spring is rally time!

Well, spring is just around the corner and rally season is coming up fast. The scoot.net rally calendar is an excellent resource to find a scooter gathering in your neck of the woods. Personally, I am going to try to attend at least two rallies this summer. I recently upgraded to a Honda Ridgeline as my primary vehicle, so I can haul my scoot around if my travels take me on big highways or thru sketchy parts of town.

Rumor has it that the Charm City Scooter Rally, traditionally the first weekend in May, will be May 7-9 this year. Last year, they had a successful camping rally up in the mountains of Western Maryland. I hear it'll be the same again this year.

Also in May, the Mid-Atlantic Scooter Rally up in New Holland, PA (somewhere between Philadelphia and Lancaster) gets kudos to being far more organized than the average scooter rally. I got an email last week that said they already had over 50 riders registered for their May 21-23 event. Bless them for actually marketing their plans instead of just keeping their fingers crossed that I will stumble across their website.

winter sucks

73.2 inches of snow in the Baltimore area -- over 6 feet! -- this winter makes me an unhappy scooterist.

More on School Pride: Crossing Paths with a Crossrunner

Odometer: 1461 miles and headed for winter storage

It’s been a terribly long time since I posted, but I have a good excuse – I’ve been out on my scooter! I’ve put another 500 miles on since my last post, including a few hundred miles on the secondary highway between home and the office.

With the turn to cold weather, though, I fear that scootering for 2009 is over. I’ve learned the importance of layering and found the best gloves for cold weather (Corazzo, we love you!). But more on that another time.

On a recent trip to Atlanta, I came across a real-life CrossRunner at the Georgia Tech bookstore. This beauty is an ES150, priced at $2,299 MSRP. It was displayed prominently in the lobby of Barnes and Noble, and ready for immediate sale. It’s not too late to get one for the college student in your life!

breaking a thousand

after two commutes to work last week, I've rolled the scoot over a thousand miles. Gone is the "what if I don't like it?" fear, as is nearly all memory of my little 50 cc Honda Metropolitan. I've ridden more miles in 6 weeks on the Vespa than I did all last year on Pete Lee. So, it seems like a keeper.

Using RoadTrip for the iPhone (version 1.3.2.22) lets me monitor my gas mileage and other handy statistical features about my scooter. I'm getting 68-75 miles per gallon, with a high of 77 MPG on a day that was mostly highway driving. At current gas prices, it costs me $0.031 per mile to scoot versus $0.084 per mile to drive my 2005 Ford Escape. I'm saving more than 5 cents per mile!

Scooter School Pride: Get College Colors on your Ride

Scooters are popping up in urban areas all over the country, and college towns are no exception. Now, a company called CrossRunner has designed the ultimate college car: a scooter in your college colors.

Inexpensive and fuel efficient, these babies are just the thing to get you around campus in style. Models come in 150ccs and get 84 MPG. Prices start under $2Gs. Available through dealers or direct from the company. Check ‘em out online: http://www.crossrunner.net/

helpful little lessons

Spending more time on the scooter is both relaxing and educational. My riding is getting better and I am becoming more confident in traffic and with my scooter in general. Plus, I can drive way faster.

Since I’m riding so many more places, I have also learned that there are some things that you cannot do on a scooter, even a bigger one. Just a few things on the list include:

1. Picking up the dry cleaning, unless you want your scooter to double as a sail.
2. Dropping off or picking up the dogs – or children, I would imagine, of at least a certain age.
3. Sneezing. Enough said.
4. Drinking or trying to apply chapstick with the face shield down. Yes, it’s hard to see, okay?
5. Answering a cell phone call, when you have your helmet on. Leads to unfortunate smashing of iPhone against fiberglass.

Just a few helpful little lessons.

hitting the open road

Three weeks have passed, and I can’t believe that I ever hesitated to upgrade to a larger scooter. I’ve already put well over 200 miles on it, more than half the miles I put on the 50 cc in just under a year. So, I guess it’s safe to say that it’s a hit.

