Hundreds of bikers take to Vancouver roads in dapper suits and ties in the name of men’s health

Over 200 bikers took to the streets of Vancouver to raise funds and awareness for men's health charity Movember Sunday, May 18. (Courtesy: Movember)

Motorists traversing Vancouver roads Sunday morning will likely have been in for a surprise as hundreds of bikers, decked out in vintage clothing, travelled across the city to raise funds for men’s health charity Movember.

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride saw 220 riders in Vancouver register, put on their sharpest attire, and ride the one-and-a-half hour route to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.

The riding event, one of 33 to take place in Canada, racked up a total of $52,456.

Despite there being fewer riders than usual due to the threat of rain, the amount raised still managed to reach the lofty heights of previous years, said Mitch Hermansen, fundraising director for Movember Canada.

“It’s always hard to know how these events will turn out in Vancouver, it could be raining or sunny, but we still had plenty of riders out today all wearing their dapper outfits, so all in all we’re pretty happy,” he said.

Riders were wearing an impressive array of head-turning outfits including tuxedos with novelty ties and prim waistcoats with bow-ties, said Hermansen, adding how the “really cool” vintage motorcycles and sidecars were highlights of the event.

As the suit-clad throng travelled the route from its starting location at International Motorsports in East Vancouver and through Stanley Park, many unsuspecting passers-by had stopped to gape and point, he said. It meant a job well done for the gussied-up bikers taking part.

“You don’t normally see that everyday, so people would stop and stare, honk their horns and wave. It was good, because that’s the whole point. It captures people’s attention,” he said.

“At the end of the day this is a fun ride, but it’s also for men’s health and raising funds and awareness for things that aren’t usually talked about. But people do like to talk about a whole swarm of riders going by dressed up.”

Thor Thiene, part of the organising committee for the ride, says Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was created in Australia in 2012, and partnered with Movember in 2016.

“The idea was to have a themed ride, getting riders together in one big community to ride classic and vintage rides. A themed ride where people dress up dapper to create interest and raise awareness,” said Thiene, adding this year’s event saw over 120,000 riders from 108 countries take part.

According to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride website, the event was founded by Mark Hawwa who became inspired after seeing a photo of Mad Men‘s Don Draper astride a classic motorcycle while wearing an expensive suit.

Since its inception, over $3.3 million of funds have been raised to supported 12 men’s health projects in Canada. Seven projects are in the prostate cancer space and five are in mental health, according to the website.

“We love the motorcycles and dapper outfits, but this ride is more than that. It’s about riding for the men that we love,” said Hermansen.