Vespa Scooter in the Snow
This photograph is from a snow storm ride last March. Strangely, I enjoyed the challenge of it. And importantly, I wasn’t cold. But things change.
And it’s affecting my winter riding.
The scooter is willing but the rider is weak. Riding a Vespa scooter in winter isn’t rocket science. It’s just a matter of configuring the machine in a way to help accommodate the cold. Could mean a windscreen, Termoscud apron, winter tires, heated grips or any of a wide range to tricks and solutions to address the special circumstances encountered when you ride a Vespa scooter in winter.
Or a motorcycle or any other device or machine that exposes you to the elements.
That’s the easy part. I know how to do those things. And I have a pretty good handle on the mental stuff as well. All the subtle and not so subtle adjustments you have to make to your riding style. Or techniques you develop to deal with unexpected or sudden encounters with snow or ice.
Check. I’m good with that stuff.
But there’s one last thing that’s just killing me. I can’t get warm.
I’m Always Cold
Seriously, I’m almost always cold. Not while riding. But in the house and out in the world doing the stuff you do on a day to day basis. My body can’t seem to shake the feeling of being cold unless I have the the heat blasting at 78F. A problem considering Kim would prefer the house to be a balmy 55F. And when I have that cold to the core feeling — that’s where I run the risk of developing Chilblains (a painful, pain in the ass condition) if I venture outside.
Vespa Scooter in Winter
The definition of cold changes. My definition anyways. A month ago 38F was cold and required some mental gymnastics to get out on the road. Over time my mind and body becomes tempered to the lower temperatures. Paul Ruby and I took a nice ride through the late autumn countryside to Altoona for breakfast. Paul was approaching the limit of his cold weather riding on his BMW while I was just beginning the descent into cold weather riding.
Or so I thought.
Skin Cracking Cold
I was doing well. Riding at 20F and down into the upper teens. Head was in a good place and was pleased how warm I got stay on the scooter with the new Termscud. Seemed like a fine season of winter riding was unfolding.
And then the temperature dropped and the wind started to blow. Really cold. The kind of cold that makes your hands dry out and bleed. And now I can’t get warm. And when that happens all bets are off in regard to riding. The dogs are lucky I go outside with them for a short time. And that’s suited for an excursion on the dark side of the moon.
Dangerous Signs
I knew something was wrong when I started ordering hot soup at Duffy’s Tavern rather than chocolate cake. I’ve searched the medical literature for a differential diagnosis but so far it’s eluded me. But there’s something seriously, critically impaired by the cold. I want to ride. But I don’t want to ride.
Oh well. I can only hope it passes and is nothing more than an end of year rant.
Interesting post Steve.
Can I ask – did you grow up where you live or somewhere more clement?
I ask because I grew up in the North of England and I really find the approach of colder weather enjoyable. Yes I’m cold but it seems to enliven me rather than make me avoid going out in it.
Annoyingly I’m off the Vespa at the moment after a theft (and remarkable recovery) of the scooter a month ago has meant it’s in for repair.
Ride safe and all the very best for 2018
Ken
I’ve lived in Pennsylvania all my life and for a long, long time I enjoyed winter. Winter backpacking was my preferred hiking experience since it wasn’t hot and far less insects. And people. The cold weather was invigorating. But the past few years I haven’t often been able to muster the baseline warmth to head out the door with a smile on my face.
Sorry to hear about your scooter theft. Glad you had the remarkable recovery. Not the common outcome.
Hope the new year finds you and your family well and the Vespa back in your life!
Good morning Steve.
I have been told that as we age our arteries begin to close, hardening of the arteries, and that is why our blood does not flow like it used to earlier in our life. The result is that our body gets cold more easily. Maybe that is why nursing homes keep the temperatures higher for their seniors. Since this is a natural occurrence I would just accept it gracefully and wear some thermal underwear.
Have a good day and a Happy New Year.
Karl
I only have two pairs of long underwear. It’s time to do what my father did — from November to March long underwear was always in place. Looked at some on the LL Bean site and choked at the cost. I quit buying the quilted cotton stuff in favor of the poly/wool blends which do a better job. But the prices…
So here’s to getting old and cold. Happy New Year!
I thought I remembered you taking a blood thinner. My FIL was on that and never got warm in the winter.
