The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride is a global event with rides in 121 countries and 500,000 participants. Its success is hardly surprising given the theme – people riding either classic or classically styled motorcycles while dressed in a dapper fashion to resemble gentlemen.
Pics and story by Donovan Fourie, Michnus and Cancervive.
As every motorcycle rider knows, failing to surpass adolescence and doing something as mundane as reaching adulthood is a compulsory trait. Thus, the DGR is simply a bunch of large children pretending to be adults.
What could be more fun?
In South Africa, the DGR is organised by Triumph South Africa and hosts rides in all the major centres. The largest, in Jo’burg, saw more than 600 large children pretending to be adults while riding motorcycles. The event started next to the Ferris wheel at Mall of Africa and hosted a mass ride through the larniest sections of Sandton and Bryanston before ending at Prison Break near Lonehill.
It’s more than just a dress-up – the event tackles such serious issues as men’s mental health, a condition compounded by men being too manly to talk about it.
To partake in the DGR, everyone has to make an online donation that goes towards a global men’s health charity that, thus far, has raised more than $60 million.
It’s good fun for a good cause – the best of both worlds. See everyone at DGR 2027.
