Robbed of the Riding Life

Cold weather, snow, ice -- winter, it's robbing me of the will to ride, sucking away the riding life and condemning me to a life behind the wheel.  At least that's how if feels.  I don't know how riders who put their machines away in September and don't get on them again until May do it.  I can only assume their souls are already gone, casualties of like in the north.  We're ice people.

Thank god I was able to ride today if only for awhile, it recharged dead part of me, so what does it matter if the scooter took a tumble in the snow...

The past few weeks have been dark.

A friend asked how my life has devolved to a minivan.  With a straight face and in earnest I told him it's a perfect vehicle; comfortable, spacious, useful.  Looking in the mirror that evening I wasn't sure if I said those words or if some hollow man living inside was responsible.

Sunday morning trips to Saint's have seen no signs of the Vespa in a month.

I could ride, have ridden in all but the worst of recent conditions of snow, ice and temperature.  But the desire is gone, not even a flicker of the old pull of the road.  Instead some insidious, pain in the ass voice keeps whispering of risk and danger.

It's hell to get old.

Snow in town, a signal to leave the Vespa at home.  The old defiance is gone, the revolutionary voice quiet.  What kind of life is this?

Hot Earl Grey tea seems ordinary when I arrive warm and relaxed after a ride in the van.

I feel strangely disconnected from things when I'm not riding, reduced to the voyeur in life, watching but not participating.  Paul and Gordon are working, on this morning a review of prints made from Paul's recent trip to Sicily.

With my point and shoot camera I'm the unenthusiastic tourist, content to watch the little screen display a life.  Winter, what a marvelous excuse to do nothing.

So many mornings the road is covered with something that tells me to leave the Vespa in the garage.  A lot of mornings.  In past years this would not have stopped me but I sense a fragility of body and spirit right now that makes it easy to melt into a bucket seat with heat at my fingertips.

This morning temperatures soared into the 40s and reaching towards 50.  Junior and I made our rounds and as I watched him I realized he doesn't let the weather get to him, especially when I get out the big ball that won't get lost in the snow.

The Vespa has been lost in the snow.

By afternoon the sun had warmed the world and I just had to go for a ride.  A short one.  A ride to re-establish a connection to the scooter.  So here I am, on the road and happy.

Everything is melting and water is everywhere.  When the temperature drops below freezing tonight there will be a mess of ice and obstacle.  Who knows if the Vespa will move again at dawn.

For now I just have to be careful and not let the exuberance overtake good sense.  Like the opportunity to learn that the Vespa will run while laying on its side, the result of plowing through the snow and stopping to take a picture without thinking about the centerstand sinking into the mud.

Oh well, the snow was soft.

The weather forecast shows more snow and cold not far off.  I'm so tired of it all.

Something has to change. (Cue Dom)

Into the Night and Cold

Almost dissolved in the recliner this evening but ended up in the dark and cold on the Vespa. A cloud of salt dust blowing along the road as the traffic passed, what little there was, the rest of the world seeming to choose some other place to live than the road.  Anyone searching for solitude can find it here at night in the cold.

Left the house without my little digital camera and had to rely on the iPhone, not especially good in low light but I lean heavily on images in my posts -- feel mute without them.  Don't often play with the apps to warp images into little fetishes.

Part of the credit for the success of the evening belongs to Heet.  The last couple cold weather rides were a bit frustrating because of fuel line freezing.  Poured a little of this magic elixir into the fuel tank and no more no start events.  At least not this evening at 21F.  I have enough now to get me through the rest of the winter.

My first stop of the evening was for fuel, to mix the Heet with gas and venture off with crossed fingers.  The world is salt covered right now.  The scene actually looked like this.  Yesterday I had lunch at the Happy Valley Brewery in State College, Pennsylvania and the parking lot, a freshly constructed blacktop area, was almost pure white and not from snow.  Just the dregs of road salt.

My poor Vespa...

I had three goals for the evening -- test the fuel fix, go to the grocery store, and stop by the Piston and Pints get together that was taking place at Legends Pub in the Penn State Conference Hotel.

Riding into Innovation Park I was wondering if anyone would show up.

It was a full house at the hotel and a lot of familiar faces at Piston and Pints though no motorcycles.
Didn't attempt any pictures inside, was in a bit of a rush because here was more riding ahead, and I wasn't sure if the fuel line was going to freeze.  In the lobby I talked with a few guys and they had a fine suggestion that I might try -- use a few of the chemical heating bags on the fuel line to thaw it out.  Worth a try and certainly cheaper than a tow.

Dom Chang, author of Redleg's Rides, suggested a couple cans of Sterno under the engine.  That may work for a Ural but I have my doubts about it for the Vespa.  I'll have to think a bit on that.

