Embracing Cold Weather
There’s been some cold, gray days lately. Add wind and it get miserable. The transition from warm weather to cold has grown more difficult the past few years. In part because of physical changes, but mostly mental hurdles of my own creation. Riding a Vespa below freezing has changed.
I converted this photograph to black and white because it more accurately reflects the way I have been feeling lately on the road with the scooter. No wonder or joy.
Fog and Steam
Made this photograph right after I arrived at Saint’s Cafe. The frozen lens on my little Canon G15 camera immediately fogs up when it comes in contact with the steamy air of the coffee shop and gives the picture a little misty look.
If there’s one thing about winter riding that is still exhilarating it’s coming in from the cold. The wonderful feeling that comes from heat remains something I look forward to.
Reflecting on Cold Weather
I used to like cold weather. Something’s happened though. A litany of nagging physical issues has turned cold weather into a nuisance. At times worse — a danger — to my body. Some might wonder why I even consider riding when it’s cold. I can only confess an attraction to the challenge.
Looking at myself reflected in a window in a local bank I wonder who I am. Or am becoming. If I park the Vespa for the winter — that’s not a good omen.
For me.
Relearning How to Ride in Cold Weather
It’s easy to ride in the winter on clear roads with no traffic. But that’s not alway the environment I ride through.
On the way into town I was reminded of how suddenly things can change on the road. Not far from the house is a big intersection with a traffic light. I’ll normally move through at 45mph. Fortunately, the light turned red and I had to stop. As I slowed I could see a sheet of ice stretching across both lanes and extending about 15 feet into the intersection. Had I hit that at 45mph, well, I like to tell myself I would have just let the scooter roll straight through but I’m not sure that would have worked. It was difficult to navigate across at a crawl when the light turned green.
Winter riding lesson — even when the roads appear clear and dry you need to be scanning and looking constantly. I wasn’t. Haven’t fully dusted off my winter riding skills yet.
And I probably won’t for awhile. The Vespa is off the road for a bit — perhaps into next year. But that’s a story for another post.
You should follow your gut feeling, first and foremost. Whether it’s your body or your mind, there is a message there and it’s probably worth listening to. And I wouldn’t necessarily look at it as ‘not a good omen’. It might just be the opposite – as somewhat evidenced by the ice sheet story, too. For example, it could be that cold muscles might not really work well with a shot back… I’m quite certain they don’t.
I say: Take the cold season off and come back with a renewed sense of joy and motivation to ride that scooter through spring into the summer. No harm in that. Just a bit of wisdom.
Happy Holidays from Berlin, Germany (where we are also a bit challenged to really feel the joy at the moment), and as always thank you for your insightful and thoughtful posts.
My wife has taught me to trust my gut. Before I met her I was a more mechanistic thinker with the world and everything else being black and white, right and wrong. That’s certainly an easier way to exist but it usually leads to some stupid results. At least for me.
I’ll be off the scooter for awhile and during that time I’ll be regrouping physically and mentally. 2017 will bring a different Vespa rider…
Best wishes to you for the holidays. And strength to cope with the insanity visited on your fair city.
When I read your posts Steve each seems to have a tone of worry about riding in this weather because of your body conditions that have changed. Many people have trouble adjusting. Be careful you don’t hurt yourself in this weather and lose the riding in the safer weather.
Thanks for the words of warning Brent. Your thoughts are spot on. I can get stubborn about things. Like wanting to ride the Vespa to the ER when I had a heart attack. Fortunately my wife told me not to be an idiot and had someone drive me. I can have the same tunnel vision in the cold. I’ll heed your warnings…
I generally try not to dwell on the dark things that can happen during a ride. If I feel any apprehension I use the car. I don’t generally ride in weather below 35 degrees anymore. I don’t enjoy it and, secondly, I know the cold slows my physical reactions, so vital to survival on the road. Listen to your head Steve. The heart isn’t always a good advisor.
I’m looking forward to your corrosion repair and abatement story. First person reviews of a machine that’s aging is always enlightening.
Jim, I’m getting more like you these days and choose the car without feeling like a failure.
Not sure where the corrosion repair stands. I’ll have to stop by and see how things are going.
