The Empty Road

I wrote this upon arrival at Barnes and Noble.

An uneventful short ride brought me to Barnes and Noble. No excitement or interest as I told myself I have prowled these roads before. I’ve convinced myself they are empty and dead. Nothing left to see.

Sitting in the café I think of a blog post title: The Empty Road. It’s misleading. Conjures thoughts of open highways with nameless destinations. The cliché freedom of the road. Someday I hope to sample that place.

The empty road I’m thinking about is in my head. A road without interest or attraction that goes nowhere. Thrill and satisfaction drained away leaving behind a barely animated body on the seat of the Vespa. Other than that it’s a great ride.

I’ve thought a lot about riding risk related to physical conditions. Perhaps a few words about mental risk are in order. I’m pretty sure I pass drivers (and riders) who are preoccupied with something – work, money problems, problems at home, something. Or maybe they’re just tired, angry, or bored. Whatever the problem its hard to be focused on the road. And absolutely nothing has to be wrong to still be disconnected from the ride. It just happens.

Like now. I’d like to be home lying on the couch with Kim. Relaxing. Not doing a damn thing. Maybe I shouldn't ride today. Just go home.

The Vespa is a reliable developer of enthusiasm. I wandered through town and country to arrive here and could feel the pulse of energy flash on and off. It never ignited the steady burn of intense reward. Maybe it’s the blustery 30° F temperature bothering me after 75° just a few days ago. Or the mental dismissal of familiar roads. Or maybe I just need to recognize it was a busy week and I just don’t want to do anything.

A cup of tea and a cookie hasn’t fixed me. An asiago cheese pretzel follows and the sun comes out. I see it shining on the Vespa in the parking lot. Snow is flying farther down the valley. I can feel the engine trying to turn over in my head. The tea has assumed room temperature and a flicker of desire is winning out over the desire to finish the pretzel. It’s time to go, just don't know where.

End of notebook entry.

That’s where my head was when I closed the notebook at Barnes and Noble. I wasn’t sure where to go and sat for a while until I decided to ride home though not by a direct route. Past Rockview State Penitentiary and up Centre Hall Mountain. Stopped on the way up to look around in the woods.

At the top of the mountain I stopped to admire the view from where the Mount Nittany Inn used to sit. A fine restaurant that had the misfortune of burning down twice. It has sat like it is for several years now.

At the bottom of the mountain is George’s Frosty Cup – a local soft ice cream joint where I figured I could have one more snack before going home. The wind was blowing hard and jostling the scooter around until I entered town and the relative protection of the houses along the street. I hadn’t been this way since last summer and was surprised to see George’s transformed in Doans Bones Barbeque.

This required investigation and a sampling of their pulled pork sandwich server with homemade potato chips. I’ll be back again.

An interesting aside. A picture of this place appeared in the New York Times a few weeks ago as part of an article on photographer Henry Wessel. Mr. Wessel made his picture in the late 1960’s when the place was called Fye’s.

Rather than ride directly home I plotted another circuitous route home through some rural roads I had forgotten about. Dark clouds and flying snow had me choose a straight line home before I found myself riding with snow on the road or my hands numb enough to have to stop. One last picture of the landscape and then onto the main highway for a 60 MPH run home in a nice crosswind.

Kim was on the phone when I came in and I heard her tell whomever she was talking to that I had a big smile on my face. I guess the Vespa still works.

Riding in Wet Fog

This past Monday morning presented a dense, wet fog for my ride to work. A few hundred yards down the road water was already dripping off my riding gear, helmet visor and the scooter. The limited visibility required careful attention to the road surface, other traffic, and whitetail deer that seem to appear out of nowhere.

I left for work before traffic got heavier and the other vehicles on the road traveled at lower than normal speeds in deference to the fog. If I had more time I would have ventured farther out to shoot pictures. Even the most ordinary places appear magical. I turned off into a park not far from where I live to look at the trees and wishing I had more time to prowl the landscape with my camera.

I swung around south of town to prolong the ride a bit before work. Familiar roads and places were transformed into brand new landscapes. Had I given in to photographic desire I would have been taking pictures until the sun finally burned off the fog but an 8AM meeting kept me moving.

