When October comes around, the nights begin to draw in and evening temperatures drop into single figures, Autumn is with us. Some people may be tempted to tuck their trusty Swifty scooter away for another year, awaiting the warmer temperature and warm days of Spring. This need not be the case, all that is required are a few thoughts and a little more care.
Cooler temperatures are easy to deal with, off with shorts and t-shirts, and on with long trousers, long-sleeved t-shirts and jackets. Well, you may think that but I’ve found that in Autumn and unless it’s really cold, once you get warmed up, long trousers and jackets are just too hot and you soon find yourself sweating. My tip is to carry shorts and t-shirt and change into them as required. Gloves and a hat are also useful additions.
In October it’s pretty much dark by mid-evening so anyone venturing out would be wise to fit some form of additional lighting, particularly if venturing off-road. I’ve talked about scooter lights elsewhere so will not repeat myself here, other than to say, keep the batteries charged and don’t scoot faster than the spread of your lights. You never know what’s out there. On the plus side, if you enjoy night scooting, at least in the Autumn months you don’t need to stay up as late waiting for it to get dark.
In Autumn ground conditions also change, usually getting wetter, and terrain under your wheels may by much more difficult to scoot than in the dryer months of the year. I’ve found this most noticeable on the local golf course, also woodland trails and similar off-road tracks. Wider tyres and lower tyre pressures here can make a difference. Another subject to note is that footpaths can often be quite treacherous as leaves and small twigs break down forming a very slippery surface. Take care on sharp bends, slowing down just in case. It’s easy to lose control and I speak from experience.
Copyright ©2020 Gary Buckham. All rights reserved.