The B/W photo seems to be reality during the winter. Color seems unusual in the world of various shades of grey. Fresh snow does wonders to brighten things up. I was wondering how the rust/repair/paint was going.
Some days seem more black and white to me. I remember when winter was always in color. Bright. Technicolor. Old age changes things.
Unsure how the rust work is going. Will stop by next week to see.
Good morning Steve. Your present and past advice about riding in cold weather has made me very cautious about riding in very cold weather. I now have my Vespa hooked up to the battery-tender. Will just ride another day when it is warmer. You know the saying: “Better safe than sorry.”
Wishing you and your family a Blessed Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Thanks for all your blogs during 2016.
Karl
I’m more cautious in the cold weather too Karl. Better safe than sorry is good advice.
Thanks for the holiday wishes. I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas as well!
Ice can make life way too exciting while sliding along on it. Probably would have been OK as long as you made zero steering inputs while on top of it; though at 45 mph, that’d be faster than I’ve ever been on ice….snow is different.
I’m not sure. I think things would have gone drastically wrong when I hit the ice even with zero inputs on the bars. Ugh. Ugly picture…
I am a firm believer in not riding when you are not up to the task, so to me your decision seem sound to me. You are facing so many changes right now, it seems normal to question what you knew compared to what might be. Your blog has been a touchstone to me over the last couple of years. Besides the beautiful pictures and well crafted words it’s made me feel less alone in dealing with decisions of my own choosing and those that life has chosen to put on my plate.
I think a lot of what has been going on with me lately is adjusting the natural changes in my body due to age and changes in health with the way things used to be. Change is not always welcome, especially when viewed as a reduction in capability or freedom.
And thank you for the kind words of support about the things I write here. I do appreciate them.
Dear steve,
There is no shame in not rolling the winter when one gets older, or when one is tired. The experience of the road makes us more suspicious and the precautionary principle applies more often. Over time, we reflect on the consequences of what might happen. Certainly, there is less madness in life, but no matter the destination, or the means, only the desire to leave …
In french:
Cher steve,
Il n’y a pas de honte de moins rouler l’hiver quand on prend de l’âge, ou quand on est fatigué. L’expérience de la route fait que nous sommes plus méfiant et le principe de précaution s’applique plus souvent. Avec le temps, on réfléchit aux conséquences de ce qui pourrait arriver. Certes, il y a moins de folie dans le vie, mais peut importe la destination, ou le moyen, seul compte l’envie de partir…
Laurent from France.
Wise words Laurent. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Being thoughtful about life, experience and actions is a lot of work!
When I was a child, winter was my favorite season. Not so anymore. I did very much enjoy a 30 mile ride yesterday when the temperature reached 31 ~33. Re. ice. Again I say, YRAL! What the h*ll are you waiting for?
It’s been awhile since I did a long ride in the cold. I realized the other day that my standard for cold riding is messed up. I did a ride from Boalsburg to Altoona and back when it was -12F. Over 100 miles in pretty cold weather on my Vespa LX150. And no heated gear. That was years ago. And I shouldn’t use that as my standard. Crazy.
URAL. Pricey. Not yet.
My cold-weather riding hardiness has been tempered a bit over the last five years (first four without an engine), but I still hit the road for necessary stuff, which these days includes shopping forays and twice-weekly (or so) commutes to the small NJTransit hub in Long Branch, NJ, some six miles from home. This is has been a tad challenging of late (had a late-night return from the station last week where it was 22° F and blustery, and I got a rather brutal reminder that my MC gauntlet gloves were decent down to about 35° F), and had a minor Ice Capades episode in my own driveway the other night, but besides that, it’s been almost enjoyable. Since I’m expecting a winter of sizable accumulation at times, I also expect the Vespa to be idle, and in the shed, perhaps a week or so at a time. Not so long a stretch to have to fret about a battery tender (gonna get one anyway), but enough to be prudent regarding honest road conditions. But it really does feel wonderful to be out and rolling, cold or no.
Non-electric gloves at 22F are never enough. That’s just cold. Even with electric gloves, unless you are shielded from wind, they aren’t warm enough for me.
But cold aside, it is always great to be riding. I crave it. And that’s why I brave the winter. Perhaps there are 12 step groups for riders like me…