I did pull off one last time to look down the road. I never seem to tire of the image of a road disappearing in the distance. It kindles my imagination of rides yet discovered.

Snow looms in the forecast for tomorrow. I swear it's the same forecast that caused my questionable riding in snow a few weeks ago.

Acknowledgements

I thought this picture of my friend Paul might represent the unaware beginnings of Scooter in the Sticks

Receiving congratulations for winning the 2007 Riders Choice Award for Best Motorcycle or Scooter blog reminded me that a lot of people played a role in this story.

I made my first three-sentence post giving birth to Scooter in the Sticks on October 2, 2005. What led to that post and what has happened since is a bit more complicated. A full year earlier I was in an art class taught by New Media artist Carlos Rosas on net art and publishing. It was there I began to seriously consider the Web as an alternative method of sharing work rather than the more traditional gallery exhibitions that are expensive and provide limited exposure. The Web promised a less expensive venue with a potentially larger audience.

During this same time period my long dormant desire (30 years) to ride again rekindled as I watched my friend Paul Ruby alternating rides between his Harley-Davidson Fatboy and Vespa ET4. Occasional discussions about motorcycles and riding with my wife Kim eventually led to serious consideration of a new Triumph Bonneville T100. Paul suggested I take his Vespa for the weekend before investing a lot of money in something I might not find as enjoyable as I remembered. Ten minutes on the scooter was enough to bring back all the memories of riding. It also erased any thought of a Triumph and placed me squarely on a Vespa.

The summer of 2005 offered time for riding, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginning Rider course, and the rapid development of a riding sensibility as I put more and more miles on the scooter. The fine people who make up the Modern Vespa forum answered many early questions about gear, riding, and the Vespa LX150 I bought. Through the kind and thoughtful responses and the riding I was doing I slowly began to piece together the information and experience that would eventually appear on Scooter in the Sticks.

At work I was trying to estimate how much time it would take to produce meaningful content on a regular basis for use on a blog designed to share information about our organization. Having no experience in this area I decided to experiment a little by creating a blog and post short stories and pictures about riding a Vespa. Once I was familiar with the time and commitment necessary we could make some decisions about next steps.

As simple as blogging seems now I stumbled from the very beginning. Struggling with a title my wife Kim rescued me with Scooter in the Sticks. I liked it the moment she uttered it and the sound of it has continued to make me smile. Early posts weren’t intended for anyone. I was just generating content. Journal entries. During this period I looked at other blogs for ideas and techniques but it wasn’t until I saw a post on the Modern Vespa forum linking to a story done by WCCO TV in Minneapolis about a former Marine named Gary Charpentier who was riding his Baron scooter back and forth to work through the winter.

Man Scoots And Commutes 25 Miles

I was already riding in cold weather by this point but Gary’s adventures solidified my resolve to ride all winter as long as the roads were clear. With a little sleuthing I was able to track down his Baron in Winter blog and make first contact with someone who I feel has been a guide and mentor in riding and blogging. Gary’s approach to writing about his personal experience had a strong influence on my own work from that point on through to his new blog Rush Hour Rambling.


Contact with Gary opened other doors like being added to the Ride to Work commuter blog list where in turn I came into contact with master instructor, teacher, and rider Dan Bateman. I have probably learned more about riding, technique, and managing risk from Dan’s writing on Musings of an Intrepid Commuter than any other source.

Like Gary, he has been a continual source of information, expertise and support and has influenced what I write for Scooter in the Sticks.

As more connections developed more traffic and comments appeared. Somewhere I discovered the free StatCounter application that would allow me to track visitors and traffic and see just how people were finding me. As I checked out the sites visiting me I found Doug Klassen.

Now Doug probably doesn’t know he had a role to play with Scooter in the Sticks but his was perhaps the critical one that made the award possible. I found my way to Motorcycle Bloggers International via his blog Forty Years on Two Wheels.

In addition to finding MBI I was struck by something Doug wrote in his very first post that continues to resonate with me today---“ This combination of riding and photography, especially since I've slowed the bike down, has become a very satisfying part of my life…” It’s nice to find yourself reflected in the fine work of others.

