This coming Sunday, 25th September, I am wheeling the bike out again to take part in what has become a global bike-athon in support of Prostate Cancer…
Known as ‘The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride’ the event will see gentlefolk in hundreds of cities worldwide who will don their cravats, tweak their moustaches, press their tweed and sit astride their classic and vintage styled motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer research and suicide prevention.
I’m sure we all have our own stories and experiences relating to cancer – I know I do – and so anything that can help raise awareness and a bit of money has to be a good thing. Perhaps you, dear reader, might consider making a small donation toward my fund raising program in which case please click here to view my donations page.
In case you are interested in my own background to this, I have always been a fan of biking since getting my first moped, to get me to/from my first job, back during the 3-day week and the electricity cuts. I still recall the 9-mile daily ride through the south London traffic that took a numbing 45 minutes to complete. This type of travel was, and still is, typical of the region and is a stark contrast to my life here in the glorious North of England where a similar journey can take only 15 minutes’ max (unless you come across a tractor of course!).
Although I had passed my car driving test the day before my 18th birthday back in the early 70’s, a motorbike was a cheaper form of transport and far better suited to the dense south London traffic – it was also much more fun! In saying that I can also remember arriving at my job in Coulsdon in Surrey on chilly winter days with frozen thumbs and a painful thawing out process getting life back into them.
It’s now around 40 years since I passed my bike test and, although there was a big gap between bikes, I am still an active biker and a big Triumph fan getting a buzz out of the fact that the brand has a pedigree that dates back to 1902.
Of course I do have to admit to being one of the many bikers who eloped to the Japanese market back in the late 70’s causing the sad demise of the then mighty Triumph brand but thankfully John Bloor came along and breathed new life back in to the brand when he re-launched Triumph in 1984.
Since getting back in the saddle around 14 years ago, admittedly on a Yamaha (yes another Japanese bike!) I have owned three Triumphs, a Daytona 900, the mighty Rocket III and for the past three years a more practical, and more fun, Bonneville.
The ‘bonnie’, as it is so affectionately known, retains much of the original design and character styling from the original model. These days, of course, carburetors (carbs) have been replaced with electronic fuel injection but they have cleverly designed the bike so it still looks like it has carbs. Clever and good for the retro audience.
Over the years I have enjoyed a variety of ‘trips’ taking in Scotland, Wales, southern England (east to west), the Pyranees (Spain to France) and the Cote d’Azure all the way from North Yorkshire to Nice and back. Having kids that live down in the south east help now and then, if the weather is good!
Last year I ticked a big item off my personal bucket-list by completing 2,680 miles on Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles a trip I would urge everyone to do be it on a bike or by car. It’s an awesome thing to do…
If you got right down here then I thank you for reading my post…
Phil