Skip to content
Bike Shed Motorcycle Club
Login
Cart
Search
Home Shop Locations
London Los Angeles Tattoo Barbershop
Membership
Membership Home Join Us Calander Bike Shed Adventures
Community
Journal Social Media YouTube Moto Sales
Barbershop Show 2025 Tickets Show 2025 Bike Submissions Custom Classifieds Journal Calendar & Events
Your Basket

£
Quantity
-
+
Remove { item.title }

Your cart is currently empty.

Subtotal
Subtotal { cart.total_price | money Currency.currentCurrency }
Continue Shopping
Check Out
Tickets - Bike Shed Moto Show 2025 Shop the Bike Shed up to 50% Off Sale! Free Delivery on UK orders over £100 Shop Our Newest Gear & Apparel
Bike Shed Motorcycle Club
  • Bike Shed Motorcycle Club
  • Shop
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Gear
    • New Arrivals
    • T-Shirts
    • Headwear
    • Denim
    • BSMC x Dave Buonaguidi
    • Sweatshirts & Hoodies
    • Tubes & Scarfs
    • Outerwear
    • Retail Gift Cards
    • Jackets & Shirts
    • Leather & Silver
    • Jackets & Shirts
    • Restaurant Gift Cards
    • Womens Fit
    • Patches & Pins
    • Helmets
    • Gifted BSMC Membership
    • View All
    • View All
    • View All
    • Sale - Up To 50% Off
  • Locations

    Los Angeles

    London

    Barbershop

    Custom Classifieds

  • Community

    Journal

    Instagram

    Custom Classifieds

    Youtube

  • Membership

    Membership Home

    Join Us

    Calendar

    Adventures

  • SHOW

    SHOW HOMEPAGE

    SHOW TICKETS

    MOTOGP COMPETITION

    2024 SHOW

We've sent you an email with a link to update your password.

Login

Create account
Forgot your password?

Reset your password

We will send you an email to reset your password.

Access Denied
IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts

Distinguished Gents Ride 2013

By Anthony van Someren - 13 Oct 13

  • Category_Events,
  • Event
Distinguished Gents Ride 2013

DGRide13 FB COVER WIde

After last year's DGRide in 2012, where 70 bikes turned up with dapper ladies and gents on board, we knew this year was gonna be bigger, but we didn't expect to be leading well over 300 bikes across Central London just one year on. Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 People who missed last year's ride were gutted not to have been there, and the photos and video that came out of this amazing spectacle gave any biker goosebumps. DGRide13 16 The vibe was unique - smart and well-behaved, but eccentric, individualistic and definitely with an edge of rock an roll. From ubercool dudes in Reservoir Dogs style black suits with skinny ties, to chaps dressed as Lorded Gentry in tweeds and Horse riding boots, WW2 pilots to 70's retro dudes, it was all superb, and completely, utterly infectious. DGRide13 14 As before the mix of people was completely random, arriving on all manner of bikes. The rules were simple. Be dapper, wear an open face lid, and ride the kind of bike that a distinguished Gent (or Lady) should be seen on. Ride like a gent, don't be an arse, Keep Calm and Carry On Biking... DGRide13 15 With over 300 bikes signed up on the Facebook page the talk turned to Marshals and pre-warning the Police, with route maps and escorts - and even a waiver, in case anyone fell off and then wanted to sue the BSMC for mishandling the ride - but as my dad once told me; Rules are for the guidance of a wise man, and the obedience of fools. ... I'm starting to live by this excellent excuse for stupid behaviour. Anyway, all this health & safety bollocks is exactly what biking is there to escape from. Most people who ride bikes like ours are grown ups, and they know how to ride across a city without killing themselves or any passers by, and if not, see you later. The pre-ride talk was simple "I'm going to a pub called the Ship in Wandsworth, please follow me if you want to come too" ...or something like that anyway... DGRide13 13 We did do a few sensible things, like plan a route with five stops along the way to reassemble, and there were a few people in the pack who knew the way and we did have a back marker, but that was it. The rest was common sense. DGRide13 18 Our hosts for the meet up were Michael and the Dirty Burger Crew behind Pizza East in Kentish Town. The breakfast bacon baps are perfect for a Sunday morning pre-ride brunch and there's free flowing tea and coffee, literally on tap. The car park was just about big enough for 200 bikes, while the rest of our dapper crew spilled out into the side streets. DGRide13 17 The ride itself really does deserve superlatives like, Epic, and Awesome. Bystanders were truly in awe, and it was an epic event. Leading the pack was daunting and difficult. Partly because there were 300-400 people behind me, so I had no room to fuck up. But also because I was riding a Ducati cafe racer with a dry clutch through a busy city at 20 miles and hour, without mirrors. Doh. I probably saw less of the whole spectacle than anyone else. DGRide13 19 It took us about 45 minutes to ride the 10.5 miles from Kentish Town, down and along the river, back up through Chelsea and over Wansdworth Bridge to the Ship Inn. No mishaps, we gained a few more riders, one breakdown, and that was about it. The rest was all smiles, and "fuck me this is insane", interspersed with massive grins (and aching wrists, for me, anyway). DGRide13 20 The original idea has come from a guy called Mark Hawwa in Australia, who runs the Sydney Cafe Racers. I befriended him online through the guys at Garage Project Motorcycles. A photo of Mad Men's Don Draper in a suit on a BSA had caught everyone's imagination. Mark floated the idea of the ride, we volunteered to organise it in London, and the rest is now history, ...but it really was this simple image that led to the whole insane venture, with over 38 countries taking part, raising $277,000 for research into prostate cancer. DGRide13 21 DGRide13 22 DGRide13 23 DGRide13 24 DGRide13 25 DGRide13 26 DGRide13 27 DGRide13 28 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 If you were there, you don't need to read any of this. Just cruise the photos and grin form ear to ear at the memories. If you weren't there, I think I know what you'll be doing this time next year. See you in 2014. Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, London, 29 September 2013 Thanks to all the photographers who took the pics on these pages, including; Matt Bone, Tim van Someren, Merry Michau, Mykel Nicolaou, Adrian Clarke, Ali Latimer, Chaz Fearnley, Gareth Roberts, Ian Solley, Ralph Avis and Paul Leeson. Hope I didn't miss anyone. Please get in touch if I did. The departure...
Share
Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Pin on Pinterest
Invalid password
Enter
Menus
Book a Table
Barber
Classifieds
FRANCHISE
Invest
Calendar
About Us
Contact & Opening Hours
Venue Hire
Delivery & Returns
384 Old St, Hackney, London EC1V 9LT United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7729 8114
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Payment methods accepted
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Maestro
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa
Copyright © 2025, Bike Shed Motorcycle Club
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website, including personalised ads. By clicking 'Accept' you agree to our Privacy/Cookie Policy