Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Managing Risk While Riding in Fog

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Vespa scooter along fog shrouded highway

Morning rides to work of late have been made in fog.  As much as I love the visual and emotional appeal of the mist, I never lose sight of the risk associated with poor visibility.  Riding in fog, like riding in snow requires thought and practice to understand and manage that risk.  My advice to anyone considering a trek in pea soup?  Don’t.

Much depends on where you ride — how much traffic, the nature of the traffic, the road surface and likelihood of unexpected holes or debris, that sort of stuff.  Riding in central Pennsylvania on a scale of 1 to 10 with the Nevada desert being 1 and the DC Beltway at rush hour being 10, I give our in town roads a 4 and the rural ones a 2.  If there were no deer they would be a 1.

I wouldn’t ride in heavy fog anywhere beyond a 5.  Each rider has to gauge their own skill and risk acceptance.  It’s the key to managing risk while riding in fog.

Vespa scooter in fog

Thinking about special skills or abilities related to riding in fog the following come to mind:

  • Choose time and route carefully — look for ways to minimize interaction with traffic.
  • Adjust speed to account for acceptable stopping distances while not becoming an obstacle to be run down from behind — not always an easy calculation but one worth working on.
  • Don’t tailgate — what is it about motorcycle and scooter riders that makes them want to follow a tail light on a car?
  • Learn how to pull over — there are times and situations you should not be on the road and you need to pull over and let the noise and chaos pass.  If your ego or stubbornness won’t allow this then leave the scooter or motorcycle at home.
  • Know how to keep your visor clear while riding — this is harder than it sounds, especially in heavy fog.
  • Keep in mind the road surface might be slippery — especially fog when the temperature drops towards freezing.  Maybe just stay at home and if not, slow down.  Really slow down.
  • Just take the bus — don’t ride.  This is the best choice.

Riding provides more than fun, it offers an opportunity to engage a personal puzzle that involves personality, common sense and problem solving abilities.  In a world bent on reducing risk to zero riding in general is an act of rebellion to that part of our culture.  Pushing into fog, rain, snow and dark of night, that creates a completely different character of rebellion.  Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Ride safe.

Riding in the Fog With a Knife at My Throat

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Vespa GTS scooter in fog

The riding world has changed, the weather has changed, and I’m finding myself facing the approach of fall with winter hot on it’s heels.  That’s the picture my mind paints when it’s cold in the morning — 48F this morning, 38F the day before.  A cold damp fog leaking past the collar of my riding jacket feels like a knife at my throat — the cold pushing into meat and bone in a single, sharp intrusion.  Hell, it’s not even cold yet and I love riding in fog.  The seasonal change has the world on end and my mind twisted out of shape and making irrational conclusions when I’m standing at the front door thinking about riding to work.  I feel the draw to the car on a cold morning much as I feel the draw to the reclining chair at the end of a long day.

It’s not the arrival of cold weather that’s shocking, it’s the approach of old age.  How did I get here?

Vespa on a gravel road on a foggy morning

As always, concerns and conundrums conjured while  standing evaporate once I’m on the road.  Cold, fog, gravel — they’re just experiences to savor — the feel of cold air sweeping over me, the fragrance of cut hay, the moisture forming on the visor. everything is waiting to be consumed.  The process on some rides can completely erase the world until I am left without thought or feeling, just a complete emptiness where anything is possible.

Gravel has become a comfortable riding surface over the years though it can still surprise me when my attention wanders and I’m suddenly faced with braking decisions or avoidance maneuvers that clearly call for practiced technique.  One day my wandering mind will lead to a tumble in the stones.

Vespa GTS scooter at a crossroad

Parked at this fork in the road  the empty mind is overwhelmed by memories of walks in this place with long gone dogs on quiet foggy mornings.  Once those mental doors swing open and nostalgia sweeps across consciousness the ride diminishes to a mechanical process of transportation as I think of my father and mother, childhood, and other sundry images both pleasant and bitter, the experiential building blocks of a life.

Each time I ride there’s an expectant thrill at what might emerge while on the road, riding in the fog…

For a look back at an early experience with the knife at the neck check out a post I did called COLD COLD COLD!

Thin Grey Fog

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Vespa GTS 250ie scooter near Penn State's Beaver StadiumThin grey fog, one of many types from pea soup to frozen fog, each with their own character, every one whispers, calling me away from my appointed rounds. Diverted, delayed, distracted, I banked the Vespa from the pavement onto the gravel and into the fog.  I can’t resist, in honesty I don’t desire to resist.  In the dim mist a boy’s dreams of mystery, suspense and adventure come to life.

The little ride to work has a bit more bite, a little more grit.

Life on a Vespa is sweet.  A ride in the fog is magnificent.

Just watch out single strands of fence wire strung across open gates…

 

Commuting in Fog

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Another foggy morning with temperatures near the freezing mark.  Heavy frost on both cars but the driveway and road were damp or dry.  The weather report said 31F but my scooter reading was 35F.  So off I went to work.

The fog was heavier this morning though creating another risk management factor.

A quick stop at the Pennsylvania Military Museum to look around and make a few pictures in the fog.  The collection is growing.  Almost fell on some ice that was well hidden.  Would hate to report a winter injury acquired on foot.

Here’s where the accident almost happened.  Parked the scooter on a solid sheet of ice, jumped of for a picture and almost went down.  Sloppy technique.

The world is reduced to a few graphical elements in the fog — scooter, lines and white space.  That must have something to do with my continued fascination with this weather event.


Cutting through the State College, Pennsylvania neighborhoods on the way to work is a relaxing path.  Little traffic save for the occasional dog walker.  Easy to park in the middle of the road for pictures.

The morning work schedule didn’t leave much time for pictures or wandering and that’s ok.  I’m happy to have a Vespa commute to start the day.

Vespa Rides and Frozen Fog

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The clock radio alarm went off this morning with the weather report warning of possible ice on untreated surfaces due to fog.  As enchanting as fog can be it has to be carefully considered when the thermometer is pointing at 32F.

After walking the dog, paying attention to the road surface, and watching the thermometer rise I made the decision to ride to work.

The roads were mostly dry or damp with no obvious ice.  Keeping the helmet visor clear was an ongoing challenge until the helmet came off at work.

The meandering trip passed through familiar places though always strangely different when shrouded in fog.  I remember wandering through these places on foot with my big wooden view camera exposing sheets of black and white film and watching the world appear in a tray of developer in the darkroom.

I miss those days.

The only ice to be found this morning was off the road and halfway to town the temperature indicator on the Vespa displayed 34F.

Cutting across the east end of campus afforded a nice view of Mount Nittany emerging from a muted sunrise.

Only scooters in the parking lot now though with predictions of the temperature approaching 50 later in the week could see a few motorcycles around.

The biggest downside of commuting this time of year is darkness at the end of the day.  While it wasn’t cold, 35F, it can be discouraging to climb aboard the Vespa in the dark on days when it is cold.

This day, I was just glad the warnings of frozen fog did not materialize.  Just another fine Vespa commute to start the day right.