The trip to the store was for the essentials limited only by what I can fit on the scooter.  Then off into the night and cold.  It's hard to describe how much I enjoy these rides.  I described the experience to Kim as similar to Junior's excitement when the tennis balls are brought out -- an burst of joy packed energy.

Oh to ride...

More Reasons to Not Ride a Vespa in the Winter

After moaning and wallowing in cold driven self pity I forced myself onto the road this morning since the temperature was hovering at a balmy 25F.  During the ride a couple things came to mind as reasons to stay off the road in the winter.  Not the cheap, obvious ones like "It's too cold" or "It's too dangerous to ride whenever it's cold enough for ice to form on the road".  Everyone knows those.  There are more specific, frustrating and teeth grinding reasons to store your scooter or motorcycle in the winter and just stay home and get fat. I guess you can get fat riding too...

Wandering up into the woods the roads become a bit more clogged with snow and ice but with almost no traffic it's easy to navigate this sort of thing on a Vespa.

When asked why I ride in the winter my responses fall into two categories depending on how I'm feeling.  One has to do with the magical appearance of winter.  I can't get enough of the visual splendor that seems to be consumable only by riding.  Can't access it in the car and am too exhausted riding a bike.  I'm probably rationalizing here.

The second reason is the challenge.  There's a satisfaction in pushing through winter on a Vespa.  It's probably as close as I'll ever get to high adventure.  K2 is not in my future.

Lot's of snow still blowing around especially on the smaller secondary roads or private lanes like this one.  The Vespa really floats trying to plow through this deep stuff.  Still, doesn't fall into my reasons why one might not want to ride in the winter.

Rust.  Just like on a car, riding in winter can eat away at the scooter.  And since almost every rider I know baby's their machine whether a scooter or motorcycle, winter pretty much takes them out of the game.

I just noticed the main body seam turning brown.  I read somewhere that it's just the Italian roast coffee leaking through but something tells me it's more of a problem than that.  Not sure how I'll proceed.

And the other reason is things just don't work as well in cold weather leading to all sorts of potential frustrations.  Like this morning.  Had a nice, winter ride through the countryside and into town to return an overdue library book.  By the time I perused the books and made a few choices the fuel line froze again on the scooter.  Nothing more frustrating in my book than a scooter that won't start.

The frustration worsens as it begins to snow.  Called a towing company since all my truck and trailer friends are away and they arrive in about 20 minutes only to tell me they can't "lift" a Vespa.

Off they go and I retreat to the library to call a company that has hauled the scooter before.  They can be there in an hour.  I walk outside to determine my next move and realize if "feels" warmer. A quick check of the temperature shows it has risen to near the freezing mark and I wonder if the scooter will start now.

Indeed it does.  A quick call to cancel the tow and off I go.  Ride in the winter and stuff like this will happen.  Some say it's a wonderful opportunity for personal growth.  To me it's a pain.

So, from where I sit, winter riding is cold, frustrating, dangerous, hard on the machinery, and hard on the body and soul.  Other than that it's pretty fun and satisfying.

So, what other reasons am I missing to pack it in for the winter?

Subzero Education

There are days when the universe conspires to make sure you understand how little you know. Today was one of those days.

Once upon a time there was a boy who had a Vespa.  The boy loved his Vespa and would go to great lengths to ride it.  He would carefully identify opportunities to undertake errands or commute to work on days best left to life behind the wheel of an automobile.  Like this morning, one of the coldest mornings in years.

I knew it would be cold today and wasn't surprised to see the Weather.com app on my phone display -8F.  The first arrogant thought -- I've ridden in colder weather.  And that's true though I was younger and healthier at the time, one of many little facts I would choose to overlook.

Walking up the street with the dog was pleasant.  Walking back with my face to the wind I was muttering about the cold but realized it wouldn't be so bad on the Vespa at 50mph.

The scooter started right up but my riding gear was frozen having spent the night in the unheated garage.  But I was only going 8 miles, I can stand a little cold.

Don't let anyone tell you that riding in the cold is simply a matter of the right clothes and the right state of mind.  That's only part of it which I somehow forgot though was reminded of not far from home and throughout the day.

My friend Pete Kauffman, the Art Editor where I work and also an intrepid Yamaha Vino rider, made this picture when I arrived at the office.  He arrived in a Chrysler product.

Pete will appear again later in this story.

So let's do a bit of deconstruction on this picture so I can share a few lessons I learned again on the way to work.

1.  Don't forget that a Vespa sitting inside an unheated garage all night connected to a Battery Tender is not the same as a Vespa sitting outdoors for 8 hours not connected to a Battery Tender.