The overwhelming concensus on AdvRider is to use Merino wool undergarments top, bottom, socks, head buff/balaclava (best is seamless). Do not use cotton! Then an insulating layer like more wool, smartfleece, etc. Then an air barrier layer like Goretex.
I ordered some wool long underwear from LL Bean a few hours ago. Like donning extra, insulating skin. Not going to let a few pills stop me from riding.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Good morning Steve.
Well, last night’s overnight temperature was a local record-low here in the Great White North of -32 C, or about -26 F. (it sounds more impressive when you say 26 below zero), so we know exactly what you mean. My experience echos Karl’s point about shrinking arteries as we age. Add to that the fact that a number of us older folks are either borderline or full-blown diabetics, which shrinks your arteries even more and makes you feel the cold more acutely, especially in your extremities.
I find the best cure when it goes this low is to do a “Peter Egan”… that is, dress warmly, stoke up the fire in the shop stove, invite a couple of similarly-afflicted friends over and break out that bottle of single malt that you’ve been saving for just such a day, along with the Cuban cigars (remember, we’re in Canada). Then the you sit there in lawn chairs recalling momentous rides from years past, admiring you bike collection and telling each other how fast you used to be. Works for me every time!
Anyway, have a Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours!
Cheers,
Jim
26 below zero…. ugh.
The Egan solution sounds great. I’ve been waiting for a heating contractor to show up with some bids for a direct vent natural gas heater in the workroom outside my darkroom. Looking forward to blasting the heat and hanging out on cold days. No single malt or Cuban cigars though. Or at least I don’t think so.
The beginnings of a man cave and place to tell stories. Great plan.
All the best for the coming year!
Jim Danniels hit iy on the head, it is cold out there and getting colder by
each passing moment.
Global warming? Not at present.
However take comfort you don’t have to outside in this temperature working on an outside project that must be completed, i.e. a watermain break.
BTW did you doctor prescribe a blood thinner after your stent surgery? That will thin
your blood somewhat; so will age and then there is we “just” feel the cold more as we age.
Diabetics can render us colder than we should be as noted.
Methinks until it becomes somewhat more warm the Vespa shall be parked and the four-wheel skateboard (Honda Fit) shall be operated.
I’ve been on blood thinners for over two years now. He said if I can stand them to keep taking them. No diabetes though. And I’m naturally cold I think. Just didn’t think much of it a few years ago. Now I’m constantly layered and sneaking opportunities to warm my hands on toasters and ovens when the situation arises.
Am thinking of taking a New Year’s eve ride. Or in the afternoon. But it’s cold. Single digits. We’ll see.
Happy New Year! Yeah, the older I get, the colder I get.
BTW, had the chocolate cake at Duffy’s after your last post mentioning it.
So, what did you think of the chocolate cake?
Most excellent.
I know the feeling. I used to jump out of bed to go snow blow our drive, several aging neighbors drives and the side walk. Something about seeing flying snow or dreaming of running a rotary plow on a railroad. Not so much this yearend it’s -6F here this AM. and even gloved fingers are getting cold at 32F.
Happy New Year to all!
Too cold to contemplate doing much. I don’t fly out the door anymore either. It’s more like a series of quick little trips in and out.
Have a great New Year!
Happy new year Steve! Wish I could help you with the cold. It’s been cold up here in Ont this Winter with a very White Christmas. I’m about to go out and snow blow the end of the drive where the plow came by this morning. That’s what woke me up. It’s been great having the week off and tomorrow too. Brent
I am glad to be retired and not forced to brave the cold if I don’t feel like it. Heard the snow plow yesterday morning. It has a distinctive winter sound.
All the best in the coming year.
Tis even too cold for four wheels this morning and last night I cranked the house up a couple of Fahrenheit degrees. Happy New Year Steve and you know that at this stage of the game it will be Spring before we know it!
Spring seems so far off. But it does arrive.
I’m always trying to inch the temperature up in the house but Kim likes it cold. In my office upstairs now and have things on 78F. I’m a wimp.
Hi Steve,
We all have to face change at different points in our lives. Sounds like your body is telling you it’s time for change. As you already know, change usually isn’t welcome, nor is it always pleasant. I still enjoy your musings even when you’re not braving the elements on two wheels. Life lessons shared are life lessons not forgotten.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
You’re right about change not usually welcome. I try to be open to it but sometimes it all feels a bit much.
