Mr Groth said he simply wanted to be there on the day for his mates and to raise money and awareness on behalf of the Black Dog Institute.

"I mean, it's really a bit of an anti-climax. We are supposed to be big bad-arsed bikers but the funny thing is, we are always at events fundraising for better health," he said.

"It could be either the Pink Ribbon Ride for breast cancer or this one for the Black Dog Institute.

"I just reckon there should be more groups - sporting groups, in particular - involved and getting behind issues like depression and mental health."

A veteran rider, Mr Groth also had some praise for social media platforms that had helped propel health issues into a broader public domain.

"I've got mates who have posted things like memes on Facebook and other platforms where they are talking directly about their mental health issues," he said.

"I think that it is great that these comments get posted on social media platforms.

"Depression can strike anyone at anytime. It just doesn't discriminate," he said.

Manning rider Joe Bell was on his first black dog ride but admitted to losing a couple of good mates through suicide.

The returned veteran who turns 73 years of age next month, Mr Bell is a returned serviceman who served with a good friend who took his own life in 2014.

He says riding bikes helps many people overcome personal demons.

"I don't know why it helps, but it does," he said. "Some blokes are pretty hard to talk to about things but once you get on the bike and ride, everything changes.

"You find common ground with people and you can start talking amongst yourselves.

"Once you do that, you find that we all, to some extent, have our own black dog."

Southern Cross Cruiser Club vice president Tricky and club member Frog have completed a number of Black Dog rides between them.

Frog said society needs to pause and think more seriously about mental health and depression.

"We are all busy and have busy schedules but there's a lot more people that we should be trying to reach," he said.

"Just look at the stats; people and society are just not handling it.

"My greatest fear is that society won't keep up with the struggles that we all have."

Tricky described burying two mates who suicided as "the hardest days of my life".

"Some of our riders have RIP patches on their jackets. These indicate people that have died, one way or the other," he said.

"Sometimes you don't talk about it but just hanging out together is a great help. It is kind of like unspoken words.

"Some people still hold a stigma around talking about mental health. However, what I've found is that even though we may not talk directly about depression, we can still hang around each other and support each other.

"The biggest thing is raising awareness; we need people talking about it," he said.

Frog said too many people were worried about what others may say about them.

"But we are all going through a struggle. So talk about it. Don't be worried about the judgemental side of things.

"Everyone is worried about being judged. But it doesn't matter how flash your car is, or how flash your bike is, the best thing you can do is come together as a community," he said.

The riders left Port Macquarie for a trip through Laurieton and Kew before travelling to Wauchope. The group returned to the Black Duck Brewery on Sunday afternoon.

Port Macquarie's Josh Salter organised Sunday's ride on behalf of the Black Dog Institute.

If this story has caused you any concerns call these phone numbers: emergency triple-0, Lifeline 131114, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, MensLine 1300 78 99 78, suicide call back service 1300 659 467 or your GP or treating psychologist/psychiatrist if you have one.

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