NPR's Shereen Meraji and Heather Murphy were there Sunday when dozens of pretty hip cyclists in Washington eschewed their Spandex in favor of good old fashioned tweed.

As Shereen is reporting on All Things Considered later today, the "tweed ride" is a trend that's catching on in Europe and the U.S. The idea: Sometimes it's cooler (fashion-wise) to dress up like a dandy or a quaintrelle than to be outfitted in more modern gear. Shereen says "it's part fashion show, part celebration of the bicycle."

Heather put together this photo gallery for us (NPR's The Picture Show, by the way, has many more such fine photo displays):

  • Mustaches were extremely popular among the D.C. tweed riders who gathered Sunday for a dandy ride through the city.
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    Mustaches were extremely popular among the D.C. tweed riders who gathered Sunday for a dandy ride through the city.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Hats were also key to the bonnie quaintrelles' (the female counterpart to dandy) look.
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    Hats were also key to the bonnie quaintrelles' (the female counterpart to dandy) look.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Plaid had never looked so artsy.
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    Plaid had never looked so artsy.
    Kyle Samperton/Dandies & Quaintrelles
  • Event photographer Kyle Samperton insisted on documenting the event in style.
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    Event photographer Kyle Samperton insisted on documenting the event in style.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • It was an opportunity for people to bring out big wheels.
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    It was an opportunity for people to bring out big wheels.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Drivers stopped and gawked as tweed took over the road.
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    Drivers stopped and gawked as tweed took over the road.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • This fellow had no trouble keeping up with the riders in his special jumping gizmo.
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    This fellow had no trouble keeping up with the riders in his special jumping gizmo.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Who knew men in D.C could look this dandy?
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    Who knew men in D.C could look this dandy?
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • D.C. residents paid their homage to plaid.
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    D.C. residents paid their homage to plaid.
    Courtesy Kyle Samperton/Dandies & Quaintrelles
  • Several men confessed they'd had to shop in the women's section just to find the right shade of argyle.
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    Several men confessed they'd had to shop in the women's section just to find the right shade of argyle.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Carley Lester managed to match her bike to her socks.
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    Carley Lester managed to match her bike to her socks.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • At the end of the ride, people gathered at Marvin, a bistro on 14th St., to smoke their pipes and congratulate themselves for being so tweederific.
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    At the end of the ride, people gathered at Marvin, a bistro on 14th St., to smoke their pipes and congratulate themselves for being so tweederific.
    Shereen Meraji/NPR
  • Ronald Soltes handed out flowers to the "most clever quaintrelles."
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    Ronald Soltes handed out flowers to the "most clever quaintrelles."
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • Max Richman, pictured with associate Ray Nealon, said for once he felt his last name was befitting.
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    Max Richman, pictured with associate Ray Nealon, said for once he felt his last name was befitting.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • The evening came to a dapper conclusion after old-fashioned cocktails.
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    The evening came to a dapper conclusion after old-fashioned cocktails.
    Heather Murphy/NPR
  • And just when everyone though they would faint from exhaustion, the not-so-vintage cuisine emerged; sausage and eggs.
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    And just when everyone though they would faint from exhaustion, the not-so-vintage cuisine emerged; sausage and eggs.
    Shereen Meraji/NPR
  • Organizers Kristin Guiter and Eric Brewer said they were happy how their event had gone. And that was even before they heard that First Lady Michelle Obama had come out to shake some riders' hands.
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    Organizers Kristin Guiter and Eric Brewer said they were happy how their event had gone. And that was even before they heard that First Lady Michelle Obama had come out to shake some riders' hands.
    Heather Murphy/NPR

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A quick spin (sorry!) around the Web turns up stories about other tweed rides in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Philadelphia , London, San Francisco and Chicago.

Good show!

Update at 5:40 p.m. ET: "Tweed ride" lovers have their own blogs — including Dandies and Quaintrelles.

To find an NPR station near you that broadcasts ATC, click here.