As my view widened I saw a diverse approach to writing in the landscape of motorcycle and scooter blogs. I was able to solidify my focus that is decidedly personal at times and generally focused on the experience of riding. Winning the Riders Choice Star Award was the result of a winding journey that took me across the path of many people. Without them it wouldn’t have happened.

Photo by Paul Ruby. One of many pictures he has made of me that I haven't posted...

There are so many other riders, bloggers, and visitors who have helped make Scooter in the Sticks a success that I can’t thank all of you. The links on my blog are just a few and all worth a look. Sites like 2StrokeBuzz and The ScooterScoop to CombatCommuter and Little Billy's Scooter Tales. And many more. Know that I appreciate the time and comments you make here and the things you offer on your own sites if you have them. I’m not sure what the future holds for Scooter in the Sticks. Definitely a continuation of riding, writing, and photography. I am trying to develop a riding and photography project too. I would also like to take some longer trips to see what that’s like. I’ve toyed with the idea of producing videos but to be honest I can’t quite figure out how to make them unique or relevant here without me yakking away on the screen. Time will tell.

Again, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts and comments. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming weeks and months.

Riding Chores

On most Saturday mornings I am on the road early. Today I gave in to the bed and didn't move until nearly 8 o'clock. When I finally rode away from the house it was after 10 and my mind was everywhere but on the road. Not a particularly good way to ride.

I abandoned any vague plans I might have to explore new territory and instead decided to stop at Barnes and Noble for tea and write my next blog entry. Not this one. And have a cookie. Not riding was a good decision and sitting by the window and watching the world roll by was nice. Some days I guess the road can do without me.

With warmer weather comes the beginning of the gardening season for me and I have a lot of work ahead. Late in the day I needed to run to Lowe's to pick a few things up and I was ready for a little ride in the balmy 68° F air. While I'll probably never be able to match the utilitarian application of the Vespa for transportation that you might see in Asia I try and use it as much as possible to do things other than recreational riding.

This trip was actually a small load - 50 pounds of potting soil and a 50 foot garden hose tied down to the seat while the more delicate items road in the under seat storage compartment. Things like hacksaw blades, foam earplugs, and a package of Burpee Giant Moon Flowers. I wanted to also bring home six wire tomato cages but they didn't have any today.

On the way home a car pulled up next to me at a traffic light and the passengers were laughing and pointing at me. Kim said they probably were impressed but it didn't feel that way at the time. I held a stoic gaze at the traffic light and pretended they were tourists.

The Vespa GTS didn't blink with the 50 pounds strapped on behind me. I guess it would be like have a kid riding there. My bet is I could get four bags on the scooter. Three on the seat and one across the floorboards. Now that's transportation.

Riding in the Morning Glow

After colder and more precarious rides it was good to ride this past Sunday in warm weather. Leaving with my friend Paul just as the sun was rising treated us to one of those glowing morning that just make me glad to be alive. Paul showed his own feelings by leaping through my picture.

We had some general plans to ride south and east over several ridges into Amish country and then farther south for breakfast at Millers Diner along US 22. The rolling ride through field and forest presented an almost endless opportunity to stop and make photographs. Had I been riding alone I would have stopped more often but I think Paul was interested in making more forward progress which appeared as higher speeds. Now he knows what it’s like to walk a dog that has to sniff every tree.

I had to stop at this hill near Mcalevys Fort – those lone trees always beckon to me. When I redo the little business card I have for Scooter in the Sticks that still shows the LX150 I may use this image.

Riding over the first ridge towards Greenwood Furnace State Park took us along a winding road through Rothrock State Forest with a low fog burning away in the morning sun. It was a mental remnant of my own private Brigadoon. I get to go home after visiting though.

Paul’s bright colored Suzuki DRZ400 Supermotard leaps out of the pictures and threatens the quiet elegance of the Vespa. The two seem at odds with each other on many levels.

Riding down into Belleville, a farm community with a large Amish population is wildly busy on auction days. On a Sunday morning it’s quite and abandoned.