This past weekend, I went on two big rides: one from Columbia to Annapolis, 64 miles round trip. The rout included about 40 miles on MD-32, a secondary highway that is my normal commute to the office three days a week. That was our first real experience on the highway, and Jen and I rode together because I wanted to see if I could do it. After I got over the whole “OMG I’m driving on the highway and these people are going really fast” thing, it was actually a very pleasant ride.

The Vespa had no trouble going 70 mph or keeping up with traffic. I doubt I’ll get a speeding ticket on the thing, but I didn’t feel intimidated by the other cars. That road, thankfully, doesn’t have many trucks so I haven’t really had to worry about that quite yet. My ass was a little numb from all the sitting, but I’m sure you can build up your tolerance with more riding practice.

Sunday’s ride was a 42-mile route through Eastern Howard County, over Brighton Dam and across MD-144 (Old National Pike). Special thanks to my friend Steve – who was endlessly patient and rode with me even when I could barely go 35 mph on my 50 cc scooter – who I unwittingly left in the dust on Triadelphia Road. Sorry about that, buddy. But it’s a lovely route and you should definitely try it to get away from the traffic or as an alternative to MD-108.

Jen got me an amazing Bluetooth-radio-mp3-thingie as an early birthday gift (well, technically it was from the dogs if you must know. They’re masters of shopping online.) that has made riding with a buddy infinitely more fun. Will blog about that in the next weeks.

Scooting in the rain

odometer: 336 miles

Sucks. No question about it.

On Sunday, I got my first experience riding in the rain. After three days of drab, dreary weather the sky finally cleared a bit on Sunday afternoon. Jen and I took advantage of the break in the clouds to run a few errands: Target, Kohl’s, the normal late-weekend running around. The ride there was great, and we took a few roads I hadn’t driven before thanks to the added protection of having two bikes on the road instead of just me and my little scooter. When we left the store, though, the sky opened up and began pelting us with fat rain drops and even a bit of hail.

We tried to wait it out, but after about 10 minutes crouching under the Kohl’s awning it became clear that we probably weren’t going to make it out of this without getting wet. By the time I got to my scooter and got road-ready, I was already soaked clear through my jacket, jeans, and gloves.

I was nervous starting out on a wet road, but it turned out that the soaked pavement was really the least of my concern. The real problem was the pelting rain: miniature daggers hitting my face and neck, making it nearly impossible to see. And when I gained any speed at all, the chill of the wind through my wet jacket was simply frigid. The ride home was only about 10 miles, but by the time we got there my fingers were cramped in the throttle position and I was sure I would be cold for the next week. Those clothes went right in the dryer, that’s for sure.

I guess the moral of this story is that rain gear is worth the investment! Next time the weatherman threatens rain, I will wear a moisture layer for sure.

gas mileage update

Filled up my tank for the first time in ’09 this weekend. Total MPG is up to 111 miles per gallon! How’s that for fuel efficiency?

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!

Scooting Hotlanta

I’m in Atlanta this week, and the scooters are in bloom. On the campus of Georgia Tech, students on scooters are literally everywhere – including nearly running me over on the sidewalk outside of Starbucks this morning. And they’re a hearty breed: last night we had dime-size hail, thunder, and lightning, but that did not deter the scooterists from being out on the road. A bright red scoter zipped by me, driver clad in the ever-fashionable lawn and leaf bag. Hats off to you, Mr. Hefty.

All of this is making me eager for spring. Let’s ride!

the winter doldrums

The last two days have been marked by the dreaded "wintry mix" here in Maryland. It's been such a long time since Pete Lee (that's my scooter) and I got to go on a date, I feel like I am stuck in the winter doldrums. Jen started him up about 2 weeks ago, just to test the battery and give him a chance to clear his pipes, but this week he is stuck under a solid sheet of ice on my back porch. How sad. :(

Winter, winter, go away!

Last Ride of the Season (?)

Odometer: 262.5

Although there are some things about living in the DC/Baltimore corridor that drive me crazy – like the endless traffic and congestion – we are fortunate here to have a long, beautiful fall with pleasant days well into November. Despite recent overnight frosts, today was one such beautiful day with daytime highs over 70 degrees and just a hint of a breeze. Pretty much picture perfect.

