Gear Up & Shut Up: What's Your Independence Ride? 🏍️💥

🚦 Ah, July 4th.

Last year, ol' Iron Sage decided to dodge the BBQs and fireworks to hit the Black Hills solo. Thought I'd celebrate freedom in my own style. Well, freedom bit me square in the ass about 30 miles out when my clutch cable snapped. Nothing like waiting four hours for a tow in the blazing heat, contemplating independence with buzzards circling overhead. Moral of the story? True freedom ain’t in ridin’ solo—it's having the right gear, the right buddies, and a damned good backup plan.

🎖️ Choose your battle route

If you're planning an Independence Ride this weekend, pick your battlefield wisely. Everyone and their grandma's poodle will be clogging the highways, so steer clear of tourist traps unless you’re into parking-lot parades and overpriced beer.

• The Coastal Crawl: Scenic? Hell yeah. Traffic? More backed up than your grandpa on Thanksgiving. Only tackle it if patience is your superpower.

• Mountain Mayhem: Twisty roads, breathtaking vistas, and enough blind corners to keep your adrenaline pumping. Perfect if you wanna test your guts and glory.

• The Rural Rampage: Backroads, BBQ joints, and plenty of dive bars with questionable choices. Ideal for riders looking to mix freedom with a dose of trouble.

🛠️ Prep your ride like your life depends on it

'Cause it does, genius. Give your bike more attention than your Tinder profile. Check tires, oil, chains, and cables. Freedom’s sweet, but roadside breakdowns taste bitter as hell.

🍻 Ride with your pack (or choose lone wolf carefully)

Brotherhood matters, especially when things get sketchy. Pack riding means built-in help and extra laughs. Solo? Pack your toolkit and your ego—you'll need both.

🔥 Embrace the chaos

Independence rides never go according to plan. That's the beauty. Expect detours, delays, and spontaneous roadside fireworks shows from overenthusiastic patriots. Laugh it off; it's all part of the story you'll exaggerate later.

💡Pro tip

Don’t ride drunk. Seriously, genius—your independence ends when you hit pavement harder than your hangover hits Sunday morning. 🍺

💬 Let Me Know

Hit reply and share your Independence Ride route—best story gets bragging rights and possibly mocked in next week’s newsletter.

Ride Free, Ride Loud,
Blake “Iron Sage” Rivers

P.S. This weekend, freedom ain't free. It's paid in road rash and regrets. Choose wisely.