Down Townies Ride #1

The Columbia's rear fender & wheel in the foreground, another rider's lovely Raleigh with panniers in background.

Today was the first of a series of local Sunday slow rides in the tradition of European casual touring. The weekly Down Townies ride is organized through San Diego Bike Commuter Forums, an online discussion forum put together by the owner of a local shop. This week was the Hillcrest Farmers' Market, one of the largest (if not the largest) local markets. I put an old front basket on the Columbia (since the Huffeigh grocery bike isn't ready yet) and went along to get some groceries.

The ride was lovely, winding quietly through some of the city's old craftsman neighborhoods, some new friends were made, and the market was bustling. It was a fantastic warm, sunny morning, and the company was great. We had probably 20-ish riders, and all were great ambassadors for transportational, errand-type cycling. The quantity of bells was really remarkable--moving through some intersections, the whole group "chimed in," creating a beautiful cacophony. I'm excited for the next ride, and hope to make these ride reports a weekly thing. I'm not too good at them, I'm afraid, but I'll try.