Why I Ride

I’ve Been Riding My Entire Life

Or, at least it feels like it from what I can remember. My Dad got me my first dirt bike at the age of five, a Suzuki JR 50 minibike with a pull-start that kept me from riding until my Dad got home because I couldn’t pull-start it without his help. I didn’t play many little league sports. I sucked at team sports. To me, riding and racing a dirt bike was always cooler than stick-and-ball sports. Although, to be honest, I consistently sucked at racing dirt bikes as well, but no matter, I always liked the idea that it’s just me, the bike, and the trail. Very little gets in the way of having a great time on two wheels.

As I’ve gotten older and my life has evolved, my love for riding dirt bikes (and two wheels in general) has only deepened. I don’t know who or where I would be without these radical modes of two-wheel transportation. The places I’ve been and the people I’ve met because of dirt bikes have shaped who I am as a person. For those that don’t know me personally, my evolution as a content creator has been 10+ years in the making. Seat Time originally started as a podcast, two dudes on a couch, a six-pack of beer, and as much dirt bike bench racing as we could throw down in an hour. As the show evolved, we began streaming live on YouTube and became a web show and a podcast. I also took an interest in video creation and photography, which resulted in a lifetime’s worth of videos and some well-received event coverage photo epics. 

Which brings me to the crossroads I found myself at today. Of course, I still love to ride dirt bikes, I still love to make dirt bike videos, and I still love to take dirt bike photos. But I felt like I needed something else that would enable me to share my love for two wheels while inspiring and encouraging others. I believe this need to help others is partly as a result of my participation in CrossFit. I’ve been active in CrossFit since 2010, enjoying it when I could between a shoulder injury and multiple ankle surgeries (all dirt bike-related ailments).

As I kept getting stronger and more into the world of CrossFit, I found myself asking more in-depth questions about movements, training methodologies, and nutrition. My research and the questions asked led me to the CrossFit website’s Level 1 Certificate page, and I signed up within a week. It was late 2018 when I received my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate, which provided me with the platform and direction I needed to make a difference in others’ lives.

Why I Ride

As a result of all this soul searching, I created Why I Ride. A project that draws inspiration from my love of two-wheels and CrossFit with a goal to share the stories and infinitely relatable reasons why others love to ride as much as I do. 

The inspiration for Why I Ride started when I asked myself that very question: “Why do I ride?” My answer? I Ride to Feel Free. Riding is a way for me to have finite focus while also not thinking. It’s a way for me to get lost while still following the trail. It’s a way for me to go fast or to go slow; to ride for hours or sprint for 15 minutes. I get to make choices for myself while riding and that gives me the ability to feel free.

As I was thinking through all of this I could see the mountains in the distance. They seemed too far to reach, but there was a trail that headed in that general direction. I didn’t know if it went up or down, was wide or narrow, or was even rideable, but I knew freedom was down that trail. That’s where the I Ride to Feel Free design inspiration comes from, looking at those mountains and the trail that might take me there. Below is the end result:

Why Do You Ride?

With Why I Ride, I want to collect those stories and share them with the world. We all ride for different reasons, but I want riders worldwide to see we are one big connected family, whether on the track or trail or bench racing with friends and family on long weekends.

The result is the Why I Ride Inspiration Design Award. A way for us to bench race on a global scale, help bring riders together, and stoke the fires that keep us searching for the next two-wheel experience. The question is, Why Do YOU Ride? Share your story with us, and you may be the inspiration for our next t-shirt design.

To be considered, fill out this form. It’s best if you go as in-depth as possible with your answers. After we comb through the submissions, we’ll reach out to potential winners to ask more questions and start collaborating.

Thanks for reading. To support our efforts, head to the shop and browse through the Why I Ride merchandise.