John Stanhaus

How to Contact me Directly

If we have met as I traveled across the US on my Grand Tour, and you would like to contact me directly please:

email: jdsdgrgt@gmail.com

Text: 312 504 5902

John Stanhaus

Follow my journey at Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Grand Tour 

What is my DGR Grand Tour

What is my DGR Grand Tour

After my wife Carey passed away in the spring of 2021, I bought a motorcycle, and my first extended ride was a solo ride in connection with the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (DGR). Over the next year I continued to enjoy riding especially where it served the purpose of benefiting others.

For the 2022 DGR, I expanded my ride to a thousand mile trip around Lake Michigan leading up to the formal ride in late May. Late in 2022 after selling our home and deciding to retire, I wanted to continue to ride, but looking for a purpose, I settled on the idea of seeing how many of the 800 cities worldwide which have hosted DGRs I could visit over the next few years. Hence, the DGR Grand Tour was born.

While I plan to pass through as many DGR cities, and make contact with local riders if I can, my primary objective is just to visit different parts of the country and eventually the world. Wherever I stop I talk about why I’m riding, in support of Movember and Men’s Health, with the hope that my actions will help the cause. 

Life is a Journey - I’m enjoying the Ride!

For additional details and commentary please visit Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Grand Tour.

Motorcycle Riding for the Benefit of Others

Raised by loving parents who always supported my motorcycle riding. I got my license when I was 16, rode a dirt bike at the University of Colorado, a touring bike while at Price Waterhouse, then rented Harleys after that. 

After my wife Carey’s passing on March 15, 2021, I immediately bought another bike, BOB, my Big Old BMW and rode in support of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. That same year, I also visited senior centers with my fellow BMW Club members as well as riding in the Toys for Tots

Over the past year I felt uncomfortable that I was having so much fun after losing Carey, but two things helped me come to grips. 

First Janelle Kaz’s article Are You Playing a Finite or Infinite Game of Motorcycling? helped a lot if for no other reason than it gave me a Headline for what I’m doing.https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/news/motorcycling-and-the-game-of-life/

Second, the recent publicity about the keys to happiness got me thinking. Having been clinically evaluated as having hedonism as one of my top motivations for behavior, I came across the concept of eudaimonic (you da’ monic) happiness. In contrast to hedonic happiness which focuses on seeking pleasure and enjoyment, eudaimonic happiness focuses on the ancient philosopher's idea of seeking meaning or purpose.  https://www.thoughtco.com/eudaimonic-and-hedonic-happiness-4783750

I can buy into this, which explains the happy place, where I am today.

My DGR Grand Tour Ride Card

A year ago when I took my "Long Way There" ride aroundLake Michigan, I had a  make shift poster on my windshield to convey what I was riding.

This year, besides my major promotion piece was my DGR GT license plate. However when I attended bike week in Arizona in full DGR Kit: pink shirt, bow tie, pipe and DGR armband and hat, while I stood out in a sea of Harley Black & Orange, and engaged in a lot of conversations, I needed a better way to remind people who I was and what I was doing.

Fortunately, a morning at a local FedX office allowed me to put together a two sided card , which combined with easy to read QR codes should work. 

The most important side was the front where I directed readers to the TrueNorth website and all the information and resources they can provide about prostate cancer - I personally though that adding the line about sex and intimacy was a nice touch seeing as one in eight men will be diagnosed with  prostate cancer in their life times, and well . . . 

The other side talked a bit about my ride along with the link to donate. Not sure if they were effective in getting the word out, but they could not have hurt.

Visit to Movember’s Offices

I formally kicked off the Winter 2023 leg of DGR Grand Tour with a visit to the offices of Movember in Santa Monica. Movember is the qualified 401 c 3 organization to which all donations to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride flow to.

In sitting with Ami Shah, Movember’s Director of Global Program Implementation for their cancer portfolio, she briefly spoke about their  flagship program True North. In all honesty, I had no idea how deeply involved Movember was in supporting so many aspects of prostate cancer. TrueNorth is a website that was designed to support patients diagnosed with prostate cancer.  So it offers resources, a support network and empowers patients to make an informed decision about their treatment.

Seeing as in the USA 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives, every man, and the people who love them, should be aware of TrueNorth:Movember’s work and their “The Right Care at the Right Time” approach. They will be glad that they did.

Join our team as we ride for The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride!

On Sunday the 21st of May 2023, we are teaming up to ride in The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride with fellow men and women across the globe to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer and men's mental health on behalf of Movember. Men die on average 6 years earlier than women and for largely preventable reasons. The number of men that are suffering is growing, and we need to do something about that. So, before we press our tweed and polish our boots, we are asking you to join us in raising funds and awareness for these causes by donating what you can for this meaningful cause and to help the men we love, live happier and healthier lives.