Scooter in the Sticks

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

Vespa in Winter

by 23 Comments

Vespa GTS scooter on frosty roadCold Start

I’ll try to resolve two truths that seem in opposition with each other. One, I don’t like being cold. And two, I choose to ride through the winter. They only seem opposed because most riders think you can’t ride in cold weather without getting cold.

That’s the challenge. Or part of it anyway. The Vespa in winter.

A few mornings ago I headed out with the thermometer indicating 29F. Cold enough to remind me it’s not as simple as I thought. Riding in cold weather demands work. For me, in these three areas:

Gear — the stuff that keeps you safe and warm.
Skill — the ability to manage the cold and the risk of snow and ice safely.
Mental — the drive to ride regardless of the weather.

Gear and skill are essential but the easiest to acquire. Money, time and practice will get you where you need to be.

The mental stuff — that’s a different story. After twelve years of winter riding — it’s only gotten harder.

When I started riding in the cold I could physically endure a lot more than I can now.
Thinking back to sub-zero rides, warming my hands with headlights and exhaust gas makes me shiver. I could do things then by force of will. Now my body can’t, or won’t go where my brain wants to lead it.

Despite the blue skies and bright sunshine it was cold enough, especially in shadowed areas, to have a little frost and ice on parts of the road. I had to tell myself to slow down and not assume the bright sky meant dry pavement.Continue Reading

Winter Riding Consciousness

by 20 Comments

The mind is stronger at the end of winter…

open field and trees on a snowy winter landscapeWinter is Coming.  Again…

A storm approaches.  Perhaps the biggest of the season and with it days without riding.  Despite the cold, bleak day I wanted to ride.  The 16F temperature when I awoke didn’t damper the desire to be on the road.  The winter riding consciousness is in control and almost any weather now seems rideable.

Rideable.  Is that even a word?Continue Reading

First Snow Vespa

by 19 Comments

Vespa GTS scooter on a cold, gray dayCold Morning Ride

Gray skies, high winds and the temperature hovering near the freezing point provides the first real opportunity to beginning the winter riding tempering process — the slow introduction of body and outlook to the cold.  Do it wrong or too fast and you risk joining the riding masses who put their machines away when the temperature descends below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

There’s nothing wrong with that decision either.

Riding into town via a slight detour allowed a little more time to face the cold weather music.  Flecks of snow and ice drifted in the air.  It’s time to begin scanning the road differently — identifying potential for ice and other winter hazards.

Saint's Cafe in State College, PennsylvaniaSaint’s Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania.

Eventually, the Vespa scooter and I make our way to Saint’s Cafe.  Electric gloves, layers and winter riding gear, balaclava, and chemical heating pads in my boots.  Hands were still cold — I held the pot of hot tea longer than normal to restore the blood flow to my fingers.

I’ll have to put the grip muffs on the scooter to keep the wind off my hands.  They’re magic in that regard.

View of Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

Photo by Paul Ruby

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Paul and I get together on Sunday mornings to share photographs and talk about photography.  The intent that the conversation will keep us working.  He just returned from a trip to Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico where he made a photograph at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.  The print he made was stunning and echoed the paintings by Mark Rothko.

Unfortunately, the clear blue sky in the photo was not available today.

snow on a Vespa GTS scooterSnow Begins

The weather forecast promised snow.  Not long after departing from the cozy warmth of Saint’s Cafe the wind started to blow harder and snow arrived — the sticky stuff that requires constant removal from the faceshield on the helmet.

Vespa GTS scooter on a rural road during a snow flurrySnow on the Road

Despite being cold, windy, and having to clear snow off the helmet, the roads stayed only wet without any slippery accumulation of snow.  As I made my way home the snow began to fall harder.  The Vespa GTS 250 has an ambient temperature indicator on the instrument cluster that’s helpful in monitoring when I need to be concerned with water turning into something more dangerous — especially when there’s no salt on the road.

Snow VespaSnow Vespa

I’m not sure if I’m ready for winter.  As pretty as the world looks in the snow there’s a lot of baggage that comes along with it.  I remember how grateful I am to feel warm days in March and dream of putting winter behind me.  But it’s only starting now.

This is the first snow.  I have no idea what the next few months will bring.  I’ll have to go up into the attic over the garage and retrieve my Heidenau snow tires and hope the squirrels haven’t decided to snack on them.

For now, I’ve taken the first step in preparing for winter riding — braving the cold.  For me, it’s a mental challenge.  A snow flurry and temperatures around the freezing mark will give way to temperatures ten degrees lower and so forth.

Will I make it into the sub-zero realm again?

Appreciating Warmth

by 19 Comments

Vespa GTS scooter near Bald Eagle State ParkAdjusting to the Cold

The march toward winter continues.  My spirit hasn’t accepted the change yet.  And my body resists both and cold and the ritual of donning heavier riding gear.  The lingering gnaw of a still tweaked back doesn’t help.  The world is dim and grey.

I have nothing good to say about any of it.

