Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Cold Weather Insanity

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I was having breakfast at the Corner Room (best breakfast in town in my opinion) in State College, Pennsylvania this morning with my friend Howard when I saw a young man go by on a scooter. A Honda Metropolitan I think. As I watched my bacon affected brain slowly began to turn and I grabbed my iPhone to make a picture as he passed. As I touched the shutter release I thought, “This guy is insane.”

I have done my share of cold weather riding but I am positively a wuss in comparison to this fellow. It’s 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside and he has almost not protection. Nothing on his head but a stylish cap. No windproof riding jacket. And most startling to me — no gloves. Bare hands out in the wind.

After he went by I felt ashamed that I didn’t ride to work today. My excuse — I would have too much gear on to deal with in the Corner Room. Oh well, one man insane and the next a wussy…

Riding in the First Snow Flurries

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Winter has arrived at my doorstep I suppose. I can remember when the first snowflakes would give me a rush. Now, well, it’s different. And not just because I am riding. Biology is speaking louder and complaining about the cold. Riding down the street I could see a squall of in the distance and wondered if I would get to my office before it arrived. I stopped to make another panorama picture. If you look close you can see a few snowflakes in the air. Nothing on the ground yet but not far east had 13 inches of snow yesterday. And no salt on the road yet either.

The temperature indicator on the Vespa GTS read 35 degrees all the way to work. I went the direct route with no side trips. Four lanes of drivers that I imagine all groan at the weather. But maybe it’s just me. But once the scooter is parked in it’s space and I am walking towards my office I get a little rush thinking about riding in the cold. Nothing happy or exciting, but a flicker of accomplishment and perserverance.

Riding in Cold Weather: Dress for Success

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These two Vespa scooters flanking my GTS belong to first time riders — a young man and woman, maybe in college, perhaps high school. They are excited about riding and I’ve seen them around town. They ride with helmets on top of short pants and t-shirts, no gloves and no boots. A riding costume I see not just with scooters but on sport bikes and cruisers as well. This post isn’t about safety concerns though. It’s about how these kinds of dress habits may short circuit the discovery of the thrill of riding in cold weather. I’ve spoken to many, many riders who dismiss riding in the cold. To a rider when asked what kind of cold weather gear they used they admitted they didn’t have any. Under dress when the temperature dips below 70 and things can feel chilly. Below 60 and you figure you should just park the machine.

I love riding in the fall, especially at sunrise. There’s a warm glow in the autumn light, a fragrance of decaying leaves, and a crispness to the air that is unmatched any other time of the year. I left early in the morning for a short ride before work, a sort of extended commute. Coming down the mountain I say my temperature gauge reading 45 degrees, cold by most rider’s standards. I hate being cold and shiver at 68 degrees. I look forward to riding in cold weather but only with the right gear.

To be able to enjoy the road when the temperature goes down means you absolutely have to have the right gear. Otherwise things will be miserable. It means a commitment of money and time — money to buy the stuff and time to put it on. And for some it may mean a divorce from any preconceived style ideas especially where helmets are concerned.

If you are used to just jumping on a motorcycle or scooter with whatever you happen to be wearing you may have a hard time in cold weather rationalizing the amount of gear you have to don. It may be best to bundle the machine up in the garage and do something else. Just remember, you’ll be missing some great riding.

My hands were already getting cold after numerous stops to make pictures where I had to take off my gloves. The camera feels like an ice cube in cold weather. As the first beam of sunlight cut through the forest it was 45 degrees it was 40 degrees warmer than my lowest riding temperature limit of 5 degrees. At the lowest temperature here is what I wear from the skin out:

Poly long underwear
Long sleeved shirt
Windproof jacket
Blue jeans
Heavy socks
Tourmaster Overpants
Leather boots
First Gear Kilimanjaro IV Armored jacket
Ski mask
Full helmet
Gerbing electric gloves

For someone used to riding with no gear that’s a lot of stuff to put on.

With the sun sweeping across the open fields it was time to ride to work. On this particular morning I had on everything on the above list EXCEPT the ski mask, long underwear, and electric gloves. Still takes time to put it on.

So before you decide that cold weather is not for you beg or borrow some gear and try riding when you are not cold. You may find the effort brings you many more weeks or months of riding.

The 11 Degree Fahrenheit Commute

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Darkness and the thermometer indicated 6 degrees when I got out of bed. It requires great effort to leave the house; on foot, by car, or on the Vespa. Once the sun comes out it’s another matter entirely.

Preparing for cold rides takes more time, more layers of clothes, heavier gear, wires for the electric gloves. I feel like a knight preparing for battle except I don’t have a squire to care for the Vespa. The routine mechanical check revealed low tire pressure front and back. Just what I wanted to fiddle with in an unheated garage only marginally warmer than the air outside. I dutifully checked everything, pushed the scooter into the driveway and hit the starter button. Even at 11 degrees the GTS starts right up. No battery tender needed yet.

The Gerbing electric gloves work great at this temperature and aside from the shear bulk of my riding gear everything else keeps me warm and insulated from the icy cold air. Everything but the helmet vent I neglected to close that allowed a little knife if frigid air to torture my left eye.

With the Vespa parked in it’s space at work the bright sun makes everything seem tolerable. Looking at the picture I hardly see anything cold. No matter how cold it is I’m fine if the sun is out. Like one New Year’s Day hike long ago when I fell through the ice at Bear Meadows. Sun was out so I hiked another 8 hours after I got out of the water.

The Vespa provides basic transportation. With some extra gear it allows me to use it year round, even for an 11-degree commute to work. The ride home was much warmer with temperatures soaring to near 30 degrees.

I stopped on the way home to photograph glowing orange corn stubble in the snow. I see a lot of things while I ride that I would like to make a picture of but I do want to go home.

Turning around and walking back towards the scooter I couldn’t resist making one last picture as the sun neared the horizon. It still gets dark too soon and I look forward to longer and warmer days. Until then I’ll have to keep preparing as if I were going out on a moonwalk I suppose. Not very stylish but very effective.

Cold Commute

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Nine degrees for the ride to work yesterday morning. A number of people at work commented on how cold I must have felt but the truth is I was overdressed and should not have worn a long underwear top. That item rode under the seat on the way home, considerably warmer at 18° F but then I did take the freeway home for a 70 MPH spin.

Riding again I realize that the cold is more a mental than physical challenge. Looking outside after I get up, checking the temperatures, the resistance I feel is related less to the data in front of me and more to my desire to still be in bed. The actual ride to work has no bite of cold, no numb hands, nothing like that. What it does have is the exhilaration of riding found anytime of year. And the bracing air I feel when I crack open my visor at a stop sign or traffic light just reminds me how great it is to be able to do this.

The thermometer shows 12° F for this morning’s ride. Saturday looks to be the same with temperatures rising to 25° F by afternoon so I may try a longer ride on the GTS.