Today was the day I tried the Vespa up Pine Grove Mountain. The temperature was 22 degrees F. when I left the house and the wind was blowing stongly at about 20 MPH. As I traveled across PA Route 45 I felt the stronger gusts buffet the scooter. There weren’t many cars on the road so I had the world to myself. It’s 4 or 5 miles from Pine Grove Mills to the overlook at the crest of Pine Grove Mountain. This road is one of the notorious snow closed routes in central Pennsylvania and the Department of Transportation does their best to keep in open by dumping tons and tons of gravel and salt. As I made my way up the mountain at times it seemed like a gravel road. I took it wasy through the curves and was able to maintain almost 45 MPH up the mountain.
The parking lot at the overlook was ice so I was careful riding across it onto the small gravel area at the edge. The wind was strong and my hands froze right away as I fumbled to get the camera into play. I’m going to have to work on some winter camera solution that doesn’t keep finding my hands numb.
The ride back down the hill was uneventful. A stop for gas at the Shell station at the bottom was an opportunity to warm my hands. Not sure what they were doing inside but it was so humid that my visor and glasses fogged up to the point I could not see anything. I fumbled for wallet and glasses long enough to get warm.
On the way back towards town I stopped along a cornfield just to stare down the road. I just love the roads that are empty–just me and the world. 
From there I made my way to Saints Cafe in State College for a cup of hot chocolate and a bagel. My dreams of bacon and eggs faded during the ride. Stopped at the library for a few minutes and then on to Kissell Motorsports to check out riding pants and have them take some oil out of the Vespa’s crankcase. Seems it was overfilled a bit.
Couldn’t find the pants I needed so I think I will patronize one of the sponsors of The Baron in Winter and buy a pair of Darien pants from Aerostich.
Home now basking in the glow that always comes after a cold ride.
Aaah can’t beat a weekend ride. I think I shall have one tomorrow. Lovely pics Steve. I really like the flat fields in the second one, nice feeling of space.
What it must be like to ride on a weekend just for fun and relaxation. I’m going to have to quit teaching classes and training instructors on weekends. I get to ride a million miles but it seems to be all business. You are starting to inspire me to get my front off the fast lane!
It’s easy to be consumed by business. I struggle to keep time open for myself. The feelings that I am being selfish or unproductive are hard to resist. Career demands are great, I am finishing my MFA, I have been teaching at the university, I have pursued photography obsessively, I have a family and friends, and now riding on top of that. There are times that everything seems like business….
That’s not why I’m on the earth. I need to step off the fast lane.
Here’s a thought on the Aerostich pants for what it’s worth. I have both Darien and Roadcrafter pants. The Roadcrafters are about $90.00 more. I know it’s easy to be free with someone else’s money. I have to share this anyway. The Darien pants have no liner, just knee pads. They also seem harder to get on and off due to the zipper arrangement. The Roadcrafters are lined and easier to use for me. Plus there are better pockets. In the long run, the Roadcrafters will be, in my opinion, hugely more than worth the extra money. If you buy the Roadcrafters you might want to consider getting the bib-strap attachments. They hang from your shoulders more and it keeps them up better.
Anyway, just feedback from a long time user.
Dan
Thanks Dan. I’m not sure why I am having so much trouble deciding on pants. Part of me doesn’t want to spend the money. And I am always nervous buying clothes sight unseen. And part of me says the sailing pants are fine after all they are waterproof, codura nylon with kevlar reinforcing throughout. The ocean pours out a lot of punishment when you are being wrestled to the deck or into lines and shrouds by waves. The only thing missing is the armor.
The more I ride the more things I want and need. Already I am dreaming of another bike. Before I bought the Vespa I had my eyes on the BMW F650, the KLR650, Honda Nighthawk 750 and the BMW 1150 GS. My plans to ride the Vespa around here, say a 100 to 150 mile radius has turned into “gee, if I had a motorcycle I could run up to Nova Scotia”.
This is the part of anything I do that gets annoying. The gimme more part.
The cornfield picture reminded me of where I grew up.
I know what you mean about gimme more. The older I get that less that happens for me.
regards,
jim
I have to agree with Jim. I still would like to be able to have a lot of different bikes to play with. I do find that I am more content to have less and work on getting the most out of what I have. At the bike shop the other day a guy came in and was talking about trading in a CBR600 for a CBR1000. He claimed he had wrung all he could out of the 600. When I looked at the tires there were wide “chicken strips” on them. This guy had only explored speed. There is so much more the same bike could offer. When I get something new I want to say truthfully that I have fully explored what the old could do, first.
Dan
Okay – hold the phone…..
Why do you obsess about buying a pair of pants – especially ones that cost $100? Stop that! You bought Danner boots that were like $200 and you love them! Go buy yourself some pants and quit obsessing. *THEN* treat yourself to a cookie. Within minutes – you will forget all about how you spent time obsessing about buying pants. 😉 Besides – you are done growing – and the worst thing you can look forward to is getting fatter (from riding for cookies). One pair of pants should last you for quite a while. 😉
Jason and I can treat you to some scooter things for your birthday – get you some protective summer (or winter) clothes, more camera equiptment, etc. Just remember – I try very hard to avoid visiting hospitals and funeral homes. 😛
OK—there goes my daughter weighing in on me. You ahve to realize that her vehicle of choice for many years was a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. In her tender high school and college years she tooled around in that monster.
I’m going to buy some armored pants but last time I looked the Roadcrafters were $397. Yikes!! So I’m not so quick to jump until I look around a bit. It will take a few chocolate chip cookies to take the sting off of that.
Seriously though I am not riding unprotected now but it would be nice to have some knee and hip armor. I promise I will order something before the week is out.
Hahaha! You were told off good and proper Steve, that gave me a chuckle.
Irondad I’ve gone round a few corners on a CBR600rr and they are simply astounding, I could get my elbow down let alone my knee if I was brave enough (and that’s a compliment to the bike not me). The guy didn’t deserve one, the worrying thing is the blade may be way too much for him if he think’s he used the 6 but never even got to the edge of the tyre…
Hi to Steve’s daughter! 😀
Might I note it was a 1982 cadillac – and at factory weight of 4,100 lbs. – I can’t imagine riding a vespa and having a so-called “cager” in a land yacht barreling down on me – especially since that thing couldn’t stop on a dime to save its life!
“Cager”. I feel so uncool. How does my over-the-hill father know and use slang words I don’t? lol.
The term makes me want to share a funny sticker with everyone. Perhaps you have already seen it.
(http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=38586&cat=180&brand=44)
I recently also bought a bike (custom built mountain bike – quaint by vespa standards, I know, but I am just not as cool as my father). However, the culture seems almost undoubtedly the same. 🙂
And again – on the topic of the $400 pants – yes – I am sure that it only costs them $100 to make a single pair – and I am sure it is a big ripoff – BUT! $400 as compared to a possible trick knee, a broken bone, arthritis, or any other annoying longterm injury just doesn’t make the cost of *not* having good protective gear worth it. And if you do happen to get hurt – you are going to say…”man – I was such a dumbass for not getting good riding gear!”
If you are going to splurg on something – this is the thing to splurg on. 😉 Besides – if you get a motorcycle some day – you are definitely going to need good riding gear – so don’t think you can sluff this off just because it won’t go 80mph. 😛
darn. I think my link didn’t work.
let me try again:
http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=38586&cat=180&brand=44
Maybe that will work. 🙂