2.  The multiple layers necessary to ride at -8F make you look fat.

3.  When the temperature drops below zero you really should choose your Olympia one-piece winter riding suit instead of the jacket and pants you wear when it's 60F.

4.  A lot of moisture drips out of car mufflers and freezes instantly on the road.  With all the cars going to work there is a lot of slippery stuff around.

5.  When you walk your dog through the snow at -8F the snow that's collected in the cleats of your riding boots freezes solid producing a sole of ice that you discover at the first stop sign.

6.  You can't hold your breath all the way to work, you can't ride far with the visor open, and you can't get the frost off the visor.

7.  You shouldn't let your fuel supply get so low that you have to stop for gas when it's -8F outside.

8.  You should really pay attention when putting your gear on so all the little openings are sealed.

When I finally got to my desk I was grateful the heat was on and that I didn't learn any of the lessons the hard way.  At least not until the end of the day.

Fast forward to the end of the day.  Vespa cranks but will not start.  Continued cranking drains the battery.  I'm not riding home.

I call Pete and ask if he has jumper cables.  A few minutes later the starter is cranking but no fire.  We both suspect a fuel supply problem.  Something has frozen up.  Pete takes me home and I leave the scooter.

I return later and move the Vespa into a small workspace and attach it to a Battery Tender and hope the warm temperature will perform some kind of magic.  One hour later the Vespa starts and I ride home in the dark.

I learned a few things today, got the subzero riding out of my system, and am now thinking about food.

Does it get any better than that?

Happy New Year!

A new year has arrived in cold and blustery fashion.  Junior and I ventured out to the mountains to breathe fresh air, let hearts pump blood into straining muscles, and enjoy another day walking on the earth.

Junior is my guide and I work to reflect the same happy, satisfied look on my face.  His needs are simple as are his pleasures.  There's a lesson to be learned.

With dog fed, watered and safely at home I ventured out on the Vespa to experience my own version of chasing a tennis ball.  The road surfaces this morning were a mix from dry to slippery depending on location and road treatment.  This stretch was surprisingly slick and required a speed drop to around 15mph -- bicycle speed.  Fortunately it lastly only a mile or so and the rest of the ride was upon more reliable traction.

Riding and blogging, I've been thinking (again) where I want to go with this project.  I'm sure a path will reveal itself at some point down the road.

On this ride one thing floated in and out of my head.  The first is electric socks and insoles -- something to research because my feet seem to get cold faster these days.  Another gift of aging or I've become less tolerant of the cold.

So until the next ride, Happy New Year from the Sticks!

New Year's Eve Ride in the Snow

The last day of 2013 and it snows -- a little.  Enough to give pause to any decision to ride the Vespa. Walking Junior up the street I do the usual traction testing with my boot and try to imagine the roads beyond our neighborhood and consider alternatives to a morning ride like doing laundry or scrubbing the bathroom.

It's not long before I'm standing in an empty cornfield watching the sun try to burn through a passing snow squall, wondering if the scooter is going to fall over on the uneven surface.  When weather moves quickly through the valley I need to pay close attention because traction and visibility can change quickly making riding difficult or impossible.  Today I have a few errands to run but no time to really get lost.

Surprising variation on main road surfaces.  Some wet while others built up a sheen of snow and slush. Salt trucks were out but because little snow was predicted I suppose their hearts weren't really in it. This particular road was much more slippery than I expected, that detection made again by testing the road surface with my boot.

Slow riding here -- 20mph seemed about right provided no panic stops were needed.  It also means pulling over for any traffic approaching from the rear -- just to be polite.

Not sure what the new year will bring but I try to be open to possibilities.  There's much to be grateful for and a lot of work ahead.  Riding the Vespa is a part of my road ahead and it's nice to live somewhere that makes riding pretty easy.

Errands finished and the weather continuing to intrude so I head towards home where it's warm and cozy.

Glad I have winter tires.  Looking forward to a few hours of above freezing temperatures so I can wash all the salty grim from the scooter.  It's really red.  All the gray is from the dirt and salt...

Evening Errands on a Vespa

Had a few errands to run this evening.  Considered taking the car then opted for the Vespa.  With the thermometer hovering in the mid 30s I felt comfortable going for a ride in the dark.  The roads were a mix of dry and wet.  At night the wet pavement can look like shiny ice and I had to stop a few times and make sure it wasn't.  Peace of mind sort of thing.

Rode through town and saw a picture I would like to make but told Kim that the best time would be 2:30am.  Surprisingly she didn't bat an eye having been married to a photographer for a long time now.

Eventually I ended up at the grocery store for a few necessities and the ever important tea biscuit -- something sweet to accompany my evening cup of Earl Grey.

