🏍️ Riding High: Surviving The Thin-Air Beast

🚦 That Time I Almost Became Cliff Art

You ever watch your front wheel flirt with a cliff while your head spins like you’ve been huffin’ fumes? That was me. Somewhere in the Colorado Rockies, 10,000 feet up, thinking I was invincible. Spoiler: I wasn’t.

Engine wheezin’. Brain fogged. Fingers numb like I’d been icing beers for 3 hours straight. One bad throttle twist from free-falling into the obituary section.

That mountain slapped the stupid outta me real quick: High altitude don’t care how badass you think you are — it'll gut you with zero hesitation.

🌬️ Your Engine’s Gasping. So Are You.

Listen up — your bike and your sorry carcass ain’t built for the thin air up there:

• Less oxygen = Less combustion = 20-30% power drop.

• You? Less oxygen = Stupider, weaker, and slower.

• Carbureted bikes? Like trying to run a marathon breathing through a straw.

• Fuel-injected? Better — but not invincible.

Translation? The mountain is stealing from you. Every second. Deal with it or die trying.

🛠️ Prep Your Machine Or Don’t Bother Showing Up

If you roll into high country half-assed, you’re rolling into a body bag. Here’s how to not suck:

1. Rejet That Carb — or your engine's gonna sputter like an asthmatic chain-smoker.

2. Check The Plugs — lean mixtures fry ‘em fast.

3. Cooling Is Everything — air’s thinner, engine’s hotter.

4. Pack Tools, Fuses, And Duct Tape — because failure loves altitude.

5. Fresh Oil, No Excuses — your motor’s gonna work overtime.

Old bike? Go through every inch of that machine like your life depends on it — because it does.

🧠 Your Brain Is The Real Danger

Altitude ain’t just stealing power from your engine — it’s mugging your brain too.

• Dizziness

• Tunnel vision

• Dumb decisions you’ll never get to regret

You push too hard? That sharp mountain switchback will have you airborne before you can scream “oh sh—”

Hydrate. Rest. Check yourself. Don’t let ego write checks your ass can’t cash.

🏴‍☠️ Gear Up Like You Might Die

Because you might. Pack for survival:

• Heated gloves & liner — mountain temps swing faster than your ex’s mood.

• Emergency blanket — ‘cause hypothermia’s real.

• High-calorie snacks — fuel the meat suit.

• Oxygen canisters — your brain will thank you.

• Beacon or tracker — your phone won’t save you when you’re splattered 100 ft down.

You’re not John Wayne, brother. Respect the mountain or it’ll make you a permanent roadside memorial.

🔥 Pro Tip From The Iron Sage

🛠️ "The mountain doesn’t care about your Instagram flex. Ease off. Ride smooth. Let the posers fly off the cliffs while you live to tell the damn story."

🤘 Got The Stones For High-Altitude Riding?

Now I wanna hear your battle stories. Ever blackout on a summit? Got a “lucky I’m alive” tale? Hit reply and send it. The nastiest story might get featured. I like my stories like my whiskey: dark, rough, and with a kick.

Ride Smart, Ride Strong,
Blake “Iron Sage” Rivers

P.S. If you think high-altitude riding is no different than sea level… you’re the guy the mountain’s waiting for. Don’t be that guy.