3rd annual Monterey vintage bike ride

After spending a bunch of time and effort to restore my old Bianchi , it made sense to follow my fellow Bianchi riding friend Brent to the nearest vintage bike ride. This one has only been going for three years but it has grown from a handful of enthusiasts to nearly 70 riders this year. There were mostly classic bikes from the '70's but there was one single speed bike that had to be at least 100 years old- there's a photo here of the head tube of that bike. 

Brent and I probably had the only bikes from the '50's as most of the people there were big into the Masi and Colnago marks, along with a few Cinelli's. There were some super high end French touring bikes from Singer and Rene Herse but this Wilier below really stole the show for the most detailed build. The woman who owns this bike could tell the story of every nut and bolt on it- her dedication to doing a build that would be a winner at any bike show was impressive, but even more impressive that she bought the bike to ride, not just to show it off. 

The route was from the city of Marina to Pebble Beach and back, taking in much of the famous 17 mile drive past the most storied golf courses and dwellings of the west coast. The pace was faster than I expected , given that the bikes and riders were all senior citizens for the most part. I really enjoyed the ride and all the eccentric bike enthusiasts- these people obsessed about their bikes but in a healthier way than most antique bike people I have met in my years of being in the business. Put it on your calendar for next year if you want to take part- usually the second weekend of September. I'll be back.