Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.
A month ago I decided it was time to remove all the gear from the scooter that keeps me warm and toasty in cold weather. The Tucano Urbano muffs and Termoscud apron. A few days of warmer weather and a gut feeling it was time had me reach for the tools and return the GTS to its normal naked self.
Five minutes of work and I’m ready for warm weather.
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It’s nice to be invited along on a ride. While I’m not always able to go, I always appreciate the offer. On this morning I was free to join Dave on a 39 mile ride to McVeytown, Pennsylvania to have breakfast with some of his riding buddies. The fact that the thermometer was stuck in the mid-30s was less than ideal. And the ride provided a number of opportunities to discern the difference between cold versus cool motorcycle rides.
It was cold. Not the best time to be riding a naked bike with no heated grips. And Dave is not a cold weather rider so I’m sure he was doing some second guessing as well. But when friends and breakfast are dangled before you logic and good sense take a back seat.
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Cold HandsAfter 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
Christmas Morning in State College, PennsylvaniaPenn State is closed, the students are gone and the town is empty. Not a soul around. It was 13F and windy when I got up and there was a dusting of snow when I got up on Christmas morning — not ideal riding weather. The dogs weren’t overly excited either. And suddenly I’m trying to rationalize a little Christmas ride on the Vespa scooter.
It didn’t take long to hatch a plan or to convince myself it wasn’t all that cold outside. Told myself there were ideal conditions for testing the Tucano Urbano gear — the hand grip muffs and the Termoscud apron.
The test: Can I ride without the heavy winter overpants and with only my LL Bean deerskin gloves?
So off I went, fully expecting to have cold hands, legs and body.Continue Reading
Moving Through a Gray WorldAs autumn fades and winter approaches it feels as if a heavy, gray blanket is being pulled across the world. Perhaps it’s just me gripped by grayness. Doesn’t help that I had a head cold for a week which is now burning into my chest and leaving me feeling indifferent to pretty much everything. With great effort I push myself out of the house. If not to ride, at least to walk.Continue Reading