This picture was taken at the auction grounds that will find thousands packed in on Wednesday mornings. Here it looks about as nasty as a place can look.

Growling stomachs directed us 25 miles south to Millers Diner and a hearty breakfast. Paul had his coffee and was considering routes to take us home.

By the time we left the diner temperatures were above 60° F and the sun was bright. After a few wrong turns and circling back on ourselves we found a bucolic road through an area that I had not ridden through before that crossed back and forth over the Little Juniata River.

I returned home shortly after noon with another 106 miles on the odometer. I was content and the Vespa was ready for its break-in service at KissellMotorsports. Fluid changes, filter changes, valve adjustments and more. Now without the break-in period restrictions I can consider some longer rides to more uncertain destinations.

Thoughts on Risk and Personal Responsibility

My last post raised questions about the wisdom and folly of riding home in the snow. Adverse conditions pose technical challenges for a rider but I want to focus more closely on risk assessment and the personal responsibility I assume when I get onto the scooter.

Many assume riding is inherently dangerous and I won’t disagree. I’m never sure how to respond when someone tells me they would never ride a motorcycle because it is too dangerous. Even a brief look at Ride2Die.com is a sober reminder of how things can go terribly wrong. But what’s missing from these cautions is the consideration a rider brings to the ride. In this case my assessment of circumstances and the skills and expertise I bring to the decision making process. An accident or other dangerous encounter is not a certainty and the risk of one can be greatly mitigated by careful and deliberate choices. And this brings me to my choice to ride home in the snow.

When I began riding again less than two years ago I read a lot of motorcycle training books. I remember one warned against riding at night and in the rain. Ever. And it provided strong arguments in support of that position. Riding in the snow was at best a fool’s errand. So how have I arrived at a place where I ride in rain, at night, and in the snow?

I am not indifferent to the risks posed by these conditions and have considered them carefully while sitting in the comfort of my living room, while standing in the doorway making a decision about riding, and while on the back of the scooter. I ask myself if I am up to the ride technically, physically, and mentally. I run through the potential pitfalls. And finally I ask if I am ready to accept the consequences of my decisions.

I don’t want to talk about legal responsibility or the bad habits or missteps of other drivers. I can’t control whitetail deer or objects on the road. I can’t control potholes or gravel. They are part of the roadway landscape and I can either accept them or not ride. So I choose to focus on what I can do as a rider and find there is a wide range of actions at my disposal.

Back to the ride in the snow. Several ideas have been raised about my decision. One is that it was a bad decision. I agree, sort of. For me it was the wrong decision based on my general desire to not have to ride in snow. I don’t like riding in snow and had I known what was ahead I would not have ridden. I don’t accept the idea however that any riding in snow is crazy or ill fated. It all depends.

Another point raised was I should have known better than to get on the scooter and ridden off when snow was already falling. Guilty. In hindsight I should have ridden the bus.

The most interesting comments were when things got bad I should have parked the scooter and gotten home another way. The risk to life and limb being too great. I agree and this is the one I struggle with. I could have parked the scooter almost anywhere along the way home yet I didn’t. It’s not like it didn’t occur to me as an option. I considered the situation and determined I would be able to continue on. I was constantly testing the road surface, minding the traffic levels, mediating my speed to match the limits of the scooter in the snow and my own ability to manage slipping and sliding. I even factored a fall into the equation. Considering these things I determined the risk to be manageable.

I’ve been looking at Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival where he identifies the mind as the most important tool to survival. And in order to keep the mind functioning smoothly one must have a positive attitude. I suggest the same applies to riding, especially in adverse conditions.

For riders who don’t have experience in foul weather this kind of ride may appear foolhardy. Others may consider I a personal challenge to master, a chance to test skill and mettle and stretch the limits of experience. While I don’t seek out these kinds of situations I know they will present themselves and coping with them have meaning and importance.

The bottom line – as long as I carefully consider what I am doing and make honest evaluations I am comfortable accepting the risk and outcome. I did this last year when I dropped my LX150 in the snow on the way to work, when I destroyed the LX150 while attempting to change the drive belt, and most recently making the ride home in the snow.

