Fall Ride, October 18

Here is route we'll be riding.

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It's about 43 miles, and will take 2-3 hours. There are no gas stations along the way, so fill up before we leave. Bringing a beverage is suggested. This ride is do-able on a 50cc scooter.

I rode the route today, and it is beautiful. There is a lot of great scenery that should be even more colorful next weekend. There are streams, farms, forests, challenging roads and Face Rock Overlook. Hope to see you there.

Meet 10:30am, the corner of Orange and Water Streets, Saturday October 18.

Frozen Road Apple Ride

Drew Emailed me about this yesterday: Road Apple Ride IV? : The Frozen Road Apple Ride. It's a moped ride, but Drew said that all are welcome, and that it would be fun to see some scooters along. It will gather at Conestoga Valley Middle School on Sunday, October 26 between 1 and 2pm. Then they will leave on an ambitious ride that promises to go through the City and on to the river. The event is organized by a group calling themselves the "lancaster human beans". They sound like a fun group. They are even offering loaner mopeds!

Save the Date - Fall Ride

October 18 there will be a scooter ride featuring the natural beauty and fall foliage of the County's Southwest. Hopefully we'll catch the scene here in glorious fall colors. Meet at the corner of Orange and Water Streets in the City of Lancaster at 10:30am, depart at 11:00am. Watch here for details.

Ride Report

Turn out was light, probably due to the many conflicting activities going on yesterday. It was cool to finally meet Rewdey after reading his comments. His 2-stroke Honda Elite from the ealy 90's proved to be a champ after some initial trouble.

The weather turned out to be beautiful after the threatening forecast. The theme was "small towns" and we went through a lot of them: Lancaster, New Holland, Terre Hill, Ephrata, Akron, Rothsville, Lititz, and East Petersburg. Passing through New Holland, we stopped at the Hollander Motel which had its sign welcoming "BUSA Scooter Rally" (BUSA is BurgmanUSA). At Terre Hill, the Smith family met us at the park with cold water, which was welcomed at that point. Thanks again!

We passed through so much of scenic Lancaster County; beautiful farms, bridges, streams... and I forgot to take pictures of them. I was too busy enjoying the ride. That's what it was about anyway... a relaxing ride on a beautiful day. We had so much fun that there is already talk of a fall foliage trip around the southern part of the County. Keep checking in for news on that.

Don't forget that today is the vintage car show downtown, including scooters. I believe the scooters are supposed to be in the parking lot of Lebzelter's, the country's oldest Goodyear dealer, at 300 N. Queen. Lebzelter's has been serving Lancaster since before the Civil War (established in 1854, a year before Penn State!). For their sake, I hope this "horseless carriage" thing doesn't turn out to be a fad.

Let's Ride!

The weather has cleared up considerably and the forecast is much more promising than it was yesterday. Only about a 30% chance of rain, and the radar looks pretty clear. So throw your rain suit under the seat and meet us today at the corner of Orange and Water streets between 10:30 and 11am. We're going to tour the small towns of northeast Lancaster. We'll be riding all the way out to Terre Hill. Your leaders will have 50cc scooters, so we'll be taking it slow for maximum fun. Anticipated length of ride: < 4 hours.

Ride slated for September 13

This will be a ride for small scooters (50-200cc). We will tour the small towns of Northeast Lancaster County.

Meet Saturday, September 13 between 10:30 and 11am at the Sunoco Station in Lancaster City at the intersection of Orange and Water Streets

It is recommended that you arrive early and enjoy the many local restaurants or markets for a big breakfast. And top off your scooter's gas tank also.

The ride will terminate at the same location, by which time the Wheels Weekend event should be in full swing.

If you have a larger scooter, and are looking for a ride that day, check out the 6th Annual New Holland Fall Scooter Rally

6th Annual New Holland Fall Rally

BurgmanUSA.com has posted details about the Fall Rally In New Holland. Please note that this is a Maxi scooter rally, and they limit participation in their rides to scooters 200cc or higher. Suzuki Burgmans come in 400cc or 650cc. Riders buy them for their power. Having to watch out for 150cc scooters on one of their rides is like when you were 16 and your mom told you that you could go to the mall with your friends only if you took your 10-year-old brother.

If you plan on going out to participate or just to gawk at the big scooters, note their schedule. They are serious about punctuality.

There is going to be a lot of bikes out on the roads the weekend of September 13-14. That is also the weekend of the Wheels...Wheels...Wheels event and the Barnstorm Weekend motorcycle rally. For those who like to "Live Fast, Scoot Slow", keep checking in here... there is a 50cc-friendly ride being planned for that weekend too.

Spontaneous Scooter Meet!

Let's meet this Sunday at 9am, at the base of the Prince Street Garage helix. We'll ride up to the Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In. Hang out, look at all the bikes and scooters until 11, home by noon.

