🏍️ You Don’t Learn This Sh*t in Rider School

🚦 My rookie mistake that almost got me splattered

Back in '93, I thought I was untouchable. Just bought a low-mile Softail with a fat front tire and chrome so blinding you needed welding goggles. Rode it straight outta the dealership, cocky as hell, jeans flappin', no gloves, and a grin wide enough to catch bugs.

Didn’t take long before I got served my first lesson. Wet manhole cover. Rear brake. Down I went like a bag of beer cans. Elbow cracked. Ego shattered. Some guy in a Prius asked if I needed help — that stung worse than the asphalt burn.

Nobody told me what not to do — just how to pass a damn test. So here’s what I wish I knew when I started. Maybe it'll keep one of you from eating pavement.

🧠 Lessons from the tarmac (and the scars)

🛑 You will panic — here’s how to stop dying dumb

Panic braking is the #1 way new riders get a one-way ticket to asphalt-ville. Grip both brakes like you’re trying to crush a Coke can? Bad idea. The front tire locks, and boom — you're kissing gravel. Learn throttle control, brake modulation, and how to look through the turn. Because if your eyes go to the curb, guess where you're going?

Pro Tip 💥
Take a slow-speed riding course after you’ve been riding for a few months. You’ll actually know what to pay attention to. Parking lot drills might feel lame, but dropping your bike in front of your crush at a bike night? Way worse.

🧰 Gear ain’t optional, brother — it’s body armor for the real world

Wearing gear isn't about looking like a Power Ranger — it's about not turning into road pizza. I used to think, "It’s hot out, I’ll be fine." Then I saw a guy’s ankle bone after he went down at 35 mph in sneakers. Looked like raw chicken stuffed with gravel.

Don’t wait until you’re bleeding to believe in armor. Helmet. Gloves. Boots. Jacket. Pants. You wouldn’t ride a bull naked — why treat a bike any different?

🔧 The bike ain’t magic — it does what you tell it

Here’s a harsh one: the bike doesn’t “take” you anywhere. You ride it. Which means every bad shift, sloppy corner, or stall at a red light? That’s on you, rookie. Learn the machine. Feel the clutch. Know the throttle. Don’t be a passenger on your own damn ride.

DROPPED IT ONCE. 🤦‍♂️
LEARNED TWICE. ✌️
Still ride. 🏍️

Yeah… that about sums up the early days of my riding journey — busted ego, bruised knees, and a head full of “now I know better.”

If you’ve ever picked yourself (or your bike) off the pavement and said, “Screw it, I’m still riding,”
then we have a shirt that was made just for you.

👉 See the shirt that speaks fluent road rash — and wear your story like a damn badge. 👈
It ain’t just fabric. It’s a statement. One every real rider understands.

🤘 Tell me your “I wish I knew” story

We've all got that one thing we learned the hard way. I told you mine — now I wanna hear yours. Hit reply and let me know.

Let’s pass that hard-earned knowledge to the next poor soul before they end up learning the same lesson… with teeth.

Ride smart, ride savage,
Blake “Iron Sage” Rivers

P.S. If your biggest rookie mistake involved a squirrel, gravel, or a gas station slip-up — I definitely want to hear it. The more embarrassing, the better.