Aging certainly has introduced some new twists in life. The weather is just one.
All the best to you and your family for a Happy New Year!
Haha—our group shared your post and had a gut laugh about choosing the soup. We have been enjoying your musings and also riding through the winter, here in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Happy New Year from the Chasing Ghost. On Scooters. In Bars podcast.
Yeah, soup, especially tomato, is a pretty weak statement. It was great tasting though! Next time I’ll not take a picture and instead borrow someone’s steak or something for a photo!
Best wishes to your scooter group for a safe and fun new year. I’ll keep musing on the cold until I get it right.
Looking forward!
I second the medication theory. I was on anti-convulsants for a few years and cold weather hit me hard. I couldn’t even comfortably swim in an unheated pool in summer because of it. Once was taken off them the cold didn’t seem to bother me as badly.
My practice in my old age though is that if it takes me longer to gear up than it does to get there I use the car. The heat and wind protection is much better on four wheels.
The formula you use won’t work for me for most of my riding since I have no destination or expectations. But a heated car is a luxury. Love feeling the heat blasting from the vents. I’m surprised I ride at all in the winter considering how seductive heat is for me.
Ken Day is correct: there are a lot of positives to the cold season. So too, is there much to be said for electric seat heaters (!) and doors that close.
Bryce Lee raises a good point: some medications can contribute, as can low thyroid output. Intolerance of cold is a classic symptom of hypo-thryoidism.
Warmest(!) regards and best wishes for a healthy, happy 2018 and beyond….
John
I don’t think I’ve ever had my thyroid tested. My dad was on thyroid medication. Guess I should have that checked. Cold, tired… maybe I’m not old!
Have a great new year John. All the best to you, your wife and family. Stay warm!
Hi Steve…….I have been reading and enjoying your posts for years
now. When I had my stent surgery a year ago I started taking a blood
thinner and that’s when the “cold” set in. I was warm blooded before
that. I’m sure that’s the culprit. I am a year older than you.
Adjustments to be made……….Take care!
NJ Steve.
The change correlates to the blood thinner for me too. So it’s likely the culprit. I’m making adjustments but man it’s rough some days…
Have a great new year!
Hi, Steve,
Happy New Years to you and the family.
In respect to you being cold, I’ve found that when I get back from a cold (?) ride, there is nothing that warms me up as much as 15 minutes in the hot tub set at 102 degrees! But I am finding, these days, staying in much beyond 15 really does sap me for the rest of the day!
Good luck finding a solution to a vexing problem.
Regards,
Karl U
A hot tub would be nice. Really, really nice…
Ahhhhh… Duffy’s Tavern, I remember it well.
Can you believe that it seems like just a few weeks ago?
Time flies as September turns into… New Year’s Eve.
All the best to you, Kim, Paul, and the pooches for the New Year!
Scary how fast the days pass. It does seem like you were just here and it was hot outside. What happened???
Best wishes to you and your family for a great new year.
Steve;
When I was young, I used to dream of waking up in a snow covered cabin in the mountains, and “walking in a winter wonderland”.
Now, in my sixties, I dream of waking up in Miami Beach…
I can’t seem to get warm either. The KLR has been winterized, and until it warms up here, it will stay that way, unfortunately.
Hah. I understand the shift to warmer dreams. Still admire the winter wonderlands but practically speaking they’re less and less endurable.
I’m not ready to winterize the Vespa yet. I know many do but it just seems as if there are so many clear and relatively warm days where I can ride. The big question I suppose is what qualifies as relatively warm. That’s pretty subjective.
Bollocks. Cold enough to make your hands bleed is too damned cold. I have no advice but I wish you well. I am retiring to colder climes in a few years. I’m starting to get nervous about how I’m going to cope. I think heading south in winter will be our strategy.
The cold, dry air reeks havoc on skin. So many painful cracks regardless of how much skin cream I rub into my hands. This only started happening in the last couple years. Another aspect of aging no doubt.
When you move — just don’t move too far north. It’s 3F outside right now. I’m not going for a ride. Heading to dreamland…
Steve,
Let’s see: since my 3 AM Winter Wonderland Wipeout a few weeks back, leaving me just a tad spooked (and, in a correction of my previous “zero-damage” report, a small scrape on Melody’s underside beneath the floorboard), I’ve been out on several subfreezing runs, the coldest I’ve managed has been 19° F with my barely-adequate-at-that-point Joe Rocket SubZero gloves (yes, a name that screams BS every time I slip them on). But at least it was dry and (mostly) ice-free.