I've made this trip before on my 50cc scooter. I'll bring maps to hand out at the start. We'll pass 2 covered bridges and travel winding country lanes. It's a beautiful ride. Here's the route:

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If you are going to meet us at the garage, do me a favor, leave a comment using the link below. It will generate excitement and give me an idea how many maps to bring. But pre-registration is not required. Just show up at the helix, or meet us up there!

"Ride To Work Day" 2 weeks away

Today is the first Wednesday in July, so Ride to Work Day is in two weeks. Wednesday, July 16. Don't forget.

Of course, you should be riding to work every day...

Road To Recovery Ride

There will be a 15 mile ride happening this Sunday to benefit families dealing with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis. Meet at New Holland Community Park at 2pm (ride starts at 2:30) on November 18. The ride is to Ephrata, where refreshments will be served. See http://www.naa-pa.org/ for more information.

This more of a motorcycle ride, so I don't expect it to be 50cc friendly.

2 Covered Bridges Loop

It time for our first ride: what I'm calling the 2 Covered Bridges Loop. This ride is only about 17.5 miles, but offers a nice sampling of Lancaster scenery and history. At the end of the text here is a link to a map of the route for you to print. Numbers on the map relate to the numbers in the text here. What is Lancaster County known for? Amish farms and covered bridges. So let's go!

1. Our ride starts at the center of the City of Lancaster, the site of our future Convention Center and luxury hotel. The facade is the former Watt & Shand Building, Lancaster's main department store for many decades. We begin here, at a obvious landmark, for convenience sake.



Ride North on Queen St.



Turn Right onto Lemon St.



Continue along Lancaster Cemetery.


Turn left onto New Holland Av..



Turn left onto N. Plum at Quips Pub.



2. Turn right onto Park Av. at The Fulton. The Fulton Hotel was gathering place in Northeast Lancaster. Politicians used to give speeches from the second story porch to crowds below. Today it is a neighborhood bar and restaurant with American fare and eclectic patrons.
Follow Park Av. to the left, under the underpass.



Turn right onto Martha Av. along …



3. The Stehli Silk Mill. It may not look like much now, but one hundred years ago this was the largest Silk Mill in the world. Silk was just one of the industries that Lancaster led east of the Mississippi.


Turn left onto Fountain Av..


Continue straight on Pleasure Rd..


Continue straight on Esbenshade Rd..


Turn right onto Rutledge Av..


Rutledge Av. becomes Homeland Dr. and takes you under Rt. 30.


Turn left onto Country Club Dr..


Country Club Dr. becomes Sunset Dr..


Turn left onto Eden Rd..


Turn right onto Euclid Rd..


Turn left onto Butter Rd.. Watch for pedestrians, both humans and ducks.


When you get to Hunsecker Rd, the loop begins. You can go either way, but I’ve always enjoyed it clockwise, so that’s how I will be guiding you.


Continue on Butter Rd. You should really be getting the olfactory experience of Lancaster County by now.


Continue past the exit and entrances for Rt. 222.


Turn right onto Bridge Rd..

4. I think this spot is one of the hidden gems of Lancaster County. As you head over the open bridge, look to your right, through the trees to see an old stone arch bridge.

Just ahead is Pinetown Bushong's Mill Covered Bridge.
Go through the bridge.

On the other side, you are likely to be greeted by cows.

Continue along the long straight-away of Bridge Rd.. This is a popular bicycle route.

Turn right onto Mondale Rd.. Here you will be passing real Lancaster County farms.



Turn right onto Hunsecker Rd.. Here you will encounter…

5. Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge. How adorable is this? The well kept houses, the homemade swing, a covered bridge…

Cross over the bridge, but watch out for “road apples“. On the other side, if you are traveling on a weekend, you are likely to see some commotion at Bridge Acres Stable; a school for riding mounts of one horsepower.

Continue on Hunsecker Rd..

Turn left onto Butter Rd.. We’re on our way back now.

Turn right onto Euclid Rd..

Turn left onto Eden Rd..

Turn right onto Sunset Dr..

Continue on Country Club Dr.

Turn right onto Homeland, back under Rt. 30.

Continue on Rutledge Av..

Turn left on Esbenshade Rd.. Here’s where we vary from the trip out…

Turn right on Juliette Ave..

Turn right on Marshall Ave.. Follow Marshall along:
6. The Lancaster Stockyards. At one time, Lancaster was also the cattle trade capital East of Chicago. The Stockyards are abandoned and run down now, and slated to be turned into a mixed use development. But there was a time that, if you ate a steak on the east coast, it probably walked through here. As attitudes about animal treatment changed, Lancaster fell behind, the Stockyards became controversial and eventually closed. But they are a large part of our history. Nearby are the Stockyard Inn and Jimmee’s Deluxe Grill, a retro burger place with outdoor dining and hand-made burgers and shakes, if you are ready for a bite before our last leg.

Turn left on Lititz Pike.

Over the bridge, and along McGovern Av.. Stay left. The Lancaster Amtrak Station is on your right.

Turn left onto N. Duke St.. As you travel down Duke St., keep