The SLO chapter of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride set out Sept. 25 for a half day journey up the backroads of the Central Coast from Grover Beach to Morro Bay with a stop over at the Port San Luis in Avila Beach.
About 30 “Dapper Dans” and a few ladies rode vintage motorcycles decked out in attire that matched the period of their rebuilt and otherwise well maintained steeds.
Organized by Michael Byrd – a Grover Beach real estate agent and one time candidate for District 4 County Supervisor – the spectacle is to raise awareness of men’s health issues. The international Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride organization has chapters all over the world, usually riding through large urban areas to hand out fliers to passersby.
Or, as it’s phrased on the organization’s website:
Our focus is on gentlemen who have been dealt a tough hand in life. In particular, we raise funds for research into prostate cancer and mental health programs as part of our mission to support men’s health globally. These funds are invested by our partners The Movember Foundation, the world’s largest men’s health organization.
Stops on Sunday included a visit to the Steaming Bean in Shell Beach where some patrons did say they’d at least consider getting their prostates checked after some talk about the bikes and several of the riders acknowledged themselves having the screenings recently.
Riders then headed to the Port San Luis, with a local reporter added to the sidecar of Lew Morris’s build of a 1963 Soviet military bike. The whole expedition then took to the pass from See Canyon to Prefumo Canyon and out Los Osos Valley Road to Turri Road and South Bay Boulevard with a finish in view of Morro Rock.
While riders passed out cards that urge readers to “Man Up!” and “Bend over and take it like a man!” the simple message was that a blood test and early screen can save a life with early intervention. The humor was also part off the organization’s goal to break through barriers that prevent men from speaking openly. A separate focus is on suicide prevention and mental health. They point to suicide as the biggest killer of men aged 20-39 with three –quarters of all suicide victims male.
An interestingly timed addition to their outreach as Sept. has been deemed National Suicide Prevention Month in the U.S.
For resources and more information go online to: GentlemansRide.com
