Grayness and the Landscape
It was one of those days when the light and atmosphere changed minute by minute. And to make things even more unpredictable I was riding for the first time with fellow Vespa rider, Andy Heckathorne.
Two Vespa scooters on the road.
Riding with another person, especially for the first time, is a bit unsettling. You’re letting someone into your personal space. And you have a choice of being yourself or to put on a facade.
For me, the biggest concerns I have when riding with someone else are my slow speeds due to rubbernecking and my desire to stop and take pictures.
Andy experienced a little of both.
Photo by Andy Heckathorne
Standing Along the Road
I feel guilty being myself on the road. I stop so often to look around, make pictures or jot down a few notes that I’ve convinced myself that I have to ride alone lest I drive any riding companion crazy. Especially when I stop to think where I just sort of stand along the road doing nothing. Sometimes for a long time.
Who wants to ride with someone like that?
I’m never sure what to do when someone wants to ride with me. Or what they expect. The things I write are personal and what I experience will likely be different than their experience. We’re each on a different ride with brief moments of connection.
Most often an unspoken connection.
Andy is a relatively new rider with under ten thousand miles on his Vespa GTS 300. We didn’t discuss how he decided on a scooter instead of the more common choice of motorcycle. Perhaps an aethetic prediliction related to being a graphic artist reverberated in the classic lines of the Italian Vespa. What I do know, judging by the images on his Instagram feed, is that he likes to explore.
New roads. New places.
Two Vespa Scooters
The ride began in a heavy overcast. Riding feels more challenging when you’re not in a postcard. The changing light provides an endless reinvention of the beautiful places in central Pennsylvania. It’s a minor miracle that I ever park the Vespa. What struck me most during the ride were the dramatic shifts in atmosphere. The sky changed in brightness, hue and color. When we left I asked if he had rain gear — the gray gloom seemed to promise rain.
On Into the Mist
Moving southward through field and forest we merged from the darkness into a bright mist. Another shift in atmosphere where the threat of rain surrendered to the mysterious thrill of a landscape not fully visible or revealed — if only for a moment.
Vespa in Sunlight
And then another change. Low light sweeping through an open forest suggested a grand awakening. Strange how those thoughts are tempered by a quiet voice whispering to me, “He’ll wonder what the hell you’re stopping for again.”
If Andy had those thoughts he kept them to himself and just went to work with his camera.
On Through Morning Light
The light changed once, twice three more times. Each triggering another stop for pictures. On one stop Andy whispered the magic words — “I’m hungry.”
I suppose each of us has a word or phrase that triggers a Pavlovian response of some sort. “I’m hungry,” launches me in a flight toward food. An odd reaction considering the pedestrian palate I have with little culinary desire for adventure. I’m content to eat the same thing over and over again.
But just like that, we were off to breakfast.
Diner 22
Even the stop for food at Diner 22 was part of a swirl of the elements. Dazzling sunlight and a clearing blue sky when we arrived only lasted for a short time. Fifteen minutes into breakfast and it was raining hard and I was thinking of Andy’s helmet hanging on the handlebars collecting water.
A fine mist in the air greeted us after breakfast. A gray sky formed overhead as we prepared to ride on. I pride myself on being prepared on the road. A scooter Boy Scout accounting for the common events a rider faces. But when Andy pulled out a clean white towel to dry the saddle of his Vespa I felt rough and uncivilized. Sure, I had wrenches and parts to replace exhaust gaskets and sparkplugs. But a towel to dry the seat?
I rode off with a dry ass.
Riding Through Autumn
Every ride has a half life — that point where desire to stop and make pictures crosses with my desire to get home. Our ride meandered along winding country roads and offered numerous opportunities to stop and look around. Andy and I never discussed a protocol if HE wanted to stop. For that I apologize. It doesn’t occur to me that others may see things they want to investigate.
This stop was made to inquire on next steps in the ride. We each had commitments later in the afternoon but I inquired if there was time for a stop at the Pump Station for something to drink and bring closure to the day on our Vespa scooters.
Photo by Andy Heckathorne
Portrait of a Vespa Rider
Andy made a portrait of me during the stop. More evidence that I appear to enjoy riding the Vespa. Photographic evidence of time on the road. Triggers of memories moving quickly into the past.
Two Vespa scooters at the Pump Station
Still a rare sight–two scooters in the parking lot. And two events involving food on this ride. I often wonder if I would ride as much, or at all if there were no coffee shops or diners.
The frequency of stops these food stops is likely a testament to retirement and a release from the tyranny of regular employment. If only I knew a few years earlier.
Andy Heckathorne, Vespa rider
He’s also a graphic artist at Penn State, husband, father and who knows what else. Not to minimize the complex nature of another person, but I have to say that one thing that stood out from the day together was his Fuji camera. More specifically, how it came to be his.
