Why We Ride: Thomas Drogue
“Riding for me is like the opening of the mind. And the adventure that leads to all these magical things that happen when you're wandering, that don't happen when you have a plan. When you're wandering, you're really open to all the options in the moment. It holds this potential for tremendous discovery.”
Thomas Droge has been building on speed and momentum since his childhood, skateboarding the streets of downtown Boston using public structures as his playground. Back in the early 70’s Thomas found a sense of solitude through his captivating riding endeavors, at this point on four wheels but quickly turning to two.
It wasn’t long before Thomas had mastered the skateboard and wanted to pick things up a bit… naturally transitioning to BMX bikes. He and his friends used those same structures to jump, flip, and fly over the tops of. It’s not surprising that Thomas would one day be drawn to the majesty of the wind whipping through his hair from the seat of a gleaming speed demon… a motorcycle.
True Connections
“At the time, I didn't understand my brain chemistry at all, but now I know it quite well. The amount of intensity that’s going on with a motorcycle is high enough, requires enough processing and focus, that it not only holds my attention but almost feels like the world falls away from me. It’s an incredible kind of calm and internal peace that never gets old,” Thomas shares. “I started riding in the mountains in Colorado; that’s when I really started connecting with nature and motorcycles in a new way. I spent a lot of time riding out there with a group of other riders to swim, hike, and explore.”
The expeditions on Thomas’ bike were leading him on his own path to self-discovery.
Thomas’ other passions are creative writing, mostly fiction and poetry, and meditating, both of which he yearned to practice in the sanctuaries his motorcycle brought him to. “In my mind, I started associating the three together as a unit. My journey was led by motoring around the US - helping me reconnect with myself and others, my passion for writing, and my purpose in healing.”
A Path Appears
His career as a writer and healer was formulated from his lifestyle on the road. “Initially, I wrote and meditated everywhere I commuted to within the city of Denver and its bountiful outskirts. I was a little sad leaving my crew of riding buddies back in Denver, but I eventually moved to San Francisco - the Mecca for motorcyclists, where I basically sold all of my possessions and spent six weeks at a time riding all over the southwest.”
After suddenly being called back to the east coast for a family health crisis, Thomas met the two loves of his life, his wife and his Harley Davidson Buell. Commuting through the city was easy, efficient, and a time when Thomas felt like he could take a mental break from it all. But as life got busier, the less time he had to ride. Now, after recently surviving his own medical crisis, he’s decided to hop back on the hog and let it lead him to solitude and imaginative exploration once again.
Reborn to Ride
“I have decided to stop doing the things I don’t like doing and do more of the things I do. I am not going to wait or put my life on pause anymore. So, I’m going back to Colorado where my life’s transition first took place and plan to start again. Kind of like a rebirth to reconnect with my riding and writing world.”
The overwhelm of peaceful exhilaration is something a lot of micro-commuters feel when riding the trails through life. A sense of serenity with some of the most stunning landscapes help to rejuvenate our minds, spirits, and artistic creation. As the highway makes another curve for Thomas, there is nothing but hope, adventure, and reignition on the horizon for him.