I’ll close with a recollection of sailing one morning out of Provincetown, Massachusetts north to Portland, Maine in high winds and a rough sea. As the weather worsened a sudden, strong gust of wind almost knocked the boat down while I was setting a reef in the mainsail. I remember a flash of disaster in my mind but immediately began an assessment of what to do next. My skill and experience was equal to the situation and my friends and I sailed on to our destination. While not an experience for every sailor it was not an unreasonable level of risk for me. And so it was for the Vespa and I in the recent snow.

Error in Judgment

I walked out of my office yesterday evening to a snow covered Vespa GTS. After making the picture and brushing off the snow I made an error in judgment---I decided to ride home.

The morning weather forecast called for sun in the morning followed by a chance of snow showers or rain with no accumulation and temperatures approaching 40° F. I had already put my seat and rear bag covers on at noon in preparation for the moisture predicted to arrive. Through my office window I saw the flurries begin not concerned because in my head I was thinking of above freezing temperatures. Let it snow, it won't stick.

When I saddled up the snow was just beginning to stick on the parking lot surface. I'm thinking to myself that's OK. The rush hour traffic will wear it away on the road. Waiting to pull out of the parking lot I'm rubbing my feet on the road surface checking the traction. There is enough on the ground to plow little ridges of snow and slush around my boots. Not too bad I tell myself, it will get better once I am on the main road.

A mile later the road is completely covered in slushy grease and it is snowing hard----ice pellets and snow and the wind is gusting causing the Vespa to lurch. Feet go down in outrigger fashion to help stabilize things. At one point I with a Ford Explorer bearing down on me from behind while I'm traveling at the impolite speed of 20 MPH in a 25 MPH zone and am having a difficult time seeing as ice gathers on the outside of my visor while the inside fogs. I am trying to wipe both sides and control the scooter at the same time. At almost the last moment I see a pile of snow across the road courtesy of some thoughtful sidewalk shoveler who never caught up with the last snowfall. Feet down, slight rear brake to slow a bit before impact, I strike the pile hoping to follow a tire track through. The Vespa shudders to one side and I feel the front wheel break free. A food down holds the scooter up until I come out the other side and regain a bit of traction.

I turn off onto a side street to let the traffic go by and regroup. I'm thinking it was not a good idea to ride home after all. At least not with traffic this heavy. I consider an alternate route but the side streets are even worse. I'm not comfortable abandoning the scooter at this point so I determine that I will continue to ride home. I wait awhile at the intersection until I see a long gap in traffic and pull back onto the road. A long hill is ahead that I must go over and come back down the other side. The scooter navigates the uphill easily with the rear wheel only spinning once or twice. I'm already thinking of the steeper downhill side complete with a reverse banked turn. I pull over at the top of the hill to let traffic pass, clean the visor again, and think about how to approach this next hazard.

Several vehicles beep their horn. They are either indicating support or reminding me that I'm crazy. I can accept either sentiment. Once car stops. It is my daughter Hannah and her boyfriend Jason. They offer a ride home and when I decline they offer to drive behind me to keep the vehicles away from me. Now there's a plan.

I make it down the hill to the intersection with the main road out of town towards home. Four lanes of rush hour traffic thankfully traveling quite slowly due to weather and malfunctioning traffic lights. Jason and Hannah follow me about two miles where I turn off into their neighborhood and into their garage. The smart rider might have accepted the offer to park the scooter and take a ride home in the VW. I dried my visor with a paper towel and thought about the route home, another four miles wandering through neighborhoods and a back road into town. I knew there wouldn't be much traffic and I had come this far already so I make a decision to ride the rest of the way home.

I admit at this point it is a challenge. I want to know if I can do it and I assess the risk to be manageable. It is close to the edge though. The route now has seen much less traffic and the quality of the snow on the road is different, deeper, and much slicker. Feet come down more often. The wind is worse when I get to the open areas and I'm breathing heavily from the effort only making the visor problems worse. I stop to take pictures mainly as a chance to clean the visor.

The last long hill into town is slow going because the snow starts to fall faster and I have to keep my speed to about 10 MPH otherwise there will be no chance to stop or pull over if someone rushes up behind me. I'm wiping snow from visor and mirrors and trying to pay attention to my track on the road.