Andy had attended a big Adobe conference where everyone, EVERYONE in attendance received one of these cameras. To keep. For all the years I was at Penn State and the countless conferences I attended I must have been doing it wrong. I never got squat.
Oh, the things you learn while riding…
Sort of like that first date with somebody else.
You just never know how the experiment will evolve.
The weather outside was variable, during the entire adventure.
Andy’s photo of you leaning on the Vespa revealed a different
Steve Williams. Happier, more relaxed and smiling!
Now as to that Adobe course and a free Fuji camera, corporate
based bribery IMHO!
Methinks your new riding friend was in the right place at the right time!
End of this week in November promises
below freezing temperatures and a chance of snow here in Southern Ontario. As for the hills of central Pennsylvania, who knows?
I’m always relaxed when I’m riding. Don’t often have a photographer making pictures of me though.
Fuji was definitely hoping to drive some creatives into their camp. But that’s an expensive camera/lens combo to just give away to hundreds and hundreds of people at a conference. Andy said the previous year was sponsored by Microsoft. They gave everyone a Surface tablet. Trying to drive the Adobe creative folks from Mac to PC.
Yeah, it may have been the last reasonably warm ride. Went out this morning and it was 29F. The sun was shining but the road was dicey in places and it was cold. Good test of my cold riding limits.
Ken Hall has Moto Hang, you Steve have this blog, and there’s Nittany Road Riders and the local chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association. I’m sure there are more groups in this area that I’m not aware of. Many years ago Paul had the State College Scooter Club. As a scooter rider myself, perhaps it’s time to resurrect the scooter club here? It might be fun to have recurring get-togethers and perhaps rides just for us scooterists?
There definitely are an array of clubs and riding groups in the area. But no scooter club or group I’m aware of. Back when there was one — the Top Secret Scooter Club — I wasn’t involved much save for attending a few hours or a multiple day rally. I suppose my loner tendencies keep me disconnected. But I know a lot of people have asked about a scooter club. Someone will probably start one again. It’s been 10 years since the last one.
Steve, not only your writings are effecting me, but so are you habits. I read this today drinking tea, not coffee.
Reading your post today is again like looking in a mirror. I ride solo for all the reasons you just stated. Like you, I am a stopper and a U turner. No matter how simpatico another rider is to my type of ride, I always hesitate before I stop thinking they probably don’t want to. Doing this I know can cost me in adventure. I have found a few, less than you need five fingers to count, that I am somewhat comfortable riding with. I few years ago I rode in the south of France with a friend. This was his first adventure like this so I was very careful to fully brief him that if wanted to stop, if he wanted to do something else, if he wanted to eat, if he wanted to do anything different I was ready and willing to change.
His reply was “I will be in your rear view mirror.” Years later, when we ride together and I look in the rear view mirror , there he is. The only comment he has ever made about a ride is when we reach the end of the day he will say “Man that was a great ride.” We will call him “the shadow”
Another rider I am comfortable riding with is Bill Leuthold. It took a long time to train Bill. His riding style is totally opposite of mine. Ride wide open, fuel, repeat. But over the years we have developed a working riding relationship. He will follow or lead. If he leads I will start fading in his rear view mirror. If I lead, at some time he will come roaring past and away he goes. But that is all OK. It works for us. His only trait that is annoying is that he will wring the last drop of gas out of a fuel tank. I was so hoping when he posted the other day it would be about running out of fuel. Sadly, for me, I can not say “I told you so”.
Thank you Steve for another wonderful cup of tea.
I’m a committed tea drinker. Mostly because I’ve not acquired the taste for coffee yet. Smells great. Tastes terrible to me. Someday.
Like you, I hesitate before stopping when riding with someone else. Even with my friend Paul who is happy to stop and take pictures I don’t stop like I would alone. Just seems like too much. I’ve looked at my image takes from a four hour ride and sometimes see I have stopped 25 times. Or more. You don’t get far doing that. When I ride with someone I can get frustrated because I’m passing things I want to stop and look at. It’s good for me though to be a little more social.
Riders are an interesting lot. Some love to follow and not have to make decisions. Others want to break away and explore. And still others want to race. Mix us up and we sort of figure things out ok.
I drink hot chocolate too!
I have learned over the years that if I stop within the first thirty minutes of a ride and take a picture, that sets the tone for the trip. If I push on and miss that stop for some reason my mind gets into the “let”s ride” mind set and for some reason stopping gets harder.
I think the same happens with me. Never thought a lot about it until your comment but it makes sense.
I share your worries that anyone riding with me will wonder and perhaps be vexed at all the stopping I might do to take pictures….I find it easier to ride alone, one less thing to worry about.
I like the portrait shot of a Vespa Rider!
