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Jess Jobst, the founder of Meridian Child Motorcycle Club, is always on the move. As a motorcyclist, she relishes the freedom that comes with being able to ride in and out of the city in order to find her own version of clarity. Once COVID-19 hit, these solo rides gained a new level of importance in her life as she was able to hold tight to one part of her pre-pandemic lifestyle. In addition to riding for her meditative reasons, Jess has also created a community of like-minded riders who seek spirituality beyond the bike. We sat down with her to learn more about her approach to motorcycles, spirituality, and finding solace in an ever-changing world.
SQUARESPACE: How did you decide on “Meridian Child Motorcycle Club” as the name of your community? What does that name mean to you?
JESS JOBST: A meridian represents a line, symbolic of the vertical lines on the earth and the energy lines in the body. The brand focuses on the wellbeing and spirituality of the rider by highlighting the benefits of riding a motorcycle, and drawing comparisons to riding being form of meditation by peeling back the layers of cultural stigmatization the idea is to represent the feeling of riding – akin to surfing that encompass a zen-like mindset. The Meridian Child ideology is about exploration, consciousness and adventure. The aim is to help shift the outside perspective of motorcycling / biker mentality and make it more accessible to a larger demographic of people by concentrating on the positive feelings you experience when you ride.
SQSP: What or who inspired you to start riding?
JJ: My dad and my brothers got me into it: they were always riding and tinkering with engines when I was a kid. But the first women that really pushed me to ride myself were riding motorcycles around the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Their efficacious attitudes and adventurous spirits permitted me to have the courage to buy my own bike and dream to ride around the world myself. My goal is to finish my trip and meet some of my heroes.
SQSP: You’ve spoken about motorcycling as a form of meditation. How has this practice influenced your own wellness routine?
JJ: Riding a motorcycle is never really talked about in the way that it really feels. I think it’s difficult to explain the feeling of riding to someone that has never experienced it themselves. It’s funny because collectively the sport has such a bad rep and in reality, and when you talk one on one to another rider independently, the feelings are always the same — freedom, happiness, reflection, but this aspect of the sport is lost in the culture. By nature, riding is such a solo sport and to me it becomes a form of meditation — the motorcycle is the linear aspect of connecting the mind, body, and spirit. Personally, it helps me focus. Riding is a time where I can process emotions and feelings, reflect on ideas and perspectives — it calms me down and helps me feel grounded. I find that there are lots of crossovers between riding and yoga, as they inherently both help to calm the mind.
SQSP: Given the unprecedented global pandemic, there is a significant amount of fear that has been introduced into the public consciousness. How has your experience with riding helped you navigate this global tension?
JJ: My bike has been my solace, my way of escaping people, reality and the city. It has honestly been the only thing that I can do outside the house that is safe because I don’t come into contact with anyone. It has kept me feeling grounded throughout the quarantine months. It has been a way for me to re-connect to nature and to a deeper sense of myself — riding is a form of self-development for me and throughout these difficult times has served a purpose much greater than a mode of transport but a way of keeping my mental health clear and on point.
SQSP: How has creating an online space for this community helped you connect with likeminded motorcyclists?
JJ: This is an interesting question as I feel like I am still very much a lone wolf — but it is slowly happening. I had my first article published in May this year, during the thick of the pandemic in New York, which resulted in many women reaching out to me to connect. This had led me to build relationships with them talking on video calls about riding, the stereotypes around it, the philosophies of what riding provides for us in our lives and how things are finally beginning to shift a little bit. The natural evolution of building the community is such a beautiful process, and helps me connect with other like minded people and corroborate Meridian Child as an alternative space to the biking community that elevates awareness not only in the culture but also as a lifestyle.
SQSP: What are your goals for Meridian Child in the coming years?
JJ: The aim is to continue building the community and offering an alternative space for riders, an open non-judgmental space where we can discuss the modernization of the culture.
I would love to start curating group adventure rides that are focused around the wellbeing of the rider, and move the apparel into the more technical realm for womenswear – motorcycle clothing that is considered, well designed, and durable. I am working on the perfect pair of city riding pants and am testing technical gear for a few brands with the aim to help expand and improve the women’s adventure and moto sectors. I am also working on curating personally tested products to sell through the website so it becomes a carefully curated platform for all riding lifestyle needs.
To learn more about Meridian Child Motorcycle Club, visit their website. To create a website of your own, visit Squarespace and start your free trial today.