Scooter in the Sticks

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

Inspiration Versus Desperation

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Rural Pennsylvania road in winter.
I hear the call.

A Gray World

Eventually, reliably, the gray gloom of winter gets to me. Moving outdoors to walk or ride changes from a looked for dose of recreation and enjoyment to a heavy trudge of resignation. Keeping all five machines in the garage “winterized” through consistent riding becomes work. Why riders drain the fuel and pull the batteries from their scooters and motorcycles gets clearer every winter.

I hear the call of the road still. And I find myself torn between inspiration and desperation. Feeling thrilled to get out despite the cold and desperate for the weather to warm. Lately I’ve found myself spending entirely too much time in mental whining about the state of the weather and the challenges it poses for riding.

Standing on a familiar road I am trying to convince myself there is no salt.

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Can I Love Winter Again?

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Two Belgian Sheepdogs sitting outdoors in a light snowfall.
Lily and Aiden in the first snow of the season.

Facing the Cold

The first snow has arrived.  Light, decorative, a dusting that beckons of winter to come. The past month has offered unseasonably warm weather.  Riding weather for even the cold-adverse riders.  Yet the roads are largely empty of scooters and motorcycles save for those souls committed to continued riding.  Some I suspect have something to prove (except Dan).  Others may be victims of economics that offer no alternative choice of vehicles.

I tell myself I’m done with cold weather riding.  The lure of a warm home and soft chair become a subtle yet powerful addiction.  I surely would find myself powerless if not for two dogs who demand adventure regardless of how I feel or the weather outside.  So slowly I’m becoming more acclimated to the cold.  Day by day, walk by walk I notice a growing strength of resistance to the lowering temperatures.  And from that comes a willingness to leave the warmth of home and venture out on a scooter or motorcycle.

Even in the snow.

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Cold, Snow, Chicken

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Another morning of snow and ice on the road and cold in the air.  Walking Junior up the street I tried to convince myself that I could easily handle the snow on the road.  There was, after all, a lot of grit and salt mixed in with the snow.  And big patches of hard ice here and there too.  The first walk verdict — postpone the riding and take the dog to the park.

Going to the park I knew I would get out on to the main roads and find them clear.  They were but while throwing the ball for Junior I realized it was really cold.  Single digit cold.  Not Alaska cold.  Cold for me.  So I chickened out and left the scooter at home and went to town with Junior.

I could have ridden though…

There is a cafe in town that allows dogs and that’s exactly where Junior and I went.  Breakfast for me and a bowl of water for him.  He was quite content and relaxed until Rosie, a female German Shepherd arrived.  It was too early in the morning to see him turn into Sir Humpalot so we wandered out the other door and on towards home.

Tomorrow the weather forecast promises freezing rain and sudden temperature drops.  Sounds like I should just surrender to clinomania…

Vespa Ice Racing and the Power of Studded Tires

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With a lot of discussion lately focused on snow and riding I took a look around YouTube and found a short film that explores some of the possibilities of riding on snow and ice.  The first look at a winter equipped Vespa takes place at 2:09. Take a look at some of the scooters racing around the track in Germany — Those aggressive studs make it possible to really lean into a turn!

The video was produced by the S.I.P. Scooter Shop in Germany.

Searching for Autumn

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Autumn is about to burst forth, leaves beginning to escape their captive positions in the trees.  First a few yellow and orange leaves on the road, a few more in the trees, and suddenly, as if a fuse was lit and a fiery palette of red, orange and yellow sweeps through the forest, across the mountains and then vanishes.

I took the Vespa for a ride in the mountains hoping to feel the change.  Like a kid on Christmas morning the anticipation builds, still after all these years, for natures pageant of color.

There is no doubt this season touches an uneasy place in me, a reflection of the cycle of life that seems more real each year.  I am a leaf still clinging to the tree.  Or so I think as the Vespa climbs through Rothrock Forest, a place so familiar and charged with memories of over 40 years of travel here, on foot, in cars, on skis, bicycles and now the Vespa.  At one point I asked to have my ashes spread near here when I die, on Little Flat, a vantage point that surveys the place I call home.

Autumn was still in the distance for now.  Days away then, almost here now.  Riding the Vespa along forest roads is always satisfying but especially now.  Running back down the mountain towards duty and responsibility I wished I could search longer.

Later in the day, while on a walk with Junior, I found more evidence of fall.  The bright sun erased any lingering uneasy feelings from the morning.  And soon the Vespa and I will plunge headlong into autumn and emerge into winter.

Perhaps autumn is merely practice, preparation for the real test ahead.

Always something to think about on a ride.