The 3rd Velo Vintage Occasion & Ride starts and finishes in Exmouth on Saturday 15 June 2013.

Velo Vintage is a father and son partnership run by Alistair and Sebastian Cope who both live in East Devon. Their motto “Time to cycle, converse, take tea and dress with style” describes very well their two previous events held during 2012 that proved to be a feast for your eyes.

You need to book your place online at www.velovintage.co.uk and then registration takes place at about 10am on the day, with plenty of time for a coffee, conversation and time to admire the beautifully dressed riders. You don’t have to have a vintage bicycle, but the dress code is to capture the fashion of the time from between the 1920’s to 1950’s and most certainly no tight fitting Lycra.

After registration and the formal group photograph, the bicycles are mounted and the riders set off at a leisurely pace. The total distance for the day is between 10 to 12 miles, which for some single speed bicycles can still prove challenging!

A stop for refreshments naturally takes place, normally at the halfway mark. In the summer a cream tea is obligatory, in the winter some delicious hot spiced wine was provided and all of which is accompanied by some most entertaining musicians.

Prizes are awarded in such areas as sartorial elegance; the way that you decorate your bicycle to just how impressive your moustache is, if you have one!

The ride returns to where it started and although it normally finishes at about 4.30pm, somehow everyone wants to just linger, chat, listen to the music and let the evening unfold.