🛠️ What’s your go-to pre-ride ritual?

🚦Blake’s ritual (and no, it ain’t yoga in leathers)

Let me tell ya about the time I forgot my own ritual—yep, the Iron Sage himself skipped his pre-ride flow. No tire check, no mirror tap, no “talk to the road” moment. Just threw a leg over and hauled ass. Guess what? Ten miles out, I damn near went airborne off a pothole the size of my ex-wife’s trust issues. Suspension was jacked, mirrors loose, and I was hangin’ on like a bull rider on bath salts.

Moral? Rituals matter. They're not just biker voodoo—they're how we keep the Reaper waiting.

🔧 Rituals that ain’t just superstition

You don’t need a sage stick and incense, but if you’re serious about riding smart and staying vertical, your ritual better do three things: check the machine, check your head, and check the road.

🧠 Get your head in the damn game

Pre-ride ain’t just about the bike—it’s about your mental grease. You’ve been stressin’ over bills, work, the cat that hates you? That crap comes with you on the saddle unless you flush it out.

What to do:

• Sit. Breathe. Not like a monk—just one solid minute of quiet. No phone. No revving. Just click into the ride.

• Remind yourself what matters: alive > fast.

🔍 Walkaround ain't just for pilots

You think airline captains check their gear for fun? You’re riding a machine that’ll kill you faster than your ex’s lawyer if you slack off. Do a damn walkaround.

Checklist (that actually saves skin):

• Tires: look, touch, pressure.

• Chain: lube or lose.

• Levers and lights: no surprises.

• Leaks: bikes don’t mark territory—they warn you they’re bleeding out.

🧴 Rituals that don’t matter (and make you look like a poser)

Look, I don’t care how sacred your cologne spritz or helmet mirror selfie is—unless it helps you ride better or keeps your organs on the inside, it’s useless.

Ditch these:

• Crystal in the gas tank (yes, I’ve seen it).

• Starting the ride with a TikTok dance (go sit down).

• Whiskey shots for courage (unless your goal is a roadside cavity search).

🏁 Pro tip: your ritual is your life insurance 🧷

Your “five-minute flow” is the difference between cruising into sunset or skidding into some poor guy’s windshield. You think it’s lame until it saves your life. Then it becomes religion.

Don’t wing it. Don’t skip it. Make it sacred, even if it's just:

• A 30-second mirror tap.

• A quick prayer to the gear gods.

• A deep breath and “Don’t be a dumbass” chant.

I don’t care what it looks like. Just make it yours.

🤘So what's your ritual?

I wanna know: what’s the weirdest, grittiest, most rock-solid ritual you never skip? Do you kiss the tank? Crank AC/DC before every ride? Touch a lucky bolt?

Hit reply and drop your ritual—hell, I might even steal it (if it doesn’t involve goat blood or incense enemas).

Keep it greasy, keep it real,
Blake “Iron Sage” Rivers

P.S. If your ritual starts with “checking Instagram” and ends in a ditch... buddy, we gotta talk. 😒