I finally pull into my driveway about an hour and ten minutes after leaving work. A 15-minute ride on a dry day by the direct route. I wiped as much of the snow and slush from the scooter and pushed it into the garage.

Just because I made it home without incident I am not sure if I made the right decision. Had I known at the beginning how bad it would be I might have parked the scooter in the parking garage at work and took the bus home. I admit to some apprehension at leaving it parked all night like that but it may have been an error in judgment on my part. At the very least I was riding at the edge of unmanageability.

The Short Ride

“I’m going to return the movies.” I told Kim, a strong desire to rid the house of two particularly awful movies and a chance for a short ride on a sunny day. If you ride you probably are already familiar with the tendency to volunteer to do things if it means you might have the chance to ride.

The heavy snowfall of two days ago had disappeared from the road surface and with the temperature hovering at 34° F and the sky blue it was ideal for a quick ride. It was also the first chance I had to try out my new polarized clip on sunglasses in the dazzling light reflected from a snow-covered landscape.

Riding down the road from the house the sky expanded in a sweep of blue filled with soft white clouds. I veered south at the first opportunity so I could extend the movie errand into a short ride. Cruising over the first crest I was greeted by snow blowing across the road.

The wind buffeted the GTS badly in the open areas but I was more concerned with the blowing snow. I discovered when I got home that the wind was blowing at a steady 30 MPH with gusts reaching 45 MPH. The Vespa’s temperature display switched between 32° and 34° during the ride creating a slight chance that the snow would freeze to the road.

Road conditions aside it was a beautiful day. Anticipating blowing snow and drifts was pretty simple as I picked my way along. Only once crossing a snowy patch did I feel the front tire want to break loose. I had both feet down in outrigger fashion ready to provide any emergency support.

The ride home involved a direct route free of snow but with considerably more four-wheeled traffic. Not sure which route posed the greater risk.

Sitting here in the living room with Kim and Essa pushing the pen across the page (yes, I write my posts with a fountain pen in a little notebook a lot of times) I am amazed at how much I still feel compelled to ride, and how much I completely enjoy it. Even in the cold. Especially in the cold.

Riding is important as it continues to work as a powerful tonic for the noise and weight of things collected on a daily basis. Turn the key, thumb the starter, and twist the throttle…

2007 Riders Choice Awards Announced

Motorcycle Bloggers International (MBI) has announced the winners of the 2007 Riders Choice Awards. MBI is an association of some 97 motorcycle bloggers spread around the world, from China to Chile and holds an annual award for the best of the best (and the worst of the worst) in the motorcycle industry. The awards, nominated and voted on by readers and riders in 88 countries, recognize significant achievements and serious lapses in judgment during 2006 by motorcycle and related product manufacturers, persons and organizations. The nominations and voting is done by readers (millions of them), and this year the results are in!


Scooter in the Sticks was named Best Motorcycle or Scooter Blog this year! I want to thank all of you who visit here for your support and encouragement. It means a lot to me to receive this honor. Thank you!

This year’s winners are:

MBI Riders Choice - Star Awards

• A Rider's Dream - To ride the Silk Route, from Istanbul Turkey to Xian, China
• 2006's Best concept motorcycle or scooter - Desmosidici RR
• Best exhibition of 2006 - Intermot
• Best looking new in 2006 motorcycle - Triumph Daytona 675
• Best manufacturer’s website - BMW Motorrad
• Best motorcycle or scooter blog - Scooter in the Sticks
• Best new in 2006 every day motorcycle - BMW F800S
• Best new in 2006 scooter - Piaggio MP3
• Best new in 2006 motorcycle - BMW F800ST
• Object of lust - Ducati Desmosedici RR
• Thumbs up - Ardys Kellerman
• Wish we’d thought of that - Piaggio MP3
• Women riders booster of the year - Ardys Kellerman

MBI Riders Choice - Fallen Star Awards

• Thumbs down - Billy Lane
• What were they thinking? - Speed TV Superbikes
• Worst manufacturer’s website - Icon Motorcycle Gear

To see all awards and descriptions, plus runner ups, click here.


