Rain, Roads and Resilience: How Motorcycling Cures Everything (And Science Backs It Up Too.)

There are days when my mind feels like an A road at rush hour — thoughts cutting each other up, worries tailgating, anxiety revving its engine too loud to hear anything else.

I know I’m not alone.

If you’ve ever sat bolt upright, staring at a ceiling at 3am, heart thumping with what-ifs, the how comes and to-do lists, I see you. I really do.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of the world pressing so hard on your chest that even taking a deep breath feels like a battle, I know how that feels too and the way I overcome every possible challenge that piled up on my life in the last 2 years was simply resolved by doing one thing — walking into a motorcycle showroom, pointing at a green Ninja and saying, ‘I’ll have that one if you’ve got it in black.’

And here’s the truth I discovered — one throttle twist at a time:

Two wheels Do quiet the noise.

Why Riding Has Become My Lifeline

Ok, so I didn’t start riding because I wanted to look cool (although let’s be honest, black leathers and a motorcycle do give you a certain cocky swagger). I started because I needed something, even though I didn’t think anything was amiss. Something that wasn’t just another mindfulness app or another “self-care” routine I’d forget to follow and eventually give up on thinking it was nonsense.

I needed to feel truly alive again.

Because here’s the thing: anxiety doesn’t switch off because someone tells you to “relax.” In fact, someone says that to you, you’d probably feel a hundred times worse.

Depression doesn’t lift because you bought a scented candle or dug out a Vangelis album. But when I’m riding, my mind doesn’t have space for that chatter — I am forced to think of absolutely nothing. The road demands presence in that very moment.

The bike demands focus. And for those miles, I get a break from myself.

The Science (and Soul) Behind It

You might have heard this already: studies show motorcycle riding reduces cortisol (the stress hormone), sharpens focus, and increases endorphins. The National Library of Medicine suggested in an article back in 2021 that motorcyclists experience heightened alertness and lower stress levels compared to drivers.

It suggests anything that provides the mind with moderate excitement helps improve focus and attention, especially in high-stakes activities like sports. But, in this study, researchers looked at how riding a motorcycle affects the way the brain processes sensory data.

They compared brain activity in people taking part in the study while they rode a motorcycle, drove a car, and rested quietly. They did this using something called the passive auditory oddball test (I’m not sure what that actually means) however, they measured how well the brain responds to unexpected sounds and observed the brainwave activity (alpha power) when no sounds were present.

Still with me?

Not surprisingly, the results showed that riding a motorcycle sharpens your sensory awareness and improves attention. So, in short, the participants in the study showed stronger brain responses to changes in their environment which resulted in better focus.

So there!

AND!

Did you also know that riding also increases adrenaline levels, raises your heart rate, and improves hormone balance? These are all indicators of reduced stress and heightened engagement. Aha!

So, there you have it — riding a motorcycle doesn’t just feel good — it genuinely boosts your brain function, your focus, and regulated any stress levels in your body and mind.

But even with all this research, this is what REALLY matters:

• The hum of the engine.

• The wind on your face.

• The road inviting you to let go of the heavy, and hold onto the now.

• 
  

That’s all we really need to know.

How To Use Riding for your Wellbeing Right Now

Now, I am not a psychologist, although I have dabbled in a few courses in my time. But, I am someone who has sat, legs wobbling, at the side of the road wondering if I could get back home in one piece — and of course, did and still do time and time again.

So, here we go: there are the nuggets I keep in my head and swear by, so feel very free to steal and keep them as yours:

1. Gear Up Like It’s Your Armour (Because It Is)

The ritual of gearing up slows you down. It takes effort — trousers on, boots zipped up. Jacket zipped. Helmet on, glasses (I need them). Gloves fitted and pushed back into every finger. This isn’t just safety and thinking about gearing up for the slide, rather than the ride — this is mindfulness. Each action, every head spin every time to stand up straight after pulling at leathers and boots tells your body: we’re preparing for something good.

2. Pre-Ride Breathing Reset

Before every ride, take a minute. One hand on the tank. I do my hand claps leaving my right hand on my right leg to the last — don’t ask — it’s just a ritual. Then I sit, hands resting on the tank. Breathe in, hold and breathe out. I feel my heart rate drop and my body knows the rest. Now I am ready to kick into first and off we go.

3. Short Rides Count

You really don’t have to ride 300 miles across the country to call it therapy. Oh no, but if it works for you, then cool, but it’s not where the therapy is (somewhere at the end of the rainbow.) Even a 10-minute loop around your favourite country lane or block still counts. It’s not about distance. It’s about presence. It’s about substance.

4. Rain is Your Teacher

Yeah, I know, it’s wet out there and it will be hit and miss with those clouds. Yes, it’s cold, so what? But this rain we all dread and put the keys away to teaches us patience. It teaches us respect — respect for the road, for ourselves and for nature. And, what’s on the other side of the storm? That post-ride glow you get which is unbeatable.

5. Journal Your Rides

I keep a notebook in my head called Throttle Thoughts. And after every ride, I jot down in my mind:

• How I felt before.

• How I felt after.

• One thing that scared me just now.

• One thing that made me proud today on the bike.

• 
  

(So, my wonderful biker hubby, this is why I sometimes go quiet ;)

It’s a map of my mental journey as much as my motorcycling one.

Real Stories, Real Courage

You’ve heard me talk about people who ride through their storms. I talk a little bit about this in my forthcoming book, Full Throttle Full Heart out on Amazon soon. People who have come back from cancer or ridden hundreds of miles to find peace on sun kissed roads.

But I’ll tell you about me:

I once sat welling up on my bike in a layby along the A40, so overwhelmed with self-doubt that I couldn’t even think about getting on the rain sodden saddle to make it home. But I did. Eventually. And every wobble since then has been a lesson.

So much so, that the wobbles themselves are starting to drift off.

Motorcycling doesn’t erase fear. It teaches you how to sit beside it and ride anyway.

Why This Matters (and Why I Wrote Full Throttle Full Heart)

Because too many people tell me, “I wish I could ride, but I’m too old… too anxious… too scared.”

To which I say: Feel the fear and break through it.

I wrote this book because I want people to see that bravery doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes, it’s soft and unassuming. It’s pulling on your boots, climbing onto the bike, and saying, “Yeah, today, I’ll try again.”

A Note from the Saddle: Full Throttle, Full Heart — the ultimate guidebook for men and women everywhere learning to ride — is now available on Amazon for download. 

Download the Book now on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/1m51MBQ

It’s filled with encouragement, wisdom, and stories to inspire your own two-wheeled journey. And because motorcycling is about more than just the road — it’s about connection, courage and community — £1 from every copy sold will go directly to the mental health and wellbeing charity, Make Your MARK, supporting bikers through acts of kindness, wellbeing hubs, and life-saving initiatives like Dave’s Defib.

Ride with purpose. 

Ride with heart. https://makeyourmark.charity