winter Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Scooter in the Sticks

Weather and the Calculated Risk

February 19, 2009 by Scooter in the Sticks 15 Comments

At 5:15 PM when I left my office the Vespa was coated in a glistening sheen of ice. How I got there and what I would do next was a result of calculating risk. Standing by the scooter I could see traffic moving on wet, slushy roads. Heavy skies reduced light levels. With temperatures hovering near freezing and moisture in the air I knew visor fogging would be an issue. My brain was working, trying to calculate my next action.

Weather is predictable to a point. In warm weather unexpected changes in temperature or precipitation are challenges most often met with gear adjustments and minor changes in riding. Unexpected changes in cold weather involve more risk and can’t be overlooked.

I stood outside with the dog in the morning weighing the pros and cons of riding to work. The forecast called for two brief periods of snow or sleet followed by rain later in the evening. The road was dry and the skies looked heavy but no hint of moisture yet. I made the decision to ride to work knowing that it could get worse when it was time to go home. I had my usual backup plan ready — park the scooter in the parking garage and take the bus home.

By mid-afternoon what I thought would be a passing flurry or shower of sleet had developed into something more persistent. I kept an eye on the street outside my window and the progress of traffic. I was already calculating risk. When I walked outside at the end of the day it was decision time.

The accumulation of sleet and snow in the parking lot would be heavier than anyplace on the ride home. It was the safest place to test for traction and just a tiny bit of throttle pushed the rear wheel sideways. Head up, eyes forward, and gentle throttle would be the rule of the ride.

Two stops would slow me down, one for fuel, and a second for cash at the ATM. Walking back to the scooter with a pocket full of money I met a good Samaritan. A neighbor saw the scooter and me and thought I might need a ride home. My experience on the road for the past four years have brought many would be good Samaritans. It’s nice to know that help is available if needed. In this case I politely declined and thanked him for the offer.

By the time I pulled into the driveway it was almost dark, I was tired, and the sleet was still coming down. The ride home was not as bad as other unexpected winter rides but it did require constant attention and adjustment. And more than a few four-wheeled vehicles had to practice patience as I made my way down the road slower than they would like to go. Definitely below the posted maximum speed limit for ideal conditions. Not many people look at those signs that way.

For those of you who have not been caught on the road when snow or sleet appears the pictures look more daunting than the actual ride. I made a careful assessment of the road surface and knew there would be adequate traction, options for ways out of situations with other vehicles, and enough experience to negotiate other hazards on the way.

I suppose the lesson here is to look beyond the image of sleet and snow and really see what is there.

Rider as Romantic

February 15, 2009 by Scooter in the Sticks 8 Comments

Yesterday I sat in the Terminal Cafe after a morning of riding and searching for the right Valentine’s Day gift for Kim. In my head I was writing a message for a card I picked out, how I would reveal the gift, and imagining the day. Looking at the couple across the street I imagined the two of us. Romantic.

The dictionary lists several definitions for romantic. There’s the obvious we associate with Valentine’s Day. But another describes, in part, the draw I find in riding.

ROMANTIC: Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of the heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized.

That’s riding for me and many others. Yesterday morning the romantic was at work as I rode off to search for a rock to give to Kim. What I was after would not be in a store.

By the time I got to the cafe a coating of new snow covered the ground. Secondary roads, streets, and alleys in town were snow covered. The main roadways were mostly wet but a thin film of slush was building up in places. Had I started any later I probably wouldn’t have been able to find what I was looking for.

I should probably explain the rock. I’ve been looking for several weeks for the right one. I’m not sure how many other men and women would be content giving or receiving a rock. It won’t make many retailers smile or assist in an economic recovery. But Kim and I find satisfaction in the graceful elegance and beauty in rocks and stones. I’ve brought home 800 pound ones to ones the size of something that will fit under the seat of the Vespa.

Kim has designed a transformation of our property from perfect turf to woodland garden and rocks are an integral part of the landscape. I made this photograph of Kim during a walk last weekend. Exploring fields and forests fuels ideas that she introduces into our woodland garden.

Riding can reflect the same grace and elegance found in a stone. And it can trigger thoughts and feelings consistent with the second definition of romantic. This morning was an adventure. Gray skies and the thermometer hovered near the freezing mark when I left in the house and rode into the mountains.

I knew what I was looking for but uncertain where to find it. A small rock or stone transportable on the scooter with the right character and personality. Perhaps something with moss growing on it, a small fern, or a lichen. Sometimes you can find them along a creek.