Riding alone is definitely easiest. But not always best. It’s a nice change of pace to ride with someone.
Hi Steve ,
Thought of you this AM on my way to Erie for an appointment. The sun was coming up under a frosty fog turning it orange and the setting moon was visible just above the fog bank. My thought process went: 1.stop, 2.you’ll be late, 3. Steve would have turned around.
I would love to find someone to ride with who would not be bothered by frequent Photo stops.
Doug
You need to find a photographer who rides. Most everyone else won’t understand all the stops.
I turn around a fair amount…
A photographer who rides or a rider who photographs? I always have a camera with me and I do stop here and there whilst a shoot or ride battle rages inside? Sometimes I really have to work at stopping the bike I am so immersed in the movement, however, I am never disappointed when I do pause. The sweet and sour.
Stopping is all part of that going slow idea. Difficult to interrupt the momentum. Even harder to turn around and go back for a stop. Takes a lot of practice but the act does have its own rewards. Just different. Like you say — sweet and sour.
Steve,
I had a great time and look forward to riding with you again. Hopefully sooner than later.
It’s interesting reading about the thoughts you had as we were riding, especially since I can contrast them to my own. My frame of mind was much different when I first arrived for the ride, still caught up in the busyness of getting my 3 boys off to school as well as remembering all my riding gear and realizing I needed to fuel up the Vespa. Arriving late for our first ride would not leave a good first impression!
The first photography stop we made caught me by surprise, and looking back I realize I was still in a task-oriented mode. You did a U-turn and initially I thought something was wrong. Your quiet demeanor as you took out your camera and began looking through the viewfinder jolted me back to mindfulness and why were out there. It was a great reminder and just what I needed. I could feel the stress leave and the rest of the morning was peaceful and filled with gratitude for the opportunity to ride.
I don’t have any aspirations to be a professional photographer, but I do enjoy learning craft of picture-taking at a leisurely pace and it overlaps well into my world of art and design. It was enjoyable seeing what images would catch your eye and prompt a stop. At times I felt a bit guilty shooting in some of the same spaces because they felt like yours, since you had discovered them. After seeing the images you captured here on your blog, I realize those feelings are misguided. You were seeing the same scenes in a much different and more compelling way. I found the entire experience to be satisfying and relaxing..more of that in my life, please.
Funny that I had a towel to keep my ass dry but didn’t think through using my helmet as a rain-catcher. Priorities, right?
It was an enjoyable ride. We had fine weather and it was nice to have company. And a Vespa in the rear view mirror!
The cold may interfere a bit with riding opportunities. I was out yesterday morning with the thermometer pointing at 29F. Going to take me awhile to get used to that. Don’t know what your riding limitations are in regard to temperature. Requires some serious insulation from cold air to ride.
I think we each bring our own mind to a ride and no doubt the thoughts will be quite different. What is working for me may be miles away from where you are. That’s the gift of being unique individuals. No need to conform to anyone’s ideas but your own. For me, riding helps me discover what those important ideas are.
No worries about shooting the same things I do. I’m always amazed how different things look even when shot from the same place. The person pushing the shutter button imparts a unique view to a scene.
Stay in touch. Perhaps the next ride can be you, Paul and I. So you have the BMW perspective!
I’m not yet sure of my cold weather riding limitations, but do plan to experiment a bit in this area. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m planning to ride to work this morning and the weather app is currently reading 31°F which might be the coldest I’ve tried so far. (Of course we are only talking a 20 minute commute.)
Getting the BMW perspective sounds great. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Paul a bit at the MotoHang and would get a kick out of tagging along with you both at some point.
A colleague of mine attended this year’s Adobe conference in Las Vegas. She returned with no amazing giveaway items. Perhaps that experiment didn’t go as well as they’d planned?
“I often wonder if I would ride as much, or at all if there were no coffee shops or diners.”
Bullseye! Often an excuse and a reflective pause for and on my/our wanderings.
Reflective pause…. I think that’s a great blog post title. I think I’ll have to steal that! Sort of like the ad slogan, “the pause that refreshes.” Can’t remember if that involved soda pop or cigarettes….
“Andy experienced a little of both.”
My brain read that in Morgan Freeman’s voice, a la Shawshank Redemption.
(I’m a friend of Andy’s, by the way, so he often gets the voiceover treatment in my head.)
He’ll have to be careful others don’t see that. He may end up with the nickname Dufresne…
State College Scooter Club: I still have the password for the Yahoo club “Top Secret Scooter Club” of State College if I look around some. Any one can start the club up again but I’m too busy to organize it. But I’ll be a member. Contact me (Kitty) if you want the club keys and I’ll get you started. Paul “Key Man” Ruby
If you and Kitty are going to do something — a private Facebook group would probably be better than a Yahoo one. My two cents.