Another solo ride...

Again, not the Man from U.N.C.L.E. nor the guy who hung out with Chewbacca in Star Wars... this was me riding by myself.  Joan wanted to go to the store and pick up a pizza.  We agreed to meet back at the coach in three hours or so.

I left the camera behind once again, just wanting to ride.  I did stop in Keystone and took a photo of my scoot on Main St there, in case I can use it for a later Scooter Tag game...

Great twisty roads on the way to Keystone and the world class Iron Mountain Road after I moved on.  As you can see from the photo above, not much of a crowd in Keystone and Iron Mountain Road was, likewise, uncrowded.

I got to thinking while riding: I am using my phone with WAZE on it to see what curves are coming up.  I used the phone in Keystone to get that photo.  I have never tried using the phone while riding... time to see what it will do.  I pulled over in a parking area on IMR and adjusted the phone holder to be more upright.  A test shot with the camera looking back at me...

I think this might work to get a couple "from the road" shots.  Glancing at the screen, it looked like the phone screen was on drugs: "wavy" images... I don't think the images on the screen liked being put on a vibrating conveyance in the wind.  I took a few shots, just to try it out.  When I got home and loaded those images...

Better than it looked on the phone's screen.  Yes, there is a bit of my windshield in the image... in an article on how to get the best video from a motorcycle, the author mentioned getting a piece of the bike in the shot for some perspective.  Yeah, it's OK.  Not as good as a dedicated action cam like a GoPro, but another option when I don't feel like messing with a camera, and then decide I want to get a few photos.

Another test while out: I wanted to see how the Vespa would handle some steep inclines and declines.  Coming out of Keystone, about 10 miles or so on Highway 40, there is a 15% grade on one hill.  Going down, the scoot free-wheels - not much in the way of engine braking to slow it down.  When I turned around and ran it the other direction, the Italian scoot was down to 38 mph by the time it got to the top of that 15% grade.

Speaking of my "Italian scoot": while stopped for a short time in Keystone, there were two old guys walking along the sidewalk behind where I was parked.  I heard one telling the other, "That is a Harley Davidson - you can tell by all that luggage on it."  (He was talking about the red Harley dresser I was parked next to.)  Then, when they came to my Vespa, he said, "I think that is a European motorcycle - they make them swoopy like that there.  Expensive, too."

Close.  Interesting how non-riders perceive things.

I got back at 2:58 - Joan was taking the second load of groceries into the house.  Good timing.  Good pizza, too.

And then out to the grassy area by our patio for a couple games of bean bag.  Stripes (me) was victorious over Stars (Joan), 2-0.  I attribute the win to good, clean living.  ;-)