Snow began to fall as I rode off onto an old fire road. My concentration in finding a stone was broken by concerns that the roads might become more hazardous if I remained too long. Part of my attention focused on rocks and part on the weather. Ten minutes of examining the floor of the woods and still nothing. Snow started to build up and it was apparent that I needed to go.

Snow is an indicator of risk and when it falls I monitor things constantly. My Motofizz bag was accumulating snow. The temperature indicator on the Vespa read 30 degrees. It was only a matter of time before the roads would be covered.

I planned to head straight home but could not pass a large rockfield for one last look. Climbing up the steep hill with patches of ice hidden under leaves and in crevasses I wondered what would happen if I took a bad fall with no one around. It was a few miles from here, up higher on the mountain that Kim fell and broke her leg and I had to carry her down to the car. A touch of the front pocket of my riding pants confirmed I had the cellphone. My emergency backup plan.

I found a rock.

Back at the scooter I knew two things. I had the rock I was searching for, and the road was completely snow covered will more falling faster now. It definitely was time to ride. Out of the mountains and into the valley the snow continued to fall but wasn’t accumulating much on the main road so I decided to ride into town for breakfast at the Terminal Cafe.

The road home was quiet, comfortable, and open for thought. The temperature was above freezing now and the snow was fading. All that was left was to write in a card what I had developed in my head during the morning. Red sealing wax on the envelop and an impression from a special, romantic wax seal would complete my ideas for the card. I had to stop for one last picture, to stand and look out over the landscape and let the morning replay in my head. The riding, the romantic.

I hope you find the romantic in life, in your relationships, and in riding.

Revisiting Risk: Thaw Then Freeze

January 24, 2009 by Scooter in the Sticks 36 Comments

Steve Williams, Vespa Rider, Winter Rider

That’s what I look like after a mistake in judgment. I look pretty much the same when I make the right choices. I’m careful choosing the days I’ll ride. But I do make mistakes.

Scooter Riding in Freezing Weather

Impatience to ride and choosing to believe the sunnier of two weather prospects contributed to an error in evaluating the risk of riding this morning. And there was also the fact that I ignored the direct evidence that the driveway that was wet last night was ice this morning. Ignoring that I walked to the road to find dry, salty pavement. In my head I’m repeating the weather forecast, “…near 50 degrees this afternoon…” I’m standing in the road, it’s 8 AM and the temperature is 27 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the Road in Winter

On the road I am thinking about breakfast and not the ice. Out of town and into the countryside I begin seeing intermittent ice strips along the road from streams of water that ran during yesterday’s thaw. I’m still not processing the data. Instead I point the scooter straight ahead across the ice, these patches that are still narrow. Breakfast in Centre Hall or Bellefonte? Ten miles or fifteen? My stomach is managing the ride.

Encountering Ice on the Road

A 50-foot wide swath of ice. Yesterday is was liquid water but now it is a big stop sign. It’s not a little patch of ice. It’s not black ice which has more traction to it than this stuff. It’s shiny deep ice.

This is how a rider manages shiny ice:

Pull over and stop
Look in the mirrors for traffic
Push up the visor and admire the ice
Say to yourself “What the f…??”
Decide not to ride to Centre Hall or Bellefonte for breakfast
Admire the ice some more
Sigh
Begin picking out the least slippery path across the ice
Cross the ice

Right, cross the ice.

There’s an element of machismo in riding. Perhaps less on a Vespa but it’s still there. It evaporates crossing ice. Anyone watching knows you’re an idiot. Or worse. Feet down pattering around as the scooter moves forward slowly searching for just a tiny bit of traction from a stray piece of gravel. The scooter moves in directions is shouldn’t, boots find no purchase. Constant attention to the mirrors for traffic. I am fortunate in my little world that traffic is minimal to non-existent. No one is watching. I don’t just look stupid doing this, I am stupid. Poor decision-making back in the driveway.

Over the next two miles I repeat the process a dozen times as each ice hazard seems to become more complex, like a puzzle book or increasing difficulty. My brain is working now to determine an ice-free route. That means a main traffic artery where use and excessive salt will mean less likelihood of ice. A half hour later I am at Barnes and Noble. Not the breakfast I planned but one requiring a reasonable amount of risk.

Riding, Photography and Taking Notes

I sat and wrote this down before I forgot what happened. I like to forget things that don’t go my way or illuminate me in a bright, positive light. It’s one of the unexpected benefits of blogging — learning something about how I operate. While I successfully managed the risk on the road I did not do a good job managing the consideration of risk to determine if I would ride. The mistaken application of a weather forecast for later in the day, ignoring the significance of ice in the driveway, and allowing my desire to ride cloud my judgment, all worked together to produce a failure in managing the risks I am willing to take.

