Waiting to Ride

After days of watching the weather forecast and the road surface in the front of the house, I deemed it time to go for a winter Vespa ride. Over the years, winter riding has become almost normal. Before retirement, daily commuting on the scooter often meant navigating cold weather and the things that come with it. As I’ve gotten older the physical challenges of cold temperatures have increased and my riding window has contracted. No longer will I venture out for a winter Vespa ride when snow is falling. Or if the roads are covered already with snow. There’s no need to get to work and the adventure of navigating those conditions has largely evaporated. Still, I love to ride and can’t fathom a riding doldrum stretching from October to May. When the roads are dry it’s easy to manage the cold. I may not ride in sub-zero temperatures anymore, but there are plenty of 20 degree days in which I can easily ride in the winter.

After monitoring road conditions for days I decided it was time for a winter Vespa ride.

It was 28F when I left the house. No wind and bright sunshine. My head-to-toe winter gear had me wearing my winter hiking boots, thermal underwear, jeans, armored overpants, T-shirt, wool sweater, First Gear Kilimanjaro riding jacket, neck gaiter, and a full-face helmet. More than adequate protection against the cold. And with muffs on the handgrips along with heated grips, my regular insulated leather gloves kept my hands toasty.