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A big congratulations and a hearty “Welcome to the Club” to my friend Steve, who took delivery of his brand spankin’ new Aprilia Scarabeo scooter over the weekend. Steve – an infinitely patient scooterist – has been waiting for his scooter for over three weeks while it was literally on a slow boat from China. But it’s finally here and I know he is excited to zip to work and all around Columbia.
The Scarabeo (which I have absolutely NO IDEA how to pronounce) is sleek and quite a bit larger than my little 49 cc Honda Met. It’s highway-safe too. Maybe Steve will give us some inside tips on riding a scooter on the highway when he gets a little more used to it. Here’s a photo of Steve and his new Aprilia scooter.
If you want one of these, visit Aprilia’s website at http://www.apriliausa.com/modelli/scarabeo/modello.asp?id=122#
Odometer: 172 miles
While out driving today, I made a loop on Little Patuxent Parkway to check the road conditions. The good news is that LPP is fully paved and safe for scooter riding once again. Thank goodness, the giant hole that nearly swallowed my scooter whole has been patched.
But the BAD news is that Governor Warfiled parkway, which runs along the back side of the mall, is town to shreds, with entire lane stripped down to the foundation pavement. Once again, there is very poor signage in this area. I was headed to the mall on Twin Rivers Road and there was no construction signage whatsoever – an unsuspecting scooterist would have toppled head over wheel bearings straight into the middle of the intersection. The lip between paved and unpaved is nearly two inches. Approaching the intersection from another angle, there is an “Uneven Road” sign – but it’s several hundred feet past the point where the road is graded. Excellent planning, folks!
So, once again, Columbia scooterists BEWARE of poor road conditions around the Mall. For the time being, use Little Patuxent Pkwy to circumvent Governor Warfield Pkwy. I’ll post an update when the construction work is completed.
Odometer: 167.5
So this weekend, I installed my Honda rear carrier (Honda part number 08L42-GET-100, $79.95 retail price) and trunk (Honda part number 08L52-GET-110, $89.95 retail price). Well, let’s be perfectly honest: *I* didn’t actually install it, Jen did it for me. Still, it got installed and looks snappy!
The whole installation process took about 20 minutes. First, you install the rear carrier by 
removing the carrying handle and lifting out the inside. As someone who thinks you really should never look under the hood of a car except in case of emergency, I’ll admit that it was a little scary to see all the guts of the scooter just hanging out there in the open. But the rack went on exactly the same way that the old one came off, just a few screws and it was done.
The trunk was also easy, though it seems like the thing should have come with pre-drilled holes (it didn’t). I have now doubled my carrying capacity, plus made my scooter look a little more substantial on the road. I wish the Honda trunk came in colors to match my scooter’s paint job, but they only offer black. Still, I am delighted and ready to head out for some errands! Harris Teeter, look out.
Odometer: 165
spurned forward by the lack of bike raacks at the Columbia Mall, I submitted this LETTER TO THE EDITOR of the Columbia Flyer. We'll see if it gets published .....
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To the Editor:
Here in Columbia, there are many things that we do well. We have cultivated a community of neighborhoods in the midst of suburban sprawl, and maintain a connection to our individual villages though the active patronage of our village centers. For these reasons, running errands in Columbia can often be done on foot or by bike. This is a real plus to living here, and the reason that many of us have chosen to make Columbia our home.
Since my errands often require trips to the other side of town, however, I recently purchased a 50 cc scooter (approximately 2 horsepower). During good weather, I use my scooter almost exclusively around town. In addition to tremendous gas savings – 106 miles per gallon! – I’m proud to be reducing my carbon footprint and cutting down on air pollution. Due to my changing lifestyle, I have become increasingly cognizant of the presence of bike racks at our business locations. I am pleased to report that many of the Columbia Association facilities and village centers offer places for secure bike storage, but disheartened to have found that many of our retailers do not.
One particularly notable void is the utter lack of bike racks at the Columbia Mall. Since no security racks are offered, bikes and scooters can usually be found chained to lampposts, trees, or pillars. The installation of a few bike racks near main entrances would encourage the use of “green” forms of transportation, as well as reducing theft and potential property damage. Although I have made particular mention of the Columbia Mall, several other big-box retailers share the same status. I call upon these businesses to support alternative transportation methods and consider the installation of bike racks on their property.
Encouraging the use of non-automobile transportation serves both the city and its residents by encouraging healthy activity and reducing congestion, air pollution, and energy consumption. We can all do our part, with just a little more help from the retail partners in our community.
To the management of the Columbia Mall,
Two words: BIKE RACKS.
Geez.
