When Riding Alone Isn't Enough - Scooter in the Sticks

"By temperament, I prefer to ride alone. Free to embrace the road at whatever pace I desire. Stopping to look or make photographs without concern for the tempo of others. No need to keep checking the mirrors or adjusting speed. Just the freedom to ride with my tumbling thoughts. And still I ride with others because finding balance between solitude and connection makes life richer. I didn't always understand that. Moments and opportunities arrive more frequently now when I realize riding alone isn't enough."

"The plan was a long scooter ride with friends and on an unexpectedly chilly morning. It was the Vespa ET4's turn to ride and Andy caught me checking the tire pressure, an increasingly challenging operation now requiring knee cushioning and a limber back to engage the tire valve. There seems to be no end to the reminders that I'm no longer young. Physically at least."

"Two new Vespa scooters and my 21 year-old ET4. All lovely in their own way. Each capable of providing a fine morning ride. And indifferent to the cold and our collective mistaken assessment of the temperature. Clear skies and bright sunshine at the beginning of May is seductive enough to mislead young boys bent on a long ride to breakfast. I was grateful I chose to wear my Gerbing battery powered electric gloves. And a wool sweater beneath my riding jacket."

"I can't speak for my fellow riders, but they didn't protest when I suggested we cut our ride short by 30 miles to take fast path to breakfast. Had I chosen to proceed on the longer route they probably would have followed. As cold and miserable as I was starting to feel. And while I had no desire to extend the ride, I realized that tough things are easier in a group. It's when riding alone isn't enough. There are two choices in life that are important for me to discern - accepting reality or fighting with it. Acceptance brings far more peace."

A preference for riding alone centers on freedom: setting pace, stopping for photos, and not monitoring mirrors. Riding with others becomes valuable because balance between solitude and connection enriches life. On a chilly May morning, a long scooter ride with friends begins with cold discomfort and reminders of aging, especially when checking tire pressure. Multiple Vespa scooters, including a 21-year-old ET4, contrast with the riders’ mistaken belief that sunshine means warmth. Electric gloves and layered clothing help. When cold and misery increase, the group agrees to shorten the ride to reach breakfast sooner. Tough experiences feel easier together, and accepting reality provides more peace than resisting it.

Read at Scooter in the Sticks