Hundreds take part in men’s mental health bike event in Bristol

Hundreds of bikers have raised more than £19,000 as part of a global campaign to raise awareness of men’s mental health.

Bristol’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride kicked off on Sunday with a team of over 350 riders.

They started their journey in Winscombe before ending in Saltford.

Participants were invited to wear stylish clothes and ride classic and vintage motorbikes to raise funds in the name of Movember.

Movember, a men’s mental health organization, aims to achieve universal and realistic outcomes for men’s mental health and prostate cancer.

The charity said suicide remains the biggest killer of men aged 20 to 39 worldwide.

It has been said that prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men.

Sean Good, 47, has hosted the race in Bristol and Bath for the past 11 years.

Mr Good said he understood the importance of mental health after serving 16 years in the Royal Engineers, with tours in the Balkans, Bosnia, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said: “I saw the sharper end of mental health struggles and as a biker, even if I didn’t realize it at the time, it was my own kind of therapy.”

Mr Good said the race had grown substantially since the first event he organized in 2014, when 15 people took part.

Speaking about the outfit, he said: “Motorcyclists often have this safe image.

“That was the idea of ​​dressing up, of breaking that stereotype.

“Men are famous for not talking, not sharing.

“But when you bring together a group of like-minded people working towards a common goal, it resonates with you.”

Bristol Distinguished Gentlemen Riders managed to raise £19,437 of their £20,000 target.