Riding in the New Year 2025

I cannot think of a better way to start of a new year than to gear up and ride with a group of like minded individuals. Here in Charlotte, there are a number of New Year rides such as Frosty Balls, Ride and Seek, etc but last year I got invited to a ride that has no name and is put on by a local couple. I enjoyed the ride so much last year, I wanted to do it again.

This ride is not a long ride nor does it have hundreds of bikes. The group meets at the Thomas Street Tavern. This allows folks to eat (and drink) before we head out on the ride. It was great to see all the folks that I remembered and met a few that I did not. After about 90 mins, they start to round everyone up for a group photo before the ride begins.

Once the photo is done, everyone begins getting themselves and their bikes ready for the frosty ride. This year was actually quite nice. The temperature was 52. For many of us, when we started earlier in the morning, the temperature was around (at least for me) 46. Again, not too bad and since the sun was shining bright, it feels much warmer.

Where the tavern is located, it is very easy to get everyone lined up before taking the trek through uptown Charlotte. Once everyone was in line, the ride began.

The route itself is not long (about 9 miles). We go from the Thomas Street Tavern to Lucky Lou's. The fun part of this ride is riding through uptown on Tryon Street. We are not a large group so staying together is not much of a challenge except at a few lights. We tend to block off traffic to ensure everyone can stay together.

We eventually arrive at Lucky Lou's and everyone has time to talk, drink, and eat. We stay here for quite a while. Many of the folks will continue on to Pineville I opted to head home since it is was late in the day and I had a 55 minute ride home before it got dark.

I love this ride and will hopefully be able to keep doing it year after year. It is a great way to start off the new year.