Man, when I go for a 20 or 25-mile ride I feel like I have really done something big. But I heard about these crazy guys who are riding from SAN FRANCISCO(!) to Ocean City, Maryland on their scooters this week.
It’s called the Scooter Cannonball Run, and it’s a bi-annual event that has taken place in 2004 and 2006. This year there are 28 riders, and the rules require that the scooters all be less than 252 ccs. Check out their website at http://www.scootercannonball.com/.
Some of the guys are also blogging at
http://www.modernjess.com/cannonball/
http://oz-gt.livejournal.com/ <- this one has the best photos and is updated throughout the day
http://vespacoast2coast.blogspot.com/
http://royscannonball.wordpress.com/2008/09/
The last day route weaves through Maryland (starting in Oakland, heading through DC and then out to the Eastern Shore) on Saturday, September 20th. If you’re along the route, show up and wave! The anticipated ending point is somewhere around 23rd street. I wonder if they know it’s also Bike Week in Ocean City? Hmm, that might make for some interesting altercations. Those scooterists are scrappy, though, so I am sure that they can hold their own in a pissing match.
Odometer: 160 miles
Today’s post is in celebration of one of the most exciting parts of the scooter lifestyle: accessorizing! One of the best things about being a proud scooter owner is that you can add all sorts of little bins and gadgets to make he scooter work just right for you. It’s not quite the same as tricking out a Harley, but, really, who needs all that chrome?
Last week was my birthday, and I received two great gifts for my scooter. The first is the front inner basket (Honda part number 08L51-GET-101A, $40.95 retail price). Unlike a traditional bike basket that installs on the handlebars facing forward, this accessory installs on the inside of the leg shield facing the driver. It has a weight limit of 3.3 pounds (that’s 1.5 kg for the metrically challenged). Being a rather tall gal (5’11”) I was a little worried that the basket would cut into the space for my feet and legs, but it actually tucks right up inside the leg shield and doesn’t interfere at all.
Installation couldn’t have been easier, because I got someone else to do it for me. Seriously, though, installing the basket was a snap: it only took about 30 minutes start-to-finish, and that was after two vodka tonics. The only tools required were a drill and a screwdriver. The installation process was also minimally invasive: only four small silver screws show on the outside of the leg shield (see the photo below).
With the basket, I can now take my scooter on the most important run of all: COFFEE. My second gift (rear carrier, Honda part number 08L42-GET-100, $79.95 retail price) is on back order but it’s supposed to arrive today. Once that’s on, I can also use my trunk – which will make errands much easier. Stay tuned …
Found this beauty at the Columbia Athletic Club yesterday. The Buddy 150, a “rugged” style scooter (though, really, how rugged can a scooterist really be?) Still, it’s great to see others around the neighborhood and making use of the bicycle racks.
Also saw this lovely Yamaha C3 today near the MVA on Dobbin Road. I love the cherry red color and also what looks to be an **AMAZING** amount of storage under the seat. You could practically fit a baby carrier in there (not that you would, of course ….)
So I guess this is a shout out to my other Columbia riders. Keep scootin’!
Mileage: 160
Out for the longest ride I have taken so far (25 miles, most exciting!) I stumbled upon a significant danger yesterday: graded road. For you riders in Columbia, this hazard is located at the end of Little Patuxent Parkway, where the road crosses over Cedar Lane and forms a lovely 3ish mile loop at the end (see photo above).
This spot is normally one of my favorite places for riding, so I was disturbed yesterday to find that the road has been very roughly graded and not suitable for scooting. Even worse, the signage at this particular area is lacking – one sign saying “BUMP” really does not describe the poor conditions. In fact, I nearly bit it right into a huge hole right at the edge of the graded roadway. But thanks to the newly acquired “Quick Swerve” move that I learned in motorcycle safety class (more on that later), I managed to avoid disaster.
Be cautious in this area, scooterists! Above is a quick map showing you where I encountered dangerous terrain. I will keep an eye on it and post an update when the road project is finished.
an interesting bit of info for those of you that have replaced your gas-guzzler with a scooter for commuting. Plan ahead!
"You Can't Just Turn Up for a Tuneup"
The Washington Post
Monday, September 8, 2008; Page D02
Cheap to fill and easy to park, scooters are hot. So the list is long for tuneups.
Leonard Merriman's motor scooter is an integral part of his job delivering pizzas for Domino's. Faster than a bicycle and easier to park than a car, it's the optimal mode of transport to jet from the L Street outpost of the pizza mega-chain to the homes and offices of his customers. A day without his scooter is sure to be a day when he makes less money. So when he called the Vespa service center in Silver Spring to schedule maintenance, he was disappointed to hear he'd have to wait a month....
(read the rest of the article here)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/07/AR2008090702184.html
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