The 2016 Classic Rendezvous Weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon, June 10, with a fixed gear/vintage ride (not compulsory) from show promoter Dale Brown’s Cycles de Oro shop in Greensboro, North Carolina. At 4 PM, about 25 riders set off on an hour long tour of Greensboro’s downtown neighborhoods.

Of the 25 or so participants, only 5 or 6 appeared to be on true fixies, with another 3 or 4 on singlespeeds. About 80 percent of the total ridership was on vintage bikes, and only one carbon bike was spotted!

Despite cue sheets distributed by Brown, and a couple of ride escorts from the Cycles de Oro team, we made a few wrong turns, but it only added to our exposure to Greensboro’s more stately neighborhoods. Stately with tree-lined boulevards, which were particularly welcome on a warm summer evening that kicked off a very hot weekend of weather in the southeast.

Plenty of stop signs and traffic lights made for some impressive track stands by our fixed-gear riders. And you know you are with a vintage group when you hear “I saw Leonard Harvey Nitz do it,” in reference to falling over at the start of a track race while attempting a track stand!

The ride explored the University of North Carolina Greensboro campus, headed along a golf course by the country club, and then took in a pretty steep climb that had the fixed-gear riders cursing. Not sure if that was on the cue sheet.

"Professor" Harvey Sachs dissects a freewheel.    Photo: Matt Butterman

Cold beverages, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers greeted us when we returned to the shop, and Harvey Sachs set up a demonstration table upon which he entertained by successfully disassembling and, even more impressively, reassembling a freewheel, all the while educating us on the differences between European and Japanese-made designs.

All in all, a nice ride and fun start to a great weekend celebration of vintage bikes!

More event reportage will follow in the coming days.