The blog lives on.

100 MPG has been a fitting journal of my Metropolitan experience. Now that I'm on to a new bike and new experience, I've started a new blog.

BV 250: the next chapter of scooting

See you there!

It's been real, AND it's been fun...

And so with mile 1,636

post #34

the 100 MPG blog has come to an end.

But fear not. My scooting days, and scooter blogging, are far from over.
This is the Metro parked in front of our local scooter shoppe, Vespa of the Ozarks. This is where I have just traded up to the Piaggio BV 250:
Five times the engine, twice the top speed, and comparable fuel economy, this upgrade is the next evolution in my scooting lifestyle. Safety is the number one driver in this choice. The Metro is great for moving around town, but the highway to get there is a different story. While I did okay going 40 mph for 20 minutes to get to town, I can now safely get onto the 45 mph highway and stay with the flow of traffic for the 7 minute ride to town. The Piaggio also seats two comfortably.

As for the blog, I plan to re-launch with a new name, because, alas, the BV 250 does not get 100 MPG. I will miss the Metropolitan, it brought me here at 40 mph. But, I am excited about the new ride.

And the pants keep my legs plenty warm.

The most expensive clothes I own...

...came in the mail today. Armored, insulated, water-proof, riding pants. These bad boys have plastic armor in the knees and padding in the hips and side legs. Not to mention reflective strips, removable liner, and zippered cuffs for easy on/off without taking off my shoes.

Not a bad deal from New Enough.com, the same place I got my jacket. Shipping was free and came in three days. And how much did these bad boys set me back? A cool $125.

But why pants now?

Because I anticipate riding more very soon. I'm going to brave the cold tomorrow and ride with all my insulated gear. Of course, the coldest day for the next 10 days is the morning after I get the pants. I think it's an opportunity to test the gear.

Still Cold

Note to self in the summer: When you're used to green trees and wearing sandals, occasionally remember the inhospitable cold of January's below-freezing temperatures.

Though it hasn't been more than a few degrees below freezing for a couple weeks, that range keeps me off the scooter. It doesn't stop me from briefly entertaining a thought that the next "warm"/above freezing day could be a scooter day. But, it won't be. "Warm" is relative, and on my Celsius scale, a few degrees above freezing feels like Spring.

The daylight is slowly, literally, minute-by-minute, expanding each end of the day. So, darkness as a safety factor is disappearing. I'm surprised at how on one day, I drive my car as if I never had a summer of scooting. Then another day I will think all day about scooting.

I actually had a dream about it last night. I rode the scooter to a service station to get the oil change. The shady mechanic tried to charge me $200. I got mad and told him the dealership charges that much and I would do it myself. The dream cut to me at home, ratcheting off the oil pan nut with a "gator" ratchet.

Though winter has it's place, I'm checking the horizon for warmer days.

Mid-Winter Post

I obviously haven't been scooting for some time now. Safety and comfort are the top two reasons here. Winter brings more darkness. I leave for work in the dark, and I come home from work in the dark. That stacks the odds a little too much on the safety side. Also, it's pretty freaking cold when you start cold and accelerate to painfully cold.

Nevertheless, we had a warm January day last weekend. (65F) The dog got out, so I fired up the scooter. After about 10 minutes of idling, I took off. It was great. I realized how far down inside I pushed riding because it was so fun. (I also found the dog.)

So today, a Saturday, I knew the day would start a degree below freezing and top out at a cloudy 50F. But I had two jobs and an aquarium club meeting today and I decided I would go to them on the scooter. Cold be damned!

I suited up in long john pants, the insulated liner, insulated gloves, and a slim fit stocking cap under my helmet. The ride in wasn't too cold, save bracelet sized areas on both wrists where I forgot to tuck in my gloves, and a choker sized area on my neck where the jacket and helmet left the skin exposed. Those areas were pretty much "so cold it's hot and feels like my skin is being sliced open by the wind yet it won't bleed and bring me the relief of hot blood gushing out all over me."

But, my Grandpa had two aircraft carriers sunk from under him in foreign waters, I can handle a twenty minute slight discomfort I brought on myself.

Otherwise, the trip was great. The scooter handled well and I was glad to see familiar places on my route. I rode in both the sunrise and sunset. In my younger years, some evenings brought a pink filter to everything during the sunset. We aptly named the phenomena - the pink time. Tonight was a "pink time". It was further enhanced by the pastel color reflecting off Beaver Lake and the intimate sensation of riding free on the scooter.

Mile 1000

Today was the day. Mile 1000 rolled over on the odometer. I was riding to a meeting at the Home Office just after lunch. I parked on Executive Row where painted lines kept most vehicles from trying to park. One of the benefits I suppose.

So what do I think of this scooter business a thousand miles into it? I love it. It's such an efficient means of transportation. Coupled with the sheer fun of it, it really makes you wonder why so few people use it.

What's the most fun about it? It's a close race between leaning into curves and feeling changes in air temperature from hills and valleys.

Of course, when you buy a new car, you suddenly see dozens of the same car on the streets. IDK if I didn't notice as much before, or if the numbers are growing, but I'm seeing scooters and motorcycles all the time now. Just today, I met four scooters in traffic. No Metro's. One Ruckus.

Here's to the next thousand miles!

Rebel Alliance

What better way to show the world that I'm rebelling against the Empire (foreign oil, supersized americans, industrial farming, etc.) than rocking the Rebel Alliance emblem on the back of my helmet?

(for those who haven't memorized every frame of the Star Wars saga, it's the emblem on the Rebel equipment, gosh! And for those who have - don't be jealous.)