Wow! I always thought "ride safe" was kindof bike-speak for "take care", a well-wishing...
That's the way friends and loved ones of mine have meant it. My family has always used "drive safe(ly)" as a shorthand for "I love you, take care, hope you arrive safely, etc".
To automatically presume that everyone saying this is part of The Great Conspiracy To Undermine Bicycling By Making It Appear Dangerous is silly.