Glad to be joining such a friendly, welcoming group. Ride on, scooter friends!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Hey scooter friends, in case you're interested
My other blog, Sinister, contains snippets of my current writing projects. I just posted a chapter from the novel I'm working on, and there are other bits and bobs down the page. Read and comment if you wish. Cheers!
Sunday, October 4, 2015
So many rides, so little blogging
Over the last few weeks I've done some really fun group rides - two with the Portland Scooter Social Club, and one with the Oregon Scooter Club. Riding with people is an entirely different, and entirely delightful, experience.
A few things I've learned: the Fly can keep up with most scooters unless we're going uphill, in which case it tends to bog down a little. I also need to work on my confidence in corners, and stop putting a foot down when I corner a little too quickly. Well, stop cornering too quickly, really, is the lesson there.
I've also been amused by how many other scooterists insist that in a year or two I'll be pining for a big bike, something in the 250-400cc range, so I can go on the really long, really fast, much more dangerous rides.
It might happen, but right now I'm pretty content with the little 150cc Fly I bought. He's a good scoot, serves me very well around town, and mostly holds his own on the highway as long as I can swallow my pride and hang out in the slow lane. And it's not like I'm yearning for a really long ride on a 70mph highway - frankly that just sounds exhausting and terrifying all at once.
Still, on to the reports!
The first group ride I did was a simple trek out to the Gorge, and that was a lot of fun. We had a nice lunch at Multnomah Falls and then came back. Simple stuff, but a great intro to group riding.
Yesterday I did the 'Pressed Penny Ride.' Well, I did half of it - I had to bail partway through to go to a writing meetup. It was another great group ride around town stopping at tourist spots that have those machines where you put perfectly good money in and get a squashed penny with a souvenir stamp on it that you can't spend.
Finally, today I took my first ride as a member of the Oregon Scooter Club. We started off having breakfast at an adorable country breakfast place that had some connection to a bomber airplane - I couldn't be bothered to read the whole story, even though I brought a pamphlet home about it that I will promptly lose - anyway, big plate of corned beef hash and much coffee was consumed.
The ride went...somewhere near Estacada, to a restaurant across the road from a stunning view of Mount Hood and the Clackamas River Valley. There were about twenty riders, more or less, riding everything from 125cc Zumas to huge three-wheeled thingies called Can Ams, which sound like a soda you'd get on a defunct airline. Can Ams seem like a lot of fun to ride. The Fly was in fine form everywhere except the hills, where he struggled to keep up with the 200cc Kymco in front of him. There really is a difference in the 10 or so ccs separating the two scooters. Still, I have very few complaints about the Fly, and I expect to be riding him for some time to come.
Today's ride finished off at a place in Oregon City where they keep all the scotch whisky and potato bugs. I don't think the potato bugs were actually on the menu, but they were everywhere. Very tasty beers and good conversation, and ride leader Rick gave me info on a great route to the coast that avoids the big highways. Might try that soon, although with the preparations Matthew and I are making for the impending arrival of a mysterious foster child, my weekends may become too busy to do much serious riding for a while. Plus, the weather's about to get bleah.
A beautiful fall day, a gorgeous weekend of riding, and back to work tomorrow.
Hasta la scooter.
A few things I've learned: the Fly can keep up with most scooters unless we're going uphill, in which case it tends to bog down a little. I also need to work on my confidence in corners, and stop putting a foot down when I corner a little too quickly. Well, stop cornering too quickly, really, is the lesson there.
I've also been amused by how many other scooterists insist that in a year or two I'll be pining for a big bike, something in the 250-400cc range, so I can go on the really long, really fast, much more dangerous rides.
It might happen, but right now I'm pretty content with the little 150cc Fly I bought. He's a good scoot, serves me very well around town, and mostly holds his own on the highway as long as I can swallow my pride and hang out in the slow lane. And it's not like I'm yearning for a really long ride on a 70mph highway - frankly that just sounds exhausting and terrifying all at once.
Still, on to the reports!
The first group ride I did was a simple trek out to the Gorge, and that was a lot of fun. We had a nice lunch at Multnomah Falls and then came back. Simple stuff, but a great intro to group riding.
Crown Point
Lunch at Multnomah Falls
Yesterday I did the 'Pressed Penny Ride.' Well, I did half of it - I had to bail partway through to go to a writing meetup. It was another great group ride around town stopping at tourist spots that have those machines where you put perfectly good money in and get a squashed penny with a souvenir stamp on it that you can't spend.
Lined up at the Portland Rose Test Garden
Finally, today I took my first ride as a member of the Oregon Scooter Club. We started off having breakfast at an adorable country breakfast place that had some connection to a bomber airplane - I couldn't be bothered to read the whole story, even though I brought a pamphlet home about it that I will promptly lose - anyway, big plate of corned beef hash and much coffee was consumed.
The ride went...somewhere near Estacada, to a restaurant across the road from a stunning view of Mount Hood and the Clackamas River Valley. There were about twenty riders, more or less, riding everything from 125cc Zumas to huge three-wheeled thingies called Can Ams, which sound like a soda you'd get on a defunct airline. Can Ams seem like a lot of fun to ride. The Fly was in fine form everywhere except the hills, where he struggled to keep up with the 200cc Kymco in front of him. There really is a difference in the 10 or so ccs separating the two scooters. Still, I have very few complaints about the Fly, and I expect to be riding him for some time to come.
The gang's all here.
An intimidating bunch of scooters.
This is a thing called a 'Can Am.'
A fly on the wall. Well, a Fly on the tarmac. Pavement. Whatever.
That's a viewpoint. Hello, Mount Hood!
Not sure why this photo came out with a double rainbow effect. WHAT DOES IT MEAN??
What my phone camera calls "zoom," I call an impressionist painting made of pixels.
A beautiful fall day, a gorgeous weekend of riding, and back to work tomorrow.
Hasta la scooter.
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