riding Archives - Page 38 of 83 - Scooter in the Sticks

Life on the Road at Sixteen

October 4, 2014 by Scooter in the Sticks 7 Comments

Riding is always peaceful, drenched in solitude, with every care and concern washed away by mechanical sorcery and the rush of air through the mind. That’s what I tell myself when I think about riding. Standing in the middle of the road making a picture of the Vespa scooter as the morning sun sweeps across the world everything seems organized and correct with life unfolding exactly as required for me to be happy, joyous and free.

I realize I have considerable capacity for self-delusion.

The feeling persists though and I’m drawn to the road for another fix, contriving reasons to ride, and for those times I can’t ride I descend into obsessively reading ride reports and forum posts on the latest gimmicks and gadgetry for the scooter, doing anything to stay connected to the rush.

This behavior is not new and has endured since childhood. Life on the road at sixteen was different superficially — I was focused on a 1962 Ford Falcon instead of a Vespa, but the appetite to be on the road was no different than it is now though at the time I did not realize I was hooked on seeing what’s over the next rise in the road, around a sweeping curve, or when unknown paths will take me. I wonder if my need for having time alone was not forged behind the wheel of the Falcon and refined through the years up to this life on a Vespa.

Most days, I still feel like a kid.

Experiencing the World

September 27, 2014 by Scooter in the Sticks 6 Comments

A crisp fall morning, dew clinging heavily to soybean pods as sunlight works to burn away morning fog, these are the things that kindle the desire to be riding into a new day. The journey from bed to the road isn’t always easy; the desire to sink into bed just a bit deeper, a while longer is strong. Following my disposition I would probably never see a sunrise or experience the mysteries of dawn. This morning I had chores to do but was glad to be out on the road to be experiencing the world.

Writer Joyce Carol Oates has commented on the concealed benefits of chores:

As a farm girl, even when I was quite young, I had my ‘farm chores’ – but I had time also to be alone, to explore the fields, woods and creek side. And to read.

I have to agree — riding my Vespa to do chores and errands almost always provides those things.

A longer than normal walk with an insistent dog got me on the road later that I would have liked. The sun had already burned off the heavier fog that can completely shroud this area. It did not diminish the quiet though to be alone with my thoughts and explore the place where I live.

Autumn is screaming. Farmers are chopping corn and the leaves have already dropped from the ash trees next to my house. Before long there will be snowflakes in the air. Still, it’s worth stopping and looking around. I remember the first time I make a photograph of this particular field nearly twenty years ago and it still holds the same visual attraction. I’ve parked the Vespa here many times so I could walk around and wonder what I’m seeing.

Opportunities to explore and make photographs were hampered this morning by the influx of traffic into the valley for Penn State’s homecoming football game. I didn’t want to cope with the tens of thousands of vehicles that fill the roads and streets during the run up to the game so I put the camera away and turned towards State College, Pennsylvania to take care of a few errands.

Had to stop to make one last picture before heading into the gauntlet of football traffic and hopes of a loaf of Gemelli’s french country bread. No luck on that score then on to Wiscoy for Animals for a back of bird food and on home to relax. It’s dark now but the effects of the ride linger. Can’t wait for the morning and one more chance to move through the world…

Riding a Vespa on Gravel

September 26, 2014 by Scooter in the Sticks 7 Comments

Made this picture of my Vespa GTS 250ie on the way home from work. Fortune provides myriad paths to ride from the superslab to grass footpaths. A favorite is the gravel roads leading across Penn State’s east side farmlands that wind through field and dell as the sun sinks low in the sky. On top of the lovely scenery is a chance to practice riding in the loose stuff, gravel that changes from packed hardness to loose mounds of limestone that make the Vespa float and stumble like a Saturday night drunk. Years and miles of practice have done much to boost my confidence in riding a Vespa on gravel.

More than a few have asked me about it raising concerns ranging from dropping the scooter to grit and dust being sucked into the engine. While it’s certainly possible to dump the scooter in the gravel (I have some friends that have done it with their motorcycles) I’ve not yet done it myself. I’ll credit a careful, chicken-like approach, to all things new related to riding. I go slow, sometimes stopping to assess the situation, ponder approaches, and then get back on the scooter to slowly engage. I can remember the first times I rode on gravel and thinking it was absolutely the worst decision because of how uncomfortable it felt. Keeping at it, practicing, exploring gradual increases in speed and technique, led to a comfortable existence on gravel.

The same approach was employed for the motorcycles I’ve ridden in similar environs though bigger tires and wheels have a marked advantage over the little tires on the scooter. I know motorcycle riders like to think there’s a hierarchy of skill that has a motorcycle higher up the evolutionary scale but when it comes to gravel and any kind of off-road riding, the scooter is at the top of the pyramid. It’s just harder to manage.

Every ride to work is an opportunity to practice something. One day it might be letting go of some nasty thinking, another how to squeeze a little more speed out of a gravel road ride…

Ducati vs. Vespa

September 21, 2014 by Scooter in the Sticks 20 Comments

Comparing anything, motorcycles and scooters included, invariably leads many to the mental trap of “which is better?”. As I think about all the times I’ve engaged in that pointless battle — which is the better camera, tripod, paint, microwave oven, car, faucet, tile, window — you get the picture, it’s been a complete waste of time. I will battle on though to rationalize my decision making process though. I’m that dumb. And so it goes with the Ducati vs. Vespa as it turned in my head during a ride to breakfast that my friend Paul and I undertook over the weekend.