Now? No dice…single-digit temps and snow/ice in way too many places to play Ice Capades with Melody again – at least the hit she took was someplace I didn’t even notice till coming out of the supermarket last ride out, and a bit of work will make the damage totally disappear; the next slip, I might not be so lucky. And yes, riding or walking,good thermal undies are your friend – I bought my first new thermals in years less than two months after buying the Vespa in September ’15. I bought some old-school waffle-type tops ‘n bottoms by Hanes back then; a few weeks back, I got a few sets by 32° Heat from Costco (about $14 for top & bottom), which make the Hanes feel like suiting up in sandpaper. Went to get more, and, wouldn’t you know it, they ran out of tops – got another pair of bottoms while I could. Now, even in in the silly-low double-digits, and fully suited up, I’m just warm enough, save for my damn digits. Need an extra hundred bucks for some good heated gloves, and by cracky, I’ll find ’em. (Legally, of course…)
Anyway, home is where the heart (and heat) is. Me, the wife and Tapper the Wonder Cat wish you, Kim and your Wonder Pups a happy, (seriously) healthy New Year. (And ride-friendly weather soon.)
Sorry to hear about the undiscovered marks on your scooter. I remember the feeling though it was long, long ago. I have a rat scooter now. Looks good from a distance but doesn’t hold up well on close inspection.
Riding in the cold is certainly a challenge. Long underwear is a savior but I’ve seen myself migrate from the Hanes waffle variety through synthetics to now expecting a shipment of considerably more expensive Merino wool versions. The things we do to stay warm.
Hope the new year is going well. Keep warm in the cold and the approaching storm.
Happy new year Steve and family and the doggies. Enjoy the cold we are in 106 F now. Or 41 degree C. Thinking of you all trying to get warm and we are desperate for the night time temperatures to cool things down. Form what I see on the TV news lost of snow your end. Take care on your scooter in that weather and just love your pictures. Form Montagu South Africa.
Wow. 106F. Sounds delightful from a perch at 1F. I’ve only ridden in temperatures over 100F a couple times and it was miserable. So I feel for your hopes that the night brings some relief.
We dodged the heavy snow that fell about 180 miles from here — four feet in 24 hours or some such nonsense. We only got an inch or so. But it has been cold and getting colder.
Thanks for commenting. Stay in touch. Always nice to hear about warm weather when I’m freezing!
I’ve always enjoyed the cold, and still do, but these extreme cold temps have me longing for warmer times. Fortunately I’ve rarely experienced that just-can’t-get-warm feeling, and it’s usually after being outside too long, but I understand it can be miserable. Hopefully the new layers help. I tend to dress in layers in winter because I’m always too warm. One day, I’m sure the tide will turn for me. I do have another suggestion for you, try keeping different parts of your body warmer and see if that helps. Sometimes if I’m really cold, wrapping my neck in a scarf helps. When my neck is warm, I’m warm all over. You might also try wearing a hat indoors. I’m not a fan of knit hats personally but have friends who wear them indoors in winter to combat that constant-cold feeling.
Your suggestion of keeping different parts warm has merit. I’m always amazed at how one cold spot can spread misery throughout my body. But one warm spot can also spread a warm feeling. I notice it with my electric gloves — when I feel the heat my mind focuses there. Same with the heated grips. I’ve been considering an electric vest for that reason.
I’ll try the scarf idea. Makes sense. I wear them when I walk but never on the scooter. But it just might make a difference. Thanks for the suggestion.
Wow! I give you credit, no way in you know what you’ll catch me going out in anything below 60 degrees. Yep, I’m a fair weather rider. I live in the midwest, and we’re lucky to get 7 months of decent riding weather. I’m counting down the months before I can get back out. By my count, I’ve got another 2 months to go.
When I first started riding I would feel cold at 70 degrees. But my desire, indeed craving to get back on the scooter to ride, kept me going in colder and colder temperatures. Over time I found that, probably attired, I could ride in very cold weather. All the way down to -18F. And then I tried some snow and ice. And on and on. Now, anything down to 35F is pretty warm weather in my mind.
I have a lot of riding clothes to keep me warm though!