Mornington will be the starting point for a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride on Sunday 19 May, an annual international charity event celebrating classic and vintage styles motorcycles and the dapper gentlefolk that ride them. The ride is a visual spectacle as finely dressed men and women from the Mornington Peninsula ride their classic machinery from Mornington to St Andrews to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research and men’s health, all under the auspices of the Movember Foundation.
Riders are encouraged to wear “classic” clothes, and bikes are a mix of classic cruisers, modern classics, sidecars, old-school choppers and more. “Given we have already filled our quota of riders more than a month ahead of the ride, it has already clearly generated a high level of interest,” ride organiser Gerard Penna, of Mount Eliza, said.
Penna said riders would gather in their gear at Mornington Park from 10am to 11am, providing “great photo opportunities”. “It’s a fun thing to do, but it’s also for a really good cause and a great chance to do something for men’s health.”
The global event attracts around 50,000 riders every year in 121 countries around the world and has raised almost $100 million since 2012. The ride was started in Australia by Mark Hawwa, who was inspired by the fictional dapper creative director Don Draper from the TV show Mad Men.
Details: gentlemansride.com/about
First published in the Mornington News – 30th April 2024