The Riders Choice Awards are unique in that the nominees and winners are chosen by everyday riders around the world. The awards reflect the judgment of the motorcycle buying public, not motorcycle industry insiders. Anyone could vote, there was no restriction on age, gender or country. Even non-riders could vote. No registration, nor email addresses were required. However, a system of storing and analyzing IP addresses was put in place to minimize duplicate voting.

After the success the first Awards had last year, membership in MBI skyrocketed from 12 to 95. Millions of readers worldwide read about the 2006 Awards.

Again, thank you for voting for Scooter in the Sticks. there are so many fantastic motorcycle, scooter and riding blogs out there that its hard to describe how it feels to identified with this award. I will try to repay your support by continuing to ride and report here.

Steve Williams

Riding Alone

My default choice is to ride alone. This picture was made last Saturday morning on a short photo trip. It reflects the sort of solitude I seek out while riding. The road was glazed with ice so I was on four wheels instead of two but I would still stop to make those images I would while riding. Imagine the GTS in this picture. When I am looking for photographs I drive slowly in order to see the things that are easy to see while riding. This means creeping along at sub 30 MPH speeds.

Yesterday I rode with my friend Paul on the first long ride of the year and the first on the new Vespa GTS 250ie. I won't review the performance at length here other than to say the GTS performed wonderfully and I am nothing short of thrilled. The ride took us up and down through the mountains and it was really nice to ride with plenty of throttle left at all times. This scooter outperforms my riding style leaving plenty of performance in reserve. And it was nice to ride with a friend. It's different than riding alone but rewarding in its own ways.

The sun was glowing just below the horizon when I left and the temperature was 39° F. I bundled up as I do for colder weather and rode off to meet Paul. With only a vague idea in my head of where I was going we started down roads that at this time of day call for a careful eye for Whitetail deer. The deer are active at dawn and dusk. When I choose a route I am usually moving towards less civilization and more open landscapes. At the first stop I told Paul I just can't pass a dead tree in a field and while half-kidding I do have a lot of photographs of single trees in empty fields.

Despite any plans to be healthy the scooter is drawn towards diner breakfasts.

This was a great one. So good that I didn't think to use the camera until it was gone. You can use your imagination here. Breakfast was at the Family Chill and Grill, the only restaurant available traveling this day's route. I've been there before and will be again.

Paul was riding his Suzuki DRZ400 Super Moto today and testing his new electric gloves. By the time we left the temperature was 41° F.

Traveling east over the mountain and into Clearfield County we followed winding roads through land that not long ago had been stripped of coal. Nature is reclaiming much of that area but the remnants of that activity are still evident. I need to be there more before I can pick up the camera.
Coming down off the Allegheny Plateau into one of the community watersheds led us past the Tipton Reservoir. Snow and ice still covered the mountain and water but the road was clear save for scattered patches of gravel that always seem to heap up in curves. We stopped to take a few pictures and just take in the scenery.

Paul has been recuperating from a recent back strain and took stops as an opportunity to stretch his back. Lying down in the middle of the road gives you an idea of how much traffic there is.

I wanted to be home by noon so the ride turned towards home. Good planning meant we didn't have to ride on any main roads and were able to wander along through the woods and fields.

By 11AM the temperature was 60° F and the sun was out. The long roads the cut through this area seem magical to me and I often stop just to appreciate how they look.

The last stop was made so I could adjust my new glasses. For some reason the helmet tends to push them around in a way that makes them uncomfortable. I made this picture as a possible replacement on the little color business cards I made up for Scooter in the Sticks.

The ride was pleasant and relaxed. The GTS worked perfectly and I couldn't have asked for a nicer day. My body could tell I haven't ridden on any longer trips for a couple months. Four hours in the saddle caused a few creaks and groans to surface. Amazing how fast I can get out of shape. Commuting to work and making little side trips just doesn't prepare me for the longer rides.