I learned some things today. And I did bring home a giant chocolate chip cookie.

[optin-cat id=”8800″]

Frigid Riding and the Battery Tender

January 18, 2009 by Scooter in the Sticks 26 Comments

It was cold yesterday morning. The kind of cold that makes my dog hesitate at the door. Accuweather said it was -4 Fahrenheit. Too cold to ride. The road was dry and white from salt and the sun was coming up in a clear blue sky. Its been almost two weeks since the last time the Vespa was on the road and more snow was forecast for later in the day. Even if I had wanted to ride the Vespa wouldn’t start after sitting in an unheated garage for so long. As I made my way through shredded wheat mixed with almonds, blueberries, and raisins I wondered if my riding clothes could deal with subzero temperatures. They’re all hanging in the garage. Probably frozen solid. Besides, it was four degrees below zero, no fun riding in that. And the scooter probably wouldn’t start.

Probably.

The headlight came on when I turned the key. Looks bright. That’s a good sign. A touch of the starter button and a few extra cranks of the engine and it came to life. I could ride if I wanted. Shortly I was geared up and pushing the scooter through the snow to a relatively clear spot in the driveway. The Vespa’s ambient temperature indicator is flashing 11 degrees. A quarter mile later it was flashing 2 degrees. After some slow travel on secondary roads to make sure everything was working properly in the cold I pulled onto PA Route 45 with the indicator blinking 0 degrees. This was the coldest I had ever ridden.

My gear was doing a good job keeping the cold out. The only real problem was the ice building up inside the visor. Cracking it open does not clear ice as it does fog. Riding at 50 mph was out of the question so I had to breathe carefully to keep it at a minimum. The indicator blinked -2 degrees, the lowest it would go during this ride. Ten miles from home the tips of my fingers were beginning to get cold despite my Gerbing electric gloves on full power. Fourteen miles from home I decided it was time to turn around and find some warmth.

Sitting at a booth in a local convenience store I was content to hold a cup of hot chocolate, fingers wrapped around the paper cup absorbing heat from the hot liquid. Even the hot BBQ sign warmed my spirits.

After a quick stop at the veterinarian’s office to get some special dog food I pulled into the parking lot of Kissell Motorsports to look at a Battery Tender. In the past I relied on frequent riding to keep the battery charged but the harsher winter will eventually kill the battery. Keeping the GTS on a trickle charger makes sense today. The addition of a Gerbing adaptor will allow me to plug into the outlet for my gloves.

It’s hard to explain riding in cold weather. I don’t think you can. You have to experience it. And with the proper gear. Otherwise it will be miserable. I was reading an article this morning in the January 16 edition of the New York Times about climbing Mount Washington in the winter. One of the climbers describes the experience, “There’s a simple purity in all that quiet”. I find that riding in general but especially in winter.

The snow has been coming down all night and the roads are bad. Until they clear the Vespa can sip on milliamps.

Cold Weather Riding Challenge

December 22, 2008 by Scooter in the Sticks 6 Comments

Colin Doyle of Collegeville, Minnesota so far is the leader in 2strokebuzz’s Cold Weather Challenge. Doyle took a ride on his Honda Ruckus 50 at -10 degrees Fahrenheit. The video he submitted of the ride accurately depicts what it is like to be out on the snow. I think at those sub-zero temperatures there is more traction than at 30 degrees. At least that’s my experience of boots on snow in the cold.

When the challenge was first issued I thought I would give it a whirl but seeing -10F as the current mark to beat I sighed and knew that would be hard for me to beat. I can’t remember the last time the temperature around here was so low.

I’ve always admired the styling on the Ruckus and after seeing Doyle’s video a little light flickered in my head that said, “No there’s a fine second scooter…”. It would be especially good in the snow when you really want to get your feet down flat at times, a lighter machine, aggressive tires, and a never-say-die design that just keeps on going. And with snow on the road you don’t need a lot of power. Kim has talked about getting a scooter and has ridden the ET4 and LX150 but she doesn’t like how tall the seat is. The Ruckus would be great for her and as a backup commuter.

Take a look at 2strokebuzz’s Cold Weather Challenge. Even if you have no plans to head out in the cold it is interesting to read the rules and guidelines and see what other scooter riders are doing.

For now I’ll just watch for the thermometer to drop below -10F.