Peanut Butter Scooter Time

Easy Peasey is a scooter club with the slogan “No Dues, No Meetings, No Crybabies.”  They have a “chapter” if you could call it that, here in Columbus.  Many of the regular Modern Vespa posters are Easy Peasey members.  So please check their site for updates on rides.  Looks like they are meeting at noon this Sunday at North Market.  If it’s crummy weather maybe they will just do a short ride.

(And EZPZ people, sorry I haven’t started posting on the EZPZ board, just haven’t had the time.)

Looks like their first official day was during last Saturday’s Gallery Hop. They were passing out free T-shirts, flyers, and you could check out the Lambrettas they had out. They are in the Short North, next to Salon Lofts, kind of set back from High Street. Near 1st Avenue.

I will hold off on adding them to the “Where to Buy” page until they are more established, but I’m happy to see a new scooter store (and possibly shop) opening up. Great location! http://www.thekickstart.net/ Lambrettas and Diamos, hmmm!

Know a potential sponsor for Scoot A Que? Interested in getting your product/service front and center to scooterists in Columbus? I am not a Cutter, I don’t organize Scoot A Que, but you can check out their sponsorship packet here: http://www.elementville.com/SAQ11_sponsorpack.pdf

I am totally digging the design. As I posted before, admire the design process via Flickr. (And I didn’t have anything to do with that either.)

There is growing interest in scooters, and I wanted to share some tips about buying.  I think here in Columbus it is best to figure out what type of scooter you want (for example 150 cc, used low-mileage Vespa).  It is more important to get a scooter you like than to worry too much about which store to buy it from.  (Although, of course if you want a new Vespa then odds are you’ll be buying from MotOhio.)

A test drive is a must, and it goes without saying that you must see it in person if buying used.  Be careful with Craigslist postings.  I saw many photos posted of “Kymco” scooters or “Honda” scooters and the photo was obviously some other brand of scooter.  Do you research, don’t get burned.  Take a friend with you who scooters if you can’t test drive it yourself.  (Check the top speed, very important.)

Not sure what scooter you want?  Ask yourself some questions -
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Euro BikeNight was a blast… they have posted some photos on their website.  Looking forward to the next one.

There is apparently a new scooter shop in the Short North… I will be checking it out soon and I’ll add it to the list on the “Where to Buy in Columbus” page.

And this May (starting today!) is Transportation Challenge Month over at Columbus Underground.  There are lots of links for alternatives to your solo car commute at the CU thread.

EuroBike Night. Saturday.  4 - 9 PM.  http://www.eurobikenight.com/  All types of scooters and motorcycles welcome.

From the Modern Vespa board, there will a group ride leaving North Market at 12 noon on Sunday.  All are welcome.

That is all.

Euro Bike Night is kicking off the new season on April 26th.  (Yes the same day as Earth Day here in Columbus, I know.)  This year they have a sponsor, and a website.  The website lists dates for the event in Grandview, and you may recognize the header photo, taken at one of last year’s nights.  While they focus on European motorcycles and scooters, they do not exclude anyone.  (So my Kymco scooter is welcome, as are Hondas, etc…)

I know that day is busy, but if you like motorcycles and scooters you should check out Grandview.  The bike night will go from 4 PM - 9 PM, and it is at the same time as the Grandview Art Hop.

I haven’t gone back and found the link yet, but previously I posted about riding in the middle of the lane.  Which is good advice.  But I also said something about not being in the right half by the curb, because that’s where the bicycles belong.

I was wrong.  Bicycles certainly belong on the street, but they also belong in the middle of the lane.  This is legal.  In fact, in the City of Columbus it is illegal to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk.  If you are on your scooter (or motorcycle or car) and come up to a bicyclist, the best thing you can do is pass them by moving into a different lane.  Treat them as you would another scooter (a stranger you did not know) or a car.  And so ends the public service announcement. 

I can’t get off work and my SO has a thing here in town Saturday so we’re not going.  Grrrr… But you should go.  It’s the WKRP rally in Cincy.  http://www.wkrp.tenyearlates.com/  A group of riders are leaving (scootering) at 1 PM on Friday, from The Speed Factory.  (Clintonville High Street)  Don’t be late.  Tell them you’re going here.

And I was wrong before, the only way it will take 4 hours is if you are making several 10 minute stops.  Which I recommend, just to stay alert.  But if you take fewer stops it will take less time (duh) unless you are driving your 35cc Met there.

I’ve been a bad blogger.  (Cue sad music)

Windshield wiper fluid is bad stuff.  On your scooter you have to watch out for it, because the car next to you or in front of you could spray it, and somehow it ends up on you.  It flies through the air!  Seriously.  I am convinced this is what scratched up my glasses last summer.  I think I was at a stoplight and put my visor up.  I got hit with the windshield wiper spray, but luckily I wear glasses.  (oooh, take that contact lens manufacturers!)

To really be sure I should take an old pair of glasses, pour some drops of fluid on them, and then see what happens.  But I’m lazy now and I’ll just blame the fluid.  Ride safe everyone!

