Thousands of bikers celebrate the life of Dave Myers

The Hairy Bikers star died in February at the age of 66.

Myers, who is best known for being one half of BBC's Hairy Bikers alongside Si King, sadly passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer.

The fundraiser, which has been given the name 'Dave Day', involves a motorcycle ride from the North Circular in London up through the centre of the country, and ending in Myers' home town of Barrow-in-Furness.

The event will close with a concert and service of remembrance being held in the centre of Barrow-in-Furness.

Money raised from the day will be donated to a group of cancer charities as well as the children’s charity the NSPCC.

As the bikers set off from London, Myers' close friend and on-screen partner King described it as "amazing" and a "celebration of the best friend that I've lost".

Many of those gathered at the Ace Cafe in north London were wearing Hawaiian shirts, and King told BBC Breakfast: "Everybody's got that lovely Dave sartorial elegance about them, ie dodgy shirt.

"Some of them have had them specially printed, it's remarkable."

He added:: "It’s a celebration of my best friend that we’ve lost. And, yeah, it is, it’s very emotional.

"You never know how these things are going to impact you, you know, it is a celebration of Dave’s life. That’s why we’re here, because he was so irritatingly positive all of the time. And we love him and that’s why we’re here."

It was not just fans of the motorcycle and cooking enthusiast from the UK that turned up for today's ride, Myers' widow Lili revealed that people had travelled from far flung places to pay tribute to her late husband: "We have people coming from all over the country. We have people coming from Texas, from Malaysia, from all over Europe."

She said the event had helped her feel she was not alone. "Oh, it’s endearing. It just helps me go through my process of grief. Because it just makes me feel that I’m not on my own with all this," she said.

Myers and King shot to fame after releasing their first cookery show together in 2004.

Since then, they’ve become known for travelling around the UK and the world on their motorbikes, sampling and cooking food from across the globe.

At the time of his passing, King shared a touching message on social media expressing his love for Myers.

Related Links:

Hairy Bikers all smiles in touching last photo together

Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers’ final act of kindness before his death aged 66

Dave Myers’ final TV appearance is leaving fans heartbroken