The Most Dapper Ride of the Year in Downtown DSM

What does tweed sport coats, bicycles, philanthropy, breakfast and a great glass of beer have in common? The Des Moines Tweed Ride.

This event celebrates the British tradition of the Tweed Run — as those Brits call it. This social ride takes place yearly, starting at Court Avenue where the ‘Tweeders’ join for breakfast, a nice cold pint and lots of admiring of ladies and gents in their classic tweed garments and beautiful bicycles.

Since the ride’s inception, there has always been a philanthropic aspect to the event as riders have donated money, food and clothing to different charities. In 2017, we invited the Puppy Jake Foundation to be the recipient of our attendee’s generosity. Puppy Jake is a locally based 501(c)(3) organization with the goal of purchasing, training and placing support dogs for deserving veterans. This organization is dear to our hearts through my own personal connection as a veteran of the Army, American Airborne division.

The 2024 Tweed Ride

At the Tweed Ride, our participants gather in the morning at The Royal Mile in Downtown Des Moines (DSM), with the support of our generous host, Jeff Bruning, fondly known to most as Bruno. He makes sure the team there is ready for the invasion of tweeders.

At around 1 p.m., everyone readies their bikes and we have a presentation of fundraising to Puppy Jake representatives. Knowing the direct, local effect of this organization makes our hearts so happy!

The ride is a casual one-mile jaunt to the beautiful Iowa State Capitol grounds, where our friend and local photographer, Christopher Maharry, catches the group in a beautiful, wide-angle photo. He also captures all the sartorial elegance throughout the event, then provides these pictures for free download via his Smug Mug account.

 

After the official yearly photo, the group winds its way down to the Iowa Taproom for snacks and refreshments, again, arranged for by our principal host, Mr. Bruno.

Questions on how to join? Follow the Des Moines Tweed Ride page for the latest info and inspiration for your sartorial debut! There is no wrong way to Tweed, all you need is a bicycle and a desire to hang out with a delightful bunch of folks. We hope to see you Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Downtown Des Moines.

 

Find even more Downtown Des Moines outdoor recreation activities and things to do, plus tips on parking and navigation. Follow @downtownDSMUSA on Instagram for additional fun ideas.