A bit off topic if you are a hard-core scooterist, but here is a website that breaks down the costs between riding a bike and driving a car.  Note that I don’t pretend that riding my scooter is as environmentally-friendly or as healthy (exercise-wise) as riding a bicycle.  I think his breakdown of costs could be a good model to follow for a car vs. scooter breakdown.  Which I will finish one of these days. 

Well only about 6 months too late, but I am close to posting my video about OSU motorcycle (and scooter!) parking on youtube.  At the latest it will be up this weekend.

In other news, for those of us in Columbus, there are some fun groupsourced monthly challenges.  January was no challenge.  February is the Indie Art Capital Challenge.  As you may or may not know, Columbus is the Indie Art Capital of the World.

(Looking ahead, May is the transit challenge.  So if you drive your car all the time, in May you try to carpool, or take the bus, or walk, or work from home, or take your bicycle, or …. scooter!)

I currently take the bus most days.  Last week I drove (a car)  a few days and it stunk.  I really dislike dealing with all the other “drivers” who are usually pre-occupied with other things like their cell phone or makeup or their child’s toy.  Soon enough I will try out scootering, because even if it’s the same route and the same stupid cagers, I know from before that scootering makes me happy.

At any rate, this isn’t the most news-worthy post.  Not that I ever claimed to be a journalist.  Please visit this lovely Columbus-focused site for all of your transportation news fixins… including occasional scooter news.

Which reminds me, if you don’t usually drive (but have a license) you can rent a car from Zipcar, currently with 15 different cars at OSU’s campus.  www.zipcar.com  If you don’t get it read the posts on Xing Columbus to get up to speed.  (It’s car sharing, so you don’t own the car, you pay to use it but gas and parking on campus is free.)

Everyday I become more convinced that everything is related.  It’s all intertwined.  What does this mean for you?  More philosophical posts?  Long boring college-student “meaning of life” stuff?  No, no… it means that I find scooter information, even specific to Columbus, in the funniest places.  It’s like when you’re a kid and you run into a teacher you like in the grocery store, and you realize they have a life outside of being your teacher and sitting in the classroom.  A nice surprise.  Unexpected, but fun.

Scoot A Q 11 logo design, see it in process.  Very good looking.  Go on and mark your calendar now, Sept 12 - 14.  Whoot!

You should go.  The food is good.  And show your support for Scoot A Q by going.  7:30 PM today (Wed) is the sponsor dinner, and the more people the better.  Then the sponsors see that lots of people like Scoot A Q, and they will continue to sponsor it… and Scoot A Q 11 will be even better!!  http://tiptopcolumbus.com/ for directions.

Early, but I wanted to pub the Cincy crew’s rally.  It is Mar 28th-30th in Cincinnati.  WKRP 2008.  Register at http://www.wkrp.tenyearlates.com/

I’m eyeing the “making sleep” hotel.  This rally is good for us Columbus people, because it’s so close.  Driving in a car takes about 1.5 hours.  Seems like taking backroads it would still only take you at most 4 hours, with stops.  Not for a newbie, but if you do some rest stops it seems totally doable.  Hopefully the late March weather (almost April) will be good.

Remember Scoot A Q? Remember how much fun it was?  The event doesn’t happen without sponsors, especially the cool swag bag.  The Cutters have posted that the Thank You dinner for sponsors is going to be at 7:30 PM, Jan 30th, next Wed.  It will be held at Tip Top, which is a good place.  Go even if you aren’t a Cutter, all that’s required is appreciation for Scoot A Q.  (Tip Top is downtown on Gay Street.)

I would post to the Cutters posting, but I can’t find it now and I’m tired.  I have been a bit AWOL lately with posting, but more is coming soon.  Thanks for your patience.

I know a lot of scooter riders are NOT into taking the bus, especially because the bus does not match their sunny-Italian-Vespa-stylish-scarf image of scootering.  Well I like my scooter, but I’m a little more practical.  This past week, everyday, I took the bus.  Allow me to deviate from my usual scooter focus and talk about that.

If you want some reasons for taking the bus, read my last posting on this.  And you should also read a great story from Jeff about his January Bus Challenge.  I decided to look at some numbers, because I’m a nerd like that.  :)  Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

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Here in Columbus our gorgeous weather is dying down a bit now.  We are now looking at a more typical-for-January 30s and 40s for the rest of this week.  Sadly I did not scooter Monday, because I started a new job and didn’t want their first impression of me to be “what is all that gear?  Is she like a StormTrooper?”

Until I get a little more comfortable at work, I am planning to take the bus and possibly carpool to get to work.  (Winter weather doesn’t help either.)  I am working in the general downtown area, so the bus works fairly well.  (If I had to commute from one suburb to another, it would be a different story.)  I am in a one-car household and the default is that I don’t get the car.  With zipcar and the scooter and the bus and rides from the husband (and occasionally using the car) I don’t think it is a problem at all.

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Want to see the world on your scooter?  Looking for inspiration?  Monday you can check out a book for free (online) about a round-the-world scooter trip, on a Honda 250 no less.  Tom Smith did it in the late 1980’s, and his nearly 600 page book on it is free for your reading Monday, January 7th.  http://www.melawend.com/

(hat tip to Crystal at Girlbike.com)

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, I was out of town for the holidays and it’s slow getting caught up.