On the way home I had to stop and make a quick picture of this place -- every year this family goes to great lengths to have a pretty intense Christmas light setup.  Sorry about the electronic flash.  It was so dark that you wouldn't see the Vespa.

It's all about the Vespa...

A Typical Winter Commute

Snow on the driveway in the morning, a reminder of what can happen when you aren't looking, a dusting of icy slippiness that can make life exciting in a decidedly unwelcome manner.  It can happen at night when you're sleeping or during the day when you're at work and not necessarily paying attention.  It's the food that can be part of a winter rider's menu.

The weather report had little suns with some clouds and no mention of precipitation.  I calculated that the main roads would be dry or have a patch of snow here or there. Turn off those main routes onto anything not salted and it would be a different story.  Like here at the Pennsylvania Military Museum where the landscape resembled the Ardennes in 1944.

Side streets in State College were dusted and slippery in places but easily managed with the right winter riding attitude consisting mainly of slow travel, careful braking, quick surface assessment and informed decision making.  I was in town to meet someone for breakfast at the Corner Room and hoped conditions would improve by the time I rode on to work.

One thing I failed to consider was the motorcycle parking at my office -- the only place you are allowed to park a motorcycle on campus, was not cleared.  I suppose they don't expect any motorcycles this time of year.  Luckily the snow piles were still soft and I could kick an area open to park.

The situation was far worse in the parking lot than on the road.  By the time I rode home conditions were much improved with dry roads and warming temperatures.

On a scale of one to ten with ten being glare ice and sub-zero temperatures and one being sub-freezing and dry this particular ride was a four.

Maybe I should develop a Scooter in the Sticks winter riding score...

Riding Between Good Snow and Bad

Snow began falling this morning and quickly began covering the road.  No snowflakes in the beginning, just small round pellets.  Dry snow on dry pavement.  This is the stuff that looks bad but does little to impede traction.  There's a small window of time before flakes fall and things get more slippery.  I don't understand the physics but I've had enough experience to know the effect.

With the road in this condition the traction is surprisingly good.  You won't slip and fall walking on this road and it's unlikely that the Vespa will go down either.  At least not without a lot of help from bad choices.

I had nowhere to be or go, just wanted to be out in the world for a bit and take in the first real snowstorm of the season.  Wandering down a gravel road offered a few lessons.  As gritty as the surface looked the fresh snow covered a lot of smooth, hard ice.  No way of knowing lest a rider gets off the scooter and pushes their boot around.  Not a problem when engaged in frequent stops for photos.

Roads into Boalsburg were completely snow covered and had become slippery.  Braking, motion and movement had to be carefully considered.  The Heidenau snow tires make a difference.

No one was at Ken's Moto Hang Lounge -- home of the Piston and Pints events.  In fact, I didn't see another scooter or motorcycle the entire time I was out.

I have a good idea of my limits -- skills and experience.  With the snow continuing to fall I decided to head towards home with a short stop at the Pump Station for breakfast.  The trip home from there is short though uphill.

The First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket has little protection from moisture and performs more like a dish cloth than raingear.  I need to apply a coat of Nik Wax or something soon.  Walk inside someplace warm forgetting to brush off the snow first and things get wet fast.

Riding up the hill went fine though a few times the rear wheel broke free.  Seems as if the car that made these tracks had a similar issue.

The winter tires definitely help.  Aggressive tread, soft rubber, embedded micro-crystalline silica all work together to increase traction.  Not magic but a little edge.

Snow isn't a rider's friend.  In almost every case a reason to not ride.  Same with me.  But some are happy with the snow.

Junior loves the snow and after the Vespa was put away he needed an adventure of his own.  An hour of running around at the park and we were both ready for a bowl of food and a warm house.

Still snowing outside and I doubt I'll be riding anymore today.  Junior, Kim and I will cozy up and let the world disappear under a blanket of white.

Vespa on a Cold Night

It's been cold and getting colder.  By morning the temperature will be in the single digits.  Not the best news for riding a Vespa but still within the range of riding if the snow holds off.  The past couple days the scooter has sat in the garage due to ice one day and the need to haul some things in the van the next.  Braving the elements was focused on walking the dog.  Photographing this tree reminded me to think about a Christmas tree for home.

This evening I had a few errands to run and decided to exercise the scooter.  The roads were dry though with the thermometer descending below 20 degrees it was cold and the chance of ice is ever present.  The desire to ride is strong.  Why else would anyone venture out into this?

Christmas isn't far off now though I've not really caught the spirit.  Riding didn't jumpstart it either.
My decision to not use the electric gloves was a poor one and the resultant misery clouded any jolly thoughts.

Still, it was good to get out into the world on the Vespa.