.

During that time mostly-male cycling clubs chose club uniforms typically fashioned from wool, a material suitable for England’s damp and chilly climate. Tweed – the slightly rough, water-resistant wool cloth generally spun into checks or herringbone patterns – was especially popular.

Since 2009 dozens of cities have hosted their own Tweed Rides, including  Birmingham; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Boston; Chicago; Helsinki; Paris; Rochester, New York; Sacramento, California; San Francisco; Budapest, Hungary; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Stockholm and Malmö, Sweden.

Last but not least, in Portland, Nutcase’s hometown, there’s a long-standing Tweed Ride tradition, and this year’s ride was hosted by none other than our Unframed 2015 artist Carla Bartow.

Carla Bartow’s fabulous Tweed Ride art.

Five Nutcase team members got out their tweeds and went on the ride. Just as the Tweed Ride is inspired by fun and festive bike jaunts of the past, the Vintage Velo is inspired by some of the symbols of the first cycling boom.

There’s the mustache, which many gentleman cyclists of the era groomed and sported; the pipe and the bow tie, both considered very ‘tweedy’, and the high-wheel penny farthing bike, which was difficult for any but lithe and athletic young men to ride.

Nutcase team members from left: Meghan S., Philip M., Emily (standing), April S., Zach H.

Vintage Velo, with its gorgeous cream-colored background and accent graphics in orange, mint, and chocolate, adds a few modern touches, like an updated two-wheeled bike, a camera and a funny hat.

It’s a helmet that looks surprisingly good on everyone – including but not exclusively on the lithe and athletic humans amongst us. Check out the Vintage Velo here or at a Nutcase dealer near you.