It’s easy to understand why men and women park their scooters and motorcycles for the winter and walk away from any joy or enlightenment that riding can present.  When the thermometer was pointing to 29F a few mornings ago I was asking myself why I would ever ride when it’s that cold.  Some would say I’m coming to my senses.  Or a grudging acceptance of the aging state of my body.  I see the wisdom in both.

Still, I want to ride despite everything.  Not riding is a decision I’m not ready to make.  It seems a surrender more ominous that merely parking the Vespa for a few months and doing something different.  It’s a turning point.  One of no return.  A realization that I’m leaving something in the past.

Forever.

Lest this post grow dark and dreary there is something positive which grows from the cold — appreciating warmth.

Appreciating warmth.

When the body awakens from the lull of warm weather the contrast between cold and warmth is startling.  Wrapping a cold hand around a heated grip is a luxurious feeling.  Or better yet around a cup of steaming hot tea.

Riding in cold weather teaches me to appreciate the lovely gift of being warm.

Winter Vespa

by 22 Comments

Vespa GTS 250 scooter on snowy farm laneThis morning under a dazzling sky and frigid 12F atmosphere the Vespa scooter returned to the road — mostly, just a few side jaunts to re-familiarize myself with the newly mounted winter tires.  The winter Vespa has slightly different handling characteristics that take a few moments to program into muscle memory.

There’s still a bit of snow and ice to contend with but the main roads are mostly clear and dry though the stray patch of ice or packed snow still lurk in the shadows demanding winter grade attention to detail.  I can sense the autonomic responses at work and seem to have a level of hyperawareness that’s not present in warm weather.  All the usual suspects remain — other drivers and such, but now the road surface has far more pitfalls.  Crossing through a residential neighborhood I found myself riding at 15mph on packed snow where I would normally be navigating at 35mph.

Winter riding means slow riding.

Paul Ruby and in his big blue truckPaul Ruby provided transportation from my home to Kissell Motorsports where the scooter with it’s new fuel pump and winter tires waited.  In exchange I took him to breakfast at the State College Diner.  The temperature rose sharply from 0F when I was walking Junior to almost 10F at breakfast.  Add a little sunshine and your brain can convince you it isn’t all that cold.

Ice water in Pepsi-Cola glass at State College DinorNo matter how cold it is there’s always ice water being served in restaurants.  Seems to make sense that the ice would be dropped in the winter.  Lukewarm tap water being served…

Vespa GTS 250 scooter at Kissell MotorsportsThe scooter had been sitting in unheated storage for a few days and nights of really cold weather and took a bit longer to start than normal.  Once it fired up it ran like a champ.  I let it run a bit while I paid the repair bill and took a look at the motorcycles and scooters.

The technician let me know that come spring when I remove the snow tires I should change the rear wheel bearing.  Not surprising that some water and salt grime have gotten into the bearing.  He cleaned it out and regreased the bearing but it’s time for a shiny new version.

Self-portrait at Kissell MotorsportsKissell Motorsports has a lot of motorcycles and scooters to look at.  The new Vespa Sprint 150s are really cool looking.

Update on the FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in the cold — fantastic.  Riding at 13F I was able to do so with a long-sleeved undershirt, a sweater, and the jacket.  It appears impervious to cold.  No leaks, not cold penetration.  The zippers are big and easy to operate and the velcro closures seem perfectly placed and easy to use.  Really happy with this jacket.

Departing Kissell Motorsports on the Vespa GTS 250 scooter(Photo by Paul Ruby)

Off on a few errands and then onward towards home.  First order of business was to not dump the scooter in the parking lot.  Slow is the order of the day.  Heated grips worked really well and warmed my hands nicely through a thick pair of Tourmaster winter gloves that I’ve had for years.  The Tucano Urbano muffs also do a great job keeping the wind and cold at bay.  The combination of heated grips and muffs is the best winter Vespa hand protection that I’ve found.  A far cry better than heated gloves alone.  At some point I’ll test the heated gloves with the muffs in place of the heated grips.

Steaming cup of Earl Grey tea at the Pump Station in Boalsburg, PAThe only weak link left in terms of me getting cold are my feet.  After about 45 minutes my feet started to get cold.  No spare power on the scooter for electric socks or insoles.  Thinking it might be time to just get some heavy boots — perhaps a Sorel winter boot though the rubber bottoms worry me a bit in terms of wear.

The tried and true method of managing freezing body parts is to stop riding and seek shelter.  The Pump Station in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania provided shelter today along with some steaming hot Earl Grey tea.  Sitting inside with the sun pouring in the windows kept the place warm and I was ready for a nap.

snow on the road with a Vespa scooterWhile not perfect winter riding weather because of the lingering snow and ice it is possible to still ride if you’ve winterized yourself and your scooter or motorcycle.  Riding on neighborhood roads and streets is a mixed bag of snow, ice, and dry pavement.  Don’t get over confident on the dry stuff only to suddenly find yourself having to navigate the slippery stuff while going much too fast.  It’s a perfect way to try out your protective riding gear.

I still find a puzzling level of satisfaction riding the winter Vespa.  There’s a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I endured the cold.  And of course the fun of riding which has not diminished much regardless of the weather.

Wonder what’s next this winter?