Well, I dropped the scooter this morning.
It was snowing when I went to bed last night and I had no plans to ride today because I had to wear a coat and tie to work—not good riding clothes. I got up this morning and looked out at the road and saw it completely covered with snow and ice. The temperature was 19 degrees F. No riding today, I get my fancy clothes all sloshed up. If I had one of those Aerostich suits I could ride but certainly not in my dress clothes.
I remembered my foul weather sailing gear. Big bib overhauls, big coat, waterproof, I could wear that. Sure, there’s a plan. I can ride to work in the worst conditions so far. Great.
So I suit up, have my armored coat under the foul weather gear, take the scooter out of the garage and start it up, walk down to the road to test the surface, all the important steps. The road in mostly snow covered with a mix of packed snow and ice underneath—doesn’t look too bad.
I move onto the road slowly and test the rear brake, stops pretty well without much sliding so I’m all set. I come over a rise about 20 miles per hour and let off the throttle because I know there is a stop sign at the bottom of the hill. I see the sign but also wavy tire tracks from the cars that could not stop and one set going off the road. I put my feet down and gently apply the rear brake. All good—for a few seconds. I see it coming, the ice sheet with powdered snow ahead. I check the rear view mirror—nothing. When I hit the ice the rear wheel begins to slide left and the front wheel right. My foot is down on the ice as the scooter leans and I’m now a tripod sliding towards the stop sign. I hold everything in place until foot finally slips away and down I go. I turn or the scooter engine and get up and do what every good rider does first—look around to see if anyone has seen what a fool I am. Gratefully no one did and no other vehicles came along.
I pick up the scooter and give it a check and find no damage. Start it up and finish going down the hill, this time on the side of the road which is full of gravel and has traction. The rest of the trip is uneventful. The foul weather gear kept me dry and warm and the little fall to the pavement was well cushion with the armor in my shoulder area working just fine. The only injury occurring to my pride. I stopped another mile along to make a photograph of me in my new duds and to clear my visor. Seems the drop got my breathing quicker and was fogging things pretty fast.
So now I know what a 20mph drop feels like. Could I have avoided it? Probably. I could have been going slower, I could have run the stop sign to the bottom of the hill, or I can learn to hold the scooter better in those one-leg-down slides.
Hey Steve, glad to hear you’re alright, and the Vespa wasn’t damaged. Not even a scratch? That’s amazing!
My only question is: Did you put both feet down, or only one? In a situation like that, putting only one foot down is like dragging an oar in the water, sailor boy. You’re going to spin.
On glare ice, use BOTH feet as outriggers, don’t let yourself tense and freeze up, and you will not crash.
Sorry if I didn’t make that clear in my earlier blog entries.
Ride well,
=gc=
Okay, wait… I just re-read it. You did have both feet on the ground, huh? Well, did you modulate the rear brake at all? Squeeze on and off to try to straighten her out? Counter steer? There are so many things you have to think of, so quickly, in those situations.
I swear, I am running a simulation of this in my mind as I type this, and I know exactly what you felt. The same thing happened to me on glare ice, going down the hill towards the stoplight on Robert St.
Well, I think I am going to start going into more detail on the riding techniques I used to get through the winter.
=gc=
Gary,
I had both feet down but did not modulate the brake. Once the slide started and the scooter leaned over most of the weight was on one foot and as you say the drag caused the turn to increase.
Because it was pretty much smooth ice I’m not sure there would have been any safe way to stop. When I got the scooter up I had to be really careful to not fall down it was that slick.
I am lucky that nothing broke (on me or the scooter). I will take another look before going home to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
As I was thinking about your comment about writing more detailed riding technique information I think you have the beginnings of a book. Not sure how wide an audience there will be though. The conventional wisdom and training indoctrination seems to dismiss riding with snow or ice on the road as insane….
I think our culture grows more risk-adverse everyday. Life is pretty boring without risk—mentally, spiritually or physically.
steve,
first off, glad you and the sweet Vespa are all right. Now you got it out of the way. Sometimes the fear of the unknown paralyzes us. Getting acquainted with it relaxes us which, surprisingly, can help us better avoid it. You know, like Gary says we learn to not tense up, our mind can consider options instead of fear, etc.
When I hit black ice at freeway speeds a few weeks ago training and experience took over. The things I did were not the things that would come naturally to most people.
A lot of motorcycling is comprised of un-natural acts. The thing you naturally want to do from human instinct is not usually the best thing. Until a person has enough experience that the right thing becomes the natural thing, you have to think fast. Look at your tipple as a notch in your experience belt that you will build on.
You’re right about society being averse to risk. Big Brother tries too hard to protect us from ourselves and lawsuits kick down the rest. That’s why we’re so much better off. We’re aware of the risk, we accept it, and we use our knowledge of the risk to manage it. Thus we live and grow!!
Keep growing, Steve!!
Nice one Steve, big experience under your belt with no harm done. I’m very glad you and the Vespa are intact.
irondad,
I definitely learned some things today and will use it in the future. I cannot image hitting ice at freeway speeds. It’s unnerving enough in a car let alone a two-wheeled vehicle. I think about all the times I have ridden my mountain bike in the snow and couldn’t keep it upright I wonder what I’m thinking with the scooter.
In Pennsylvania the state is so risk-adverse that you cannot find a swimming area in a state owned lake with water over 3 feet deep. I remember visiting Thunder Hole at Acadia National Park in the late 1950’s with my parents. You could walk right up to the edge of this place as the ocean roared in—just a wild place that shook. I took Kim there a couple years ago with stories of how awesome it was. We get there, everything is paved including the trail to the think. Aluminum railing and wire around the whole thing so you can’t get within six feet of the edge. It seemed like nothing.
I was at Dead Horse Point in Utah a few years ago and walked right to the edge of the canyon and looked down that thousand feet or so. I could feel the draw, the danger. No railings or warning, just a big hole to fall into. I liked that.
One good thing came out of today’s events. When I got home Kim said I should buy an armored suit or pants or whatever I need. I said its expensive. She said “You’re worth it.”
Way to go, Kim!!!
Nothing bruised but a little ego. Glad you’re safe… and no-one saw. Keep riding.