Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.
Impervious to ColdUnlike our Belgian Sheepdog Lily, I’m not impervious to the cold and don’t while away the day collecting snow. While this winter has not been bad in terms of temperature or snowfall, it’s been tedious in the relentless cold and gray. I’m tired of winter.Continue Reading
Cold MorningI’ve finally gotten to the point where the cold doesn’t stand in the way of riding the scooter. As long as the road is reasonably clear of snow and ice I’m good to go. This morning the thermometer was pointing to 5F at sunrise. With no wind and clear skies it almost felt warm.
So I’m good with the cold. The Vespa — not so much. It doesn’t want to idle well below 10F. Have to keep some throttle on or it will stall. Time to do some mechanical investigation I guess. But that minor irritation aside, I was off for a morning of appointments and meetings.Continue Reading
The dogs seem invigorated by the cold; running, prancing, tearing through the garden more excitedly than they do in warmer weather. Lily plays so hard that her breath freezes on her thick coat. Maybe they’re just trying to stay warm. But I see the phenomenon in myself.
Eventually.
Acclimating to the cold always took time. As a youth, just the time it took to pull on hat, boots and gloves. Now it takes months of slow mental bargaining and physical adaptation. But it does happen.
This morning it was -1F as I briskly moved through the garden with the dogs. A good thing. Especially for someone suffering from anklyosing spondylitis — psoriatic arthritis in my case — where movement helps. Unlike those with rheumatoid arthritis who generally wake feeling better after a good night’s sleep, spondylitis gets worse.
Morning is a chorus of screaming joints and muscle aches. Choosing to get up and move, exercise, is a tough conversation. When it’s cold — even worse.
But, it does happen. And this morning I felt I’ve fully acclimated to the cold. I was like the dogs. Walking, running in places, unfazed by the cold, excited to be outside.
It’s in this frame of mind that taking the Vespa out for a ride in cold weather is a joy.Continue Reading
Acclimating to the ColdIt was a bracing morning. Perhaps too cold for a Vespa scooter rider. Could see the steam rising from the furnace vent, a sure sign that it was cold. As I pulled on my heavy winter boots the heavy frost on the car windshield was another reminder of the cold. At 1F I trudged along with the dogs wondering if I should take the Vespa for a ride.
There were reasons to venture out — blood tests for my next visit with the doctor, food, fuel for the Vespa. But the morning temperature was too low for my brain to negotiate a ride with my body.
By early afternoon it was a balmy 20 degrees — perfect for a little riding and errands. First stop was to pick up some MRI reports. The normally indifferent staff at the medical facility seemed to perk up a bit when I walked in with my flourescent green riding jacket with helmet in hand. When you ride in winter — people notice. Non-riders notice.Continue Reading
Vespa Scooter in the SnowThis photograph is from a snow storm ride last March. Strangely, I enjoyed the challenge of it. And importantly, I wasn’t cold. But things change.
And it’s affecting my winter riding.
The scooter is willing but the rider is weak. Riding a Vespa scooter in winter isn’t rocket science. It’s just a matter of configuring the machine in a way to help accommodate the cold. Could mean a windscreen, Termoscud apron, winter tires, heated grips or any of a wide range to tricks and solutions to address the special circumstances encountered when you ride a Vespa scooter in winter.
Or a motorcycle or any other device or machine that exposes you to the elements.
That’s the easy part. I know how to do those things. And I have a pretty good handle on the mental stuff as well. All the subtle and not so subtle adjustments you have to make to your riding style. Or techniques you develop to deal with unexpected or sudden encounters with snow or ice.
Check. I’m good with that stuff.
But there’s one last thing that’s just killing me. I can’t get warm.Continue Reading