Before delving into anything related to the machines or the ride I need to say something about the photography, or more specifically, the camera used. I’ve misplaced my trusty Canon G15 point and shoot and was left with only the iPhone to make images. Normally I would have gone to great lengths to find something to shoot with but on this morning I decided to let go of image making. It was not easy but well worth the struggle.

The iPhone 4 makes reasonably good images and I put it to use a few times during the ride. But mostly I found myself riding unencumbered by any concerns to document or illustrate what I was seeing or thinking. Many rides are filled with a mental narration that can consume the experience as I commit more and more mental resources towards photography. On this day I found that I got to a point where my mind was, well, empty. I was just on the Vespa flying down the road.

Paul’s Ducati Hypermotard is a pretty thing. He got rid of his Ducati 1198 to make room for this one in the garage. A lot more fun and more comfortable to ride in my opinion though each rider has their own taste in machinery. He acquired it on eBay and had to go to Mobile, Alabama to pick it up. He really wanted the Hypermotard. It does have a nice, throaty engine sound and can easily leave the Vespa evaporated in it’s rear view mirrors but on a ride through the countryside for breakfast it didn’t come up.

As fall approaches the world starts to change. The soybean fields are turning yellow in preparation for harvest and the atmosphere is just perfect for riding. There’s a trade off to keeping the power of the Ducati in check — foregoing dazzling speed for the dazzling scenery. The Vespa isn’t capable of dazzling speed but I suspect you can’t pay a lot of attention to the roses when you are dazzled.

During a stop for pictures Paul had me ride circles around him so he could get an action picture. I reminded him to make the scooter and I look heroic. He succeeded in making me look like the circus bear riding a bicycle. So much for heroics. I will say the scooter looks really clean — a testament to the dishonesty of photography.

When we left State College, Pennsylvania there were a number of options for route and breakfast eateries. Paul left it to me to choose so I thought I would surprise him by deviating from our normal 20 mile ride to breakfast by increasing the distance to 60 miles. For a moment I thought rain might intrude despite the forecast calling for sunshine. I didn’t care though having not been on the Vespa all week. And the Ducati, nice and shiny as it is, could use a bit of rain to humble itself. Turned out things remained dry.

The official Ducati portrait for Paul’s website. I’ve been photographing him with his scooters and motorcycles for 20 years or so. He has quite a collection. I’ll try and get him to pose again when I have a real camera available.

It is a nice bike.

This portrait was made just a few miles from one of the breakfast establishments Paul has trying to get me to for the past couple years — Mamie’s in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. Luckily, the surprise remained intact until we pulled into the parking lot because for all the riding in Pennsylvania Paul possesses a common talent of not really being aware of where he is. Or so it seems to me.

Mamie’s has great food and the fresh baked donuts are to die for. I forgot how good they were. If you pass anywhere near this part of Pennsylvania you must stop for breakfast or lunch.

The Ducati vs. Vespa question surfaced a few more times on the way home. Once on a three exit run on Interstate 99 as I watched the Ducati in my rearview mirror as we tooled along at 70 mph. Even though he could go a lot faster the beating by the wind wouldn’t be any better than what I was experiencing on the Vespa. Those naked bikes stick you right in the middle of things.

And a bee in my helmet and subsequent sting brought the Vespa to a rapid halt along a rural road with Paul following closely. The Hypermotard seems able and agile in negotiating pavement to gravel in a hurry.

Damn bees. It’s been awhile since I had to content with that stuff.

All in all a great ride. First time with the new (used) Ducati. At this point I’d say the score is Ducati 1, Vespa 1. Arrived home with just shy of another 120 miles added to the clock and a smile on my face.

Can I ask for more?

Riding a Vespa Scooter is Different for Everyone

September 16, 2014 by Scooter in the Sticks 14 Comments

The first late summer morning where the temperature dropped to 50F, chilly enough to use the liner in my winter riding jacket, the bright sun adding just enough warmth to temper the cool air making its way inside jacket and pants. The leaves are starting to fall as the fall equinox approaches. Before long the warm, sleepy summer rides will give way to the more bracing rides of fall. Over the years a pattern has emerged showing my riding mileage increases as the temperature decreases. Riding a Vespa scooter is different for everyone I guess.

For me, riding continues to be a solitary experience taking place in the quiet, empty places in central Pennsylvania. At one point in time the ride was about the machine but that faded a long, long time ago. Now it’s become a form of meditation, at times simple and free and others difficult, puzzling, and moving into the unknown. There is an element of self-surrender and introspection, probably the closest I’ll come to mysticism in this life. Strange what a ride can become.

I’ve ridden enough motorcycles to know that the experience would eventually move in the same direction. On the Vespa I just get there quicker. Still, those moments of mystery are short lived and fleeting. One moment I’m flying and the next I’m so hungry that all I can think about it finding somewhere to eat. And this day I ended up at Cool Beans Coffee House in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. My bad luck that they are closed on Sunday. And worse as I did the mental gymnastics of the next best food stop my phone rang sending me off in another direction all together. And so it goes, even the most innocent rides on the most mundane days can swing from sublime to routine, sometimes in moments, others in miles. Regardless of what the experience is for me I want more, an undeniable craving to be in the world, on the road, air rushing by in a shimmering shaking of living.

As I worked my way home I came upon this odd collection of covered shipping containers, a motorcycle wheel revealing the cargo. The eighteen motorcycles, or I suppose there could be some scooters too, are waiting to provide their rider with a jumping off point for the body, mind and spirit. Riding a Vespa, or anything else for that matter, will be different for everyone. But ride long enough and the machine will vanish and something else will creep into your mind, a flight of fancy that’s unlooked for but mesmerizing.

At least that’s been my experience…

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