Photography by Peter Aylward
With a community spirit at the centre of everything organizers do, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to be held this weekend is an event that really does bring the world together. Now in its fifth year, the ride consists of tens of thousands of participants spread across multiple cities in 79 countries, each completing a ride on the same day.
The charity-driven event almost seems like a flash mob at the start, with the London ride attracting more than 1,200 riders and close to £100,000 for worthy causes unique to the area—each part of the world supports different charities.
In years’ past, the sense of occasion and high spirits enjoyed by all participants was almost Goodwood Revival-esque, in that people dressed, for the most part, in period clothing to match the bikes they rode.
For me, what really set it apart was when the bikes took to the road, the vintage-inspired machines with dapper ladies and gents riding en masse through many of London’s classic architectural streets; quite the visual treat.
I hope the ride stays the way it is, without the closed roads and crowd control that so many events these days have. With more than $2 million already raised this year, let’s dig deep and help them on their way to the $5M target—and be ready to see some distinguished riders this coming weekend.
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H/T to gentlemansride.com
