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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.
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