Welcome Spring! Hooray for the First Scoot of the Season!

Normally, March is a total pisser here in Maryland. The temperature swings wildly and we can hardly sprint from our houses for all the rain, rain, rain that drenches our yards and our spirits. But this weekend, the scooter gods must be smiling on us. Here it is, the first week in March, and I got to take Pete Lee out for his inaugural ride of 2009!

I was a little worried to get back in the saddle (so to speak) after the long winter, but I am delighted to report that it’s, well, just like riding a bicycle. Jen and I were zipping along all over Columbia, me on the Met and her on the newly inspected Suzuki Samurai (650 cc motorcycle). She was very kind to ride slowly for me, but while we’re both still getting our sea legs about us I think we could both exercise a little extra caution.

Although we had no problems with the riding itself, I am sad to note that the winter doldrums seem to have dulled the senses of our fellow motorists. Twice, we were nearly run down by cars whose drivers were chatting on their cell phones or just driving recklessly. Slow down out there, folks! When the weather gets nice, two-wheeled vehicles of all types emerge and you need to be extra cautious out there on the road and particularly in parking lots. Keep an eye out for motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, llamas (just kidding), and pedestrians!

Columbia Scooter Club Inaugural Ride

Odometer: 220

I’ve fallen a little behind in my blogging lately – I think because so many exciting things have been happening. First off, this post is to celebrate the inaugural ride of the Columbia Scooter Club. We had our first ride last Sunday, on a beautifully crisp fall afternoon around 5:00 pm. We rode for about an hour, on the following 21-mile route:

• Hickory Ridge Road to Martin Road
• Left on Seneca Drive and up over US-29
• Right on Seneca Drive to Guilford Road
• Left on Brokenland Parkway to Cradlerock Drive
• Right on Homespun Drive to Oakland Mills Road
• Oakland Mills Road to Thunder Hill Parkway, looping past the village center to Stevens Forest Road
• Stevens Forest across Brokenland, then a little bit of maneuvering to get back to Seneca Drive and back home the way we started

Columbia is such an excellent scooting town; there are probably a million ways we could have gone. My riding buddy was very patient of my slower speeds and sluggish performance on the hills – on his 200 cc scooter he can drive on the highway without any trouble. Still, a good time was had by all, er, both.

Check out these two rock stars on their kick ass rides!