I whanau a Ride i Los Angeles. Kotahi tana taina, a Karen "Bear" Ride, he minita Presbyterian. Ko nga matua e rua he kaumatua i te Hahi Presbyterian. I mahi te whaea o Ride hei kaitohutohu taapori i te whare whakatikatika wahine. Ko tana papa he kaiwhakaako mo te putaiao torangapu i te Kareti o Santa Monica. I haere a Ride ki Portola Junior High (i tenei wa ko Portola Middle School) ka haere ki Birmingham High School i mua i tana tohu i te kura motuhake o West West School for Girls i Los Angeles i runga i te karahipi. I tua atu i tana hiahia ki te putaiao, he kaitakaro teneti a motu ia. I haere a Ride ki Swarthmore College mo nga tau e toru, i tango ia i nga akoranga ahupūngao i Los Angeles, California, ka uru ia ki te Whare Wananga o Stanford, me te tohu bachelor i te kura tuatahi, me te tohu PhD i te wa e mahi ana ia i nga rangahau i roto i te reo Ingarihi.
Astrophysics me nga laser hiko koreutu