The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride - A Style Guide...

The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride - A Style Guide...

On Sunday September 30th 2018, over 120,000 riders in over 650 cities worldwide will dress in their finest and ride their vintage and classic styled motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and men's mental health.

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride originated in Sydney, Australia. It was apparently inspired by a photo of Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic bike and wearing his finest suit. Mark Hawwa, the founder decided a themed ride would be a good way to defer the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles.

The first ride in 2012 brought together over 2,500 riders across 64 cities. Last year 94 thousand riders from 581 cities in 92 countries got involved.

The website www.gentlemansride.com describes the event as…

“The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is a celebration of the art of being dapper and classic custom motorcycles.”

This translates loosely into the suggested attire and rides by the organisers…

Dress: Tailored suits, silk waistcoats, crisp shirts, stylish caps and polished brogues.

Ride: Cafe' Racer, Bobber, Classic, Tracker, Scrambler, Old School Chopper, Modern Classic, Sidecar, Classic Scooter, Brat Styled motorcycles.

So we thought we had better put our own ‘guide’ out there – all taken from the Manchester rides over the last three years. We hope you like it.

       Colin at Team Meccanica

 

The Meccanica Guide to Dapper Chapper Manchestorial Elagance

The Manchester ride now sets off from Youles Triumph on Bury New Road and winds through the city centre always ending up at Dukes 92 at Castlefields. If you're not riding, it's always worth turning up for the sights and sounds at Alberts Square then Dukes. This is our tongue in check look at the sartorial elegance of some of our Manchester riders.

 

It all starts rather well in tweed and silk - flat cap optional Northern accessory

very well dressed man with bronze triumph

Even the hue of his tweed matches the triumph.

gentlemans ride manchester chap in tweed and sunglasses

Very suave if sensible look - is that a Centurion X helmet? Crikey

gentlemans ride dapper chapper with big mustache

Goggles, check. Davida open face, check. Tweed, check. Cravat, check. Triumph, check. Glorious moustache, check. 

gentlemans ride two riders pillion in tweed

Beard, tweed, Triumph, bow tie, pillion. Done

stylish lady with triumph dressed in tweed

Triumphs in abundance with a stylish chappette. Is that an XR75 in the background?

stylish lady on a ducati motorcycle at manchester gentlemans ride

A stylish lady of means aboard Ducati in Alberts Square.

very stylish lady aboard triumph cafe racer Manchester gentlemans ride

Style from head to toe. Gorgous triumph cafe racer with matching handbag.

young boy in aviator goggles on a BSA Manchester Gentlemans Ride

Riders of all ages welcome... just not on the road son. Nice BSA!

two riders in Alberts Square one on a BMW classic from the 80's

Style on the move - they can't have seen the guy above with the directions.

Great BMW.

two mods in shiny suites with lambretta scooters on manchester gentlemans ride

All classic styles are here, and this is Classic, from the sharp suits to the Lambrettas.

stylish gent on a lambretta bedecked with mirrors at Manchester Gentlemans Ride

Another sharp suit ...

gentlemans ride mnachester - lambretta rider in hunting jacket

On a different note one can always compete with ones mount...

bearded gent in Alberts Square on Harley Davidson chopper

Biggles never thought he'd see the day...

scooter rider with racoon tail from helmet at gentlemans ride manchester

It's a helmet Jim, but not as we know it...

two riders at Manchester Gentlemans Ride in waistcoats.

Waistcoats + cobbles = Grim North.

a lumberjack manouvers his Yamaha cafe racer at Manchester Gentlemans Ride

A lumberjacks top-knot protects just as well as a helmet.

Rider in striped shirt at Distinguished Gentlemans Ride Manchester

Stripes can be in too.

Distinguished gentlemans rider smoking a pipe

Never saw pipe smokers as anarchists in the parking department.

The beard, the attitude, the mean bike, the sky blue gloves..?

The beard, the attitude, the mean Harley, the sky blue gloves..?

Distinguished gentlemans rider on a blue & white Indian with Indian pullover

In case you were in any doubt... He's riding an Indian

tweed clothed gentleman nexty tp classic Indian bike at Gentlemans Ride Manchester

Someone wanders in from The Goodwood Revival.

stylish rider in black leather at Dukes 92 in Manchester Gentlemans Ride

The Style Mafia drops in.

man in pink jeans on a Harley Davidson at Manchester Distinguished Gentlemans Ride

Pink jeans and a natty bow tie proving anything works on a Harley.

three riders in overalls messing about at the start of The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride

There's always one... or three. Introducing The Flying Fuchs.

four riders in tweed arrive at Dukes 92

Arriving at Dukes 92 in style for the after party.

 

 

 

Copyright 2018 Meccanica Coritani Ltd

 

 

 

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