Saturday, July 14, 2018

Two Wheels, and One Extra

Technically, it is not a motorcycle, but I need a motorcycle license to ride it.  And I wear a helmet and gloves, and a leather jacket and I feel like Pinkie Tuscadaro when I ride.

It's not a scooter or a snow-mobile either.  It's a CanAm Spyder and I bought it for myself.

Two summers ago, I was riding my bicycle and I got my speed up to about, oh, 3 miles per hour on a straight, paved path, and crashed.  Seriously.  I fell over and smacked my head on the pavement.  No, I wasn't wearing a helmet.  Bad move.  But also, I was only going 3 miles per hour on a straight, paved path.

I ended up with a concussion.

I am no Lance Armstrong, in a nutshell.

Fortunately, the part of my brain that was concussed did not break the cautious part, and I recognized that if I wanted to ride on a motorized vehicle, it would have to be small, slow and training-wheeled motorcycle (which they don't make, I checked), a snowmobile (which is hard to ride in the summer, I checked) or a three-wheeled motorcycle.

I settled on this:


I don't think I will end up with a concussion.  And it sort of does have training wheels.  And I can shift gears like a pro now (sort of).   I have been told, on many occasions by motorcycle riders that this is not a motorcycle.  I have been spit on by motorcycle riders (not really) because this is not a motorcycle, and many motorcycle riders yell at me (not really) because this is not a motorcycle.  I know!  But it's fast, and it keeps up and I am out on the open roads, and I am singing in my helmet, and I am happy.  Given my skills on a bicycle, and the doctor's urging that I never ride one again (not true), this is the perfect vehicle.

Time to ride.  

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