Photograph courtesy of DC Scooters.

A while back I posted about my concerns with riding in winter. My main concern then, was whether the colder weather would create a distraction, causing me to focus more on the cold than the road. Well, this season so far has been pretty warm, and I have been frequently riding during the pleasant daytime, only to find myself far from home, when the evenings turn cold. I have plenty of warm outerwear, but the lack of proper winter gloves, that I have been thinking of buying since the summer, is leaving me frigid at night. I now wish I had made that purchase!

On a ride a few nights ago, the weather turned cold as soon as the sun went down, leaving me stranded a few miles from home, with only the clothing that had seemed appropriate, when I left the house earlier, in the warmth of the mid day sun. I hopped on the bike that night, and hoped for a quick and painless ride. Wishful thinking. The wind on my hands when I got up to speed was pretty brutal.  And this baby only does about 40mph comfortably. At stop lights I was fine, but not so much when I hit 35mph. The fact that almost every trip I take seems to run along the East River doesn’t help. The wind off the water adds to the discomfort, and at times like this I am finding myself thinking too much about the cold, and not enough about the traffic that surrounds me. This was exactly what I feared. Less concentration, due to improper apparel, and the impending cold.

It’s time for me to think seriously about better gloves. There are so many choices out there, for reasonable prices, that I have no excuse to not have them already. Also, I realize that I need to be dressed in layers. The bulky fleece I put on under my leather riding jacket is making it uncomfortable to move around, to check behind me while changing lanes. I have grown accustomed to not only checking behind me in the mirrors, but double checking, by swinging around quickly to see what I’ve missed (very wise – Ed.) With the typical traffic conditions here in NYC, the time you have for this move is limited, and I certainly do not need my clothing causing a delay. All of this hinders my safety, and this is NOT something to take lightly in this city.

I am debating whether to store my scooter for the winter. I have been having fun with it thus far, but wonder if the time will come, or more specifically the weather will come, that prevents me from riding. I know that there are people that ride all winter long, but they are usually on more modern scooters, and my grand old dame is feeling more and more like a summer mistress. Only time will tell, and I am hoping that this winter is a short one. I am dreading my first off-season, and more than ever before, look forward to those first signs of spring….

Related posts:

1. Winter…for real this time! When the weather first started to change, I was excited...
2. The Heat Is On It's nice to be warm on your scooter. But too...
3. To ride, or not to ride… I'm starting to get comfortable with riding a vintage scooter...
4. How Many Days Of Rain Can I Take? OK, I realize that I have now officially become a...
5. Beware black ice With temperatures hovering around freezing now, feeling cold while riding...