The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is already planning for the 2021 event, and there’s a major change: It’s shifting to May, permanently.
According to the DGR’s website the charity ride will take place on May 23 in 2021, instead of its usual last-Sunday-in-September timeslot. Organizers say the shift to a May date is permanent, and it comes at the request of organizers and participants.
For riders in the northern hemisphere, a late September date is pretty iffy for weather. Changing to May means it’s more likely to be warm, if not dry, in the northern hemisphere, and it’s usually still OK for riders in the southern hemisphere (note that most other major charity rides also run in spring, for this reason).
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride has been raising money for men’s health initiatives since 2012, seeing participants dress up in period attire (think pre-World War II) and have a group ride around town on vintage-styled motorcycles, after fundraising. Over the years, the DGR had a long-standing fundraising drive for prostate cancer-related causes, but in 2020, it shifted to a partnership with the Movember initiative.
Alas, thanks to 2020’s weirdness, last September’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride wasn’t a group event. COVID-19 meant riders took off solo (or maybe in small “bubble groups,” in some cases) in their fundraising ride. From the DGR’s website, it looks like they’re hoping for a return to normalcy in 2021, though. As per the site, “We’re working on making it the biggest year yet, and are determined to be able to celebrate this occasion in true dapper style!”. Maybe you’ll have a chance to compare spats and plus-fours in-person again, then? Better start polishing the spokes on your Triumph T100, just in case.
For more deets, head over to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride website, where you can already pre-register for the 2021 event.
It’s about time for a proper date. September is a silly time for a group ride in Toronto.
Now if we can just get them to make a route that is NOT full of left turns and slow traffic llights, then the ride may be able to get through Toronto in a decent time.
Last time I rode, with all the left turns the waiting took so long that I wound up with first degree burns on my thighs from sitting in traffic over a hot engine. Ridiculous.