Scooter in the Sticks

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

A Ride to the IngleBean Coffee House

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Vespa GTS scooter in winter
Vespa GTS scooter along a rural, central Pennsylvania road in winter.

Riding in Winter

It’s no secret I’ve not been riding much this winter. The snow tires are still sitting in the garage, the GripStuds I purchased are still on my desk, and the cold weather gear is hanging in a frigid garage which makes the prospect of pulling on frozen riding clothes even more unlikely.

Still, I find myself on the road propelled by the weakest rationale to do so; the sun is out, it’s above freezing, or I need something to eat. Amazing how often a ride is predicated on eating.

So off I went through the still snow covered landscapes of central Pennsylvania to lunch at the IngleBean Coffee House in Millheim, Pennsylvania.

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Too Cold to Ride

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Boalsburg street during a snow flurry
Blue sky one minute, snow the next. It’s been that kind of winter.

Winter Has Become a Bore

While there hasn’t really been much heavy snow this year I’ve probably ridden fewer miles this winter than any since I started riding a Vespa scooter. There’s no reason I couldn’t ride in the sort of weather we had a couple weeks ago reflected in the picture above, but I’m just not interested.

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Just Another Snowy Vespa Ride

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Dog running through snowDogs Love Snow

My dogs love snow.  They don’t seem to tire of it or complain about the weather.  They have lessons to teach.  Me, I’m complaining.  Just when I thought the snow was done for the season I woke to six inches of the white stuff.  If it wasn’t so beautiful I would have been despondent.

Lily raced through the garden, everything heavy with wet snow, with typical reckless abandon.  As I trudged along I knew I was going for a ride.  The temperature was right — a hair above freezing which would me the roads at worse would be slush or slightly snow covered.  Perhaps even just wet.  So one last winter riding adventure.

This must be the last real snow of the season.  So of course it was time for a snowy Vespa ride.Continue Reading

Last Winter Ride

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Vespa GTS scooter parked in State College, PennsylvaniaMesmerized by Sunlight

Blue skies and sunshine mediate any resistance left to winter.  A ride in to town at 24F didn’t seem cold at all.  The heated grips, mitts, heated insoles and Tucano Urbano Termoscud apron weave their magic to make the cold seem incidental to riding.  So much so that I have to remind myself there’s still a chance of ice on the road.

So it is with winter Vespa riding.

Regardless, I’ve surrendered to the cold and choose to ride as I can.  Turkey vultures glided overhead as I rode into town, momentarily taking my focus away from the road as I watched those quiet scavengers do their work.  And suddenly I’m parking the scooter and on my way to Saint’s Cafe.Continue Reading

Warming to the Cold

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Steve Williams and his Vespa GTS scooterCold Hands

After a winter ride in the sunshine at 29F the most memorable part of my ride were cold hands.  Induced by the gloveless needs of self-portraiture.  Still, for a moment, it was gratifying to face the sunlight, allowing it to kindle hopes that spring and warmer rides aren’t far off.  Just as I’m warming to the cold.  And working to drive through the mental doldrums of winter.Continue Reading