stand your ground

i know this is probably going to upset a few people but here's something thats being bugging me for a while, i'm sorry but i really don't see the point of the 'distinguished gentlemens ride' don't get me wrong, i'm all for good causes, i sponsor everybody and everything, from the girls at work running for the breast cancer charity's, sponsored cycle rides from derbyshire to skeggy for under privelidged children, stray dogs in the local animal shelter, help for heroes, the poppy appeal, music therapy, oxfam, british heart foundation, air ambulance, grim challenge and a hundred others, ten pounds a time, no worries and yet? the 'distinguished gentlemens ride' ? i'm not so sure, i'm all for donating to the prostate cancer charity, [same as i'm giving to the lads at work who are growing a 'tache to raise fund's and a big-up's and fair play to them] but, i'm just a bit uneasy with the 'ride' a bunch of rich urban bikers profiling through the streets of the capital on a ten mile, twenty mile an hour trawl through londinium, nah, sorry, don't get it, is it about the charity or just trying to get your picture taken? if you want to ride mob handed through the city join the motorcycle action group and protest about things that matter to motorcyclists, police harassment, stupid anti-motorcycle legislation, make some noise, be anti-social and kick out the jams, don't ride in a polite convoy and notify the authorities of your planned route, check out the longboard skaters making a mockery of the police in noo-yawk for inspiration,  after all, isn't that what riding a bike is all about?  'what you rebelling against johnny?' 'duh, well nothing really, i passed my test three weeks ago and thought it would be rad to hook up with some media lovey's to ride in a suit and have a frappuccino, spend a fortune on a piece of toss, ride-to-work, universal japanese motorcycle that some trendy shoreditch emporium built and freak out the squares' fuck that, it's not about self-promotion and mingling and networking, you don't matter, no one gives a fuck about you and your image, your fashionable contacts and your bandwagon jumping posse, just give to your chosen charity, keep it quite, keep it private, and keep it real....