Around 2:30, I decided to take a break from studying for my economics exam and enjoy the beautiful day. If you have the chance, a November scooter ride is simply blissful. The leaves crackling underfoot, er, wheel and a crisp autumn breeze ruffling your hair is hard to beat. I didn’t even have to bundle up: just jeans, a long sleeve tshirt, a fleece vest and my wicked cool scooting gloves (white with flames, thanks very much!) did the trick. I did 19 miles all around town and could have probably done another 19 if it weren’t for this exam looming over my head. Leave it to an econ professor to ruin a perfectly delightful weekend.

I’m hoping that I’ll still get a few more chances to ride in the next week or two, but the weather can be unpredictable so you never know. If not, though, I am happy with the 2008 scooting season and already looking forward to spring.

new scooter in the 'hood

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#

WARNING!! Little Patuxent Parkway Unsafe for Scooters!

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.

Scooting Across State Lines

Odometer: 128 miles

Sorry for the long break from blogging: three weeks out of town has meant no scooting or writing. I was away on a combination of work and vacation, traveling to San Francisco and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Both places are excellent places for scooter riding! San Franciscans have clearly harnessed the idea, because I must have seen three or four dozen scooters of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages while in the City by the Bay. My personal favorite was a buff motorcycle dude tricked out in black leather riding a bright yellow, shiny-new Vespa. I guess you never do know.

My favorite vacation spot – Corolla, NC – is also an excellent place for scooting. The Outer Banks (OBX) are a skinny spit of land that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean, about 70 miles long and 6 or so miles wide at it’s widest point. The terrain is extremely flat and very scenic, with wide sandy beaches on the East side and the Currtuck sound on the west side. From many points along the beach road, you can see both the ocean and the sound. From Kitty Hawk North, there is only one main road, the two-lane Highway 12 that runs 20 or so miles north to the Virginia line. The roads are perfect for scooting, and I even saw two other Metros while there: one blue like mine, and the other a luscious lime green.

I decided against taking my scooter on vacation (just one more thing to pack!), but after a few days in the OBX I wished I had brought it. But the disparity between state licensing laws makes scooting across state lines difficult. For folks that travel frequently – or for those of us that live close to other states – this could become a real conundrum! I personally know several Maryland residents who would like to use a 50 cc scooter to commute into nearby Washington, DC but are unable to do so because the licensing laws don’t jive. DC requires scooter to be tagged and Maryland doesn’t allow it. What’s a scooter enthusiast to do?

First Fill-Up

Odometer: 92.5 miles

With 90+ miles on the old odometer, it was finally time to put gas in the scooter over the weekend. The gas tank on the Metropolitan is on the floor board, just next to where your feet go while you are riding. To open the tank, you press the button to pop open the lid, and then insert your key while turning to take off the gas cap. Apparently, Honda thinks that some thieves like the challenge of stealing gasoline one gallon at a time. So, thank heavens for the key lock!

Though I was told that filing the scooter would be like putting gas in a lawn mower, having never actually put gas in a lawn mower before I was uncertain whether the pump would automatically switch off like it does for a car or whether I would have to keep an eye on it. I ran my credit card and started pumping – lucky for me, it switched off automatically because it was full in a jiffy! At $3.89 per gallon, the total tab for my 92.5 miles came to $3.45. The gas pump clearly didn’t believe that I was finished, because it refused to give me a receipt. I guess in this day and age, the practice of “putting a few bucks in” at the pump is nearly impossible. Except on a scooter.

When I got home, I did the math:

$3.45 = 0.871 gallons = 106.1 miles per gallon

Holy cow! That’s even better than the 100 MPG that the salesman claimed. In my 19 MPG Ford Escape (not a hybrid, couldn’t stomach the extra $10K at the time), the same mileage would have run me 4.868 gallons, or nearly $19. Total cost savings so far: over 15 bucks. Not too shabby.