Windows of Riding Opportunity

As I get older I'm not willing to tolerate cold like I did only a few years ago. Dropping temperatures, rising winds and falling snow provided an opportunity for personal challenge and satisfaction. Hiking, backpacking and more recently riding. Now I wonder what life in a warmer climate would be like. Fire ants keep me in the north.

Last winter I rode more often. And farther. Partially it's my reluctance to risk the new Vespa on icy roads. Partially it's me. Mostly it's the erratic weather that has kept moisture, ice, or the threat of either squarely in front of me. Because of these I have had to search for windows of opportunity.

The image at the top of the post was made this morning on the way to work. Twelve degrees Fahrenheit. Patches of ice scattered randomly along the way. I almost feel down in the driveway moving the scooter out of the garage. Clear skies and the promise of warming temperatures forced me to abandon the Ford Ranger. A $45 dollar trip to the gas station helped too. So I suited up and rode to work taking a few side trips to explore and had an enjoyable early morning scoot. I have to take those little rides when I can get them.

The following images were made during the past week on other little rides stolen during breaks in the weather. Each was just as enjoyable.

Last Saturday morning I rode north as skies cleared and the temperature moved towards a balmy 40° F. Even with 35 MPH gusts the ride was completely pleasant.

Not far down the road the valley opened up and the sky seemed larger than it should for a Pennsylvania landscape. The fields were thick with moisture and the heavier GTS sunk into the ground more than the LX150 ever did.

Riding on across the valley and on through Bellefonte eventually led me to a little road that winds along Spring Creek. This little building has always fascinated me and I figured I should make a few photos before someone tears it down.

This last picture was taken on Sunday, the last day I could ride until today. Dark skies and snow squalls marked the morning. I sat in Barnes and Noble talking to friends during one near whiteout. The wind blew hard and things were slippery. My plan to venture out along little farm lanes was stopped by crusty snow and ice formed from the previous day's melting. Despite the weather I still managed to find a few enjoyable moments on two wheels.

LAST CHANCE!!!
2007 Riders Choice Awards Voting Still Open
Let the motorcycle industry know what you think.

The voting will be over on Monday so if you haven't voted now's the time!
Your vote will let the motorcycle industry know how you feel about things in the 2007 Riders Choice Awards sponsored by Motorcycle Bloggers International. Dream bikes, dream rides, the good and the bad, and of course if you are so inclined Scooter in the Sticks is in the running for best blog! Click HERE to see the ballot.

A Person Who is Looking for Something Doesn't Travel Very Fast

The trip to and from work today was slow and deliberate. Random patches of ice in the morning and patches of gravel this afternoon required careful attention. And adequate attention translates in speeds below normal.

E.B. White's quote used in the title of this post reaches beyond the obvious. It means more that the resultant slow speeds at which I rode to safely manage hazards on the road surface. White suggests a necessity of deliberation for anyone engaged in a search. Moving, acting, and living slower is not the default mode of popular culture or the majority of the riding community. Traveling from point A to point B as fast or packed with as many mini-experiences as possible often is the travel mode of choice. Motorcycles and scooters capable of triple digit speeds are not conducive for 25 MPH meandering. Each of us makes our own choices and riding is no exception.

My ride today reminded me of how much I am looking for -- inside and out. I stopped on the way home to look at the snow covered corn stubble reaching across the valley I call home. I'm looking for something I can't describe or explain. While there a bicyclist stopped to ask if I saw a bear. Each of us was obviously looking for something different.

I'm fortunate to have open roads so near to home in spite of growing development pressure. The road above is typical of many of the secondary roads that loop through the countryside.

I wasn't sure this morning if I would ride to work. Temperatures hovered near freezing insuring there would be some icy patches would remain. I'm glad I did ride because it provided a chance to look at the morning sky. I'm still not sure why but I never look carefully while driving or riding the bus. I just get plugged into the fast lane.

2007 Riders Choice Awards Voting Still Open
Let the motorcycle industry know what you think.

Your vote will let the motorcycle industry know how you feel about things in the 2007 Riders Choice Awards sponsored by Motorcycle Bloggers International. Dream bikes, dream rides, the good and the bad, and off course if you are so inclined Scooter in the Sticks is in the running for best blog! Click HERE to see the ballot.