01/13/2026
1/13/2026
Ride Your Ride by Dr Sib
People who ride motorcycles have a saying, ‘Ride your ride’. In this moment I invite you to embrace this motto.
Ride your ride means that you know your bike better than anyone else. You know when the sound of the engine changes, when the tire pressure feels off, when the clutch is tight. You know when you are out of gas.
Ride your ride also means that you know your body and mind better than anyone else. You know when you are tired, you forgot to eat, your fingers are frozen.
When this happens you pull over. You signal to your group. And someone in your group sees you. It is their job to see you. They pull over to see if you need help. There is a ‘lead’ and a ‘sweep’ in your group. These are people who are watching out for you and everyone in your group.
If you happen to be riding solo another motorcyclist will often pull over. They will check on you. It will likely be a stranger.
As 2026 comes barrelling in on a ‘Fire Horse’ I invite you to ‘Ride your ride’. You will encounter someone who, perhaps in a well meaning and compassionate way, tells you there is something wrong with your ride. You are not dressed appropriately. Your bike is too small, or too big. You are riding too fast, too slow. You are not splitting lanes correctly. You should get a full face helmet.
I invite you to tell them to ‘f**k off’. Not in a mean way, in a loving way. If they are not your ‘lead’ or your ‘sweep’ or you are not pulled over on the side of the highway they have no business telling you how to ride your ride.
Tell them, ‘I got this.’ and ‘Thank you.’ If they get defensive, let it go. Ride your ride.
I also invite you to pick a ‘lead’ and a ‘sweep’. The lead could be a partner, a friend, a sponsor, someone who is forging ahead, looking out for potholes, noticing construction, making sure the path forward is safe. A sweep could be another partner, a mentor, a p*er, someone who’s job it is to make sure you are still on the path. You are still moving forward. And if not, if you are on the side of the road, that you are safe. Your bike is not sticking out into the road. You have called AAA. Your bike is upright. You have dialed 911 if need be.
Riding your ride also requires self awareness, courage, and humility. You need to recognize when your riding is off, that your bike is messed up, that you have to p*e and the vibration of the bike is making it worse. You need to stop riding if you are unfit to ride. No one is in a better position to see that but you. I invite you to take a deep breath and take a good look inside. Are you riding your best ride?
Riding your ride also requires empathy, forgiveness, and love. You need to recognize when you are tasked to be the lead or the sweep. You need to be brave enough to say, ‘Are you ok?’ ‘Are you riding your best ride?’ and you need to take the person’s word for it. If they say, ‘I got this.’ and ‘Thank you.’ you need to move on. Ride your ride.
If you are jealous because you can’t ride, that’s your problem. Take a motorcycle safety class. Get a bike. Don’t take it out on people who are out there. Instead, admire them. Maybe you aren’t brave enough to ride. Maybe you had a head injury and your family doesn’t want you to ride anymore. Say, ‘I like your bike.’
You don’t ever need to explain why you can’t ride, what you choose to ride, and with whom you choose to ride, why you ride a Harley vs a Honda, why you like a 1200, a 750 or your 450 engine, why you wear chaps, why you like to ride. You can explain, but it doesn’t help nor is it necessary. Ride your ride.
I invite my friends, my colleagues, my clients, my family, and my enemies (yes I keep you close) to ‘Ride your ride’ on this crisp January 13, the day before I turn 58.
May you be loved. May you be at ease. May you ‘Ride your ride’.
In Gassho,
Sibelia L Chaiyahat
