On Your Bike! The Harris Tweed Ride

Glasgow’s first Tweed Ride and the world’s first Harris Tweed Ride will take place on Sunday 7 August from 12pm, leaving from Blythswood Square Gardens and heading off to take in the landmarks and watering holes of Glasgow. The event promises to celebrate 'cycling, style, food, drink, music and of course Harris Tweed.'

The Tweed Ride officially began in London in 2009 but the joy of getting on a bike and donning some tweed quickly spread around the globe, with rides in New York, Sydney, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris and Toronto. Now it's Glasgow's turn.

This time the 100 Glasgow riders will celebrate not just tweed as a whole but the iconic brand of Harris Tweed specifically. A fabric that remains one of the world’s last true artisan fabrics, handwoven from 100% pure wool by the islanders of the Outer Hebrides and which is acclaimed the world over.

En route the riders will be treated to a variety of treats from local supporters such as west coast oysters, Stornoway Black Pudding and St Mungo's Lager.

The 'finish line party' will be held back at Blythswood Square, in the beautiful surroundings of Glasgow's 5 star Blythswood Square Hotel, with the party being held over the Monte Carlo Suite, the Rally Bar and the cinema room, where even the seats and walls are clad in Harris Tweed! There will be complimentary cocktails, live music and some films will be shown too. If that's not enough, awards will be given and an auction will take place. Prizes will include; a custom-built bespoke Harris Tweed Ride bike by Recycle Cycles, Harris Tweed ties from Stockholm's SSON, artwork by Emma Dolan and Alison Macleod.

For those still standing after the bike ride and the closing party, the ticket and distinctive threads will give riders free entry into the Sub Club basement for Optimo curated by Hung Up.

All proceeds will go The Linda Norgrove Foundation a charity helping women and children in Afghanistan. Linda Norgrove was brought up on the Isle of Lewis and studied in Aberdeen but during her short life travelled to many parts of the world including Mexico, Uganda and Afghanistan, working both for the UN and DAI helping local people to set up and run projects which helped them to support themselves (anything from building roads to irrigation schemes).

The event will surely prove to be an excellent day out and is for a great cause, definitely worth the £10 ticket cost. Now the only thing left to do is to plan the outfit...