sojourner: Thanks for your kind words about the pictures. Fall is a great backdrop for photography.

Comfort is essential to riding in the cold. Without it I don’t see any reason why I would venture out. We all have choices and I choose to dress up and ride as the temperature goes down.

There is nothing more distracting than being uncomfortable on a motorcycle because one is too hot or too cold. Proper riding gear is simply a must to stay focused, comfortable and riding as long as weather–and courage–permits.

I have friends who refuse to “waste” their time to properly dress to ride in winter. The result is tha tthey take the car or public transportation, and it actually take them more time to get wherever it is they have to go…

amazonsun: Thanks for the kinds words. I understand how it feels to not be able to ride because the roads are bad. Last winter was pretty mild here so I never had to go more than a week. But we have had winters (not since I’ve had the Vespa) that would keep me off the road for weeks.

pvino: I appreciate the front of the scooter more and more over time. It offers a lot of protection. If I keep saying that I will start thinking about windshields…

Thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures – Fall is a great time of the year for scooting. This one of the many reasons scooters are great for year round rides – its leg shield.

Phil

I’m another year-round scooter from Colorado and it’s not as crazy as some seem to think. I’m in the city, not the mountains – huge difference. We don’t really get much snow or ice, so riding through the winter is not difficult, providing you gear up appropriately. Last year, the longest I went without riding, due to bad weather conditions, was 1.5 weeks! And let me tell you…it was pretty tough going that long without scooting!

I gear up similar to you, but this year I’m looking forward to my new Corazzo Lap Apron (scooter skirt) that I just received as a gift! What a HUGE difference that makes! 🙂

orin: There are indeed many places to get suitable gear for riding besides motorcycle stores. I got my Mountain Hardware windproof jacket at a local outdoor store. Same with the ski mask and some other things. Lots of options when you start thinking about it.

Armored gear is the only stuff I really need to turn to the motorcycle world for.

modchen: Riding in a Colorado winter must be a huge leap in difficulty from what I face here in the East. Be careful out there.

I just talked to a guy over the weekend who uses one of those skirts on his GTV and says it is fantastic. They have always looked so complicated to me but he said they’re simple.

irondad: You are and remain the riding guru. At least it appears that way from where I sit. I’m merely the enthusiastic amateur.

Getting caught on the road in a serious weather change without the right gear is no fun. I’m really careful now to make sure that doesn’t happen. I’m sure as you say that more than one accident was caused because a shivering rider couldn’t pay enough attention.

Not all rides start in the cold or rain. Conditions often change between the start and the end of a ride. Proper gear makes a rider comfortable. In turn, this improves the ability to concentrate on skillful riding and managing risk.

I always wonder how many crashes are caused by riders who are distracted by adverse conditions they’re not dressed for.

Leather and long underwear are my friends. This year I’m thinking about making a riding skirt, similar to these: http://www.scooterskirts.com/productDetails.html

no sense buying something like that when you have a sewing machine, imo.