Rideout Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2023

I know the DGR can provoke a rather Marmite response, but I’ve just signed up for my second year (with friend Colin on his new BSA Goldstar) for the Chester ride.

I had a great time last year and hopefully the weather will be sunny and the company good.

Who else is riding and where?

 

Well done!

Doubt there’ll be any prizes for me but I’m sure it’ll be fun. Will you have your T120 by then? It’d be a great way to break it in.

Enjoy the ride.

 

A little bit of a stretch, but I choose an old Frank Thomas classic 1920's aviator style Brown Leather jacket (Not the full spitfire sheepskin!). Worn over smart shirt (with bow tie), brown check waist coat, sand coloured chinos (Revit Alpha have very discrete armour, you'd really never know) and highly polished brown Chelsea style boots and a Bell Bullitt helmet with black and white Union flag.

At the pre and post gatherings I just leave the jacket with the bike and I think I look plenty dapper enough. Once on the ride who's gonna complain about the leather jacket?

Enjoy the DGR

 

A little bit late but here's a little of what happened in Chester.

Lovely day and Colin and I (suitably dapper on our modern classics) took the long way round from Northwich to Triumph Chester because the M56 was closed for bridge replacements and the Chester Half Marathon was on, adding more traffic to the usual tourists you can expect on a fine sunny day in Chester.

The riders were well behaved if a little enthusiastic in their responses with the throttle to anyone who waved or sounded their horn in support of the ride. Riding at walking pace in the sun, in narrow streets, in woollen dapper gear, in a pack of 100 or so bikes (many of whom had decatted their bikes and removed baffles) left me rather nauseous and headachy and very grateful for the end point; a local retail park Costa and a much needed frappe to refresh and cool down.

Ride was well organised, except that we weren't told about a route change which meant that Mrs RevPaul waited in the perfect spot for a photo of a hundred or so bikes that never turned up (I could only ring to apologise afterwards).

Here's some pics


Arrived at ~10:00 for a 11:30 set off, plenty of time to drink a coffee, chat with other riders and check out what else had turned up.



Fake moustaches were available so my Street Cup had to join in with the style (hope it will come off, I haven't tried yet).



All sorts were there and I'm glad to say no snobbery about whether riders were on classics or modern classics, the dress code was more important and everyone had made an effort.


Back in the day riders of my generation (including me) aspired to one of these.



Count the cylinders carefully, according to the builder /owner the new capacity was 1120cc (I think). I found myself alongside or immediately behind this beast for most of the ride, which may explain my headache and other symptoms during ride.



Drinks and a chat a the end of a good ride.


Colin and I made our farewells and set off for home via the Four Ways café for a late lunch, mine being a "Rossi Wrap" (breaded Chicken and salad with sweet chilli sauce in a Tortilla Wrap) with fries and side salad mmm.

There were loads of bikes at J&S/Four Ways: Britain's riding season finally seems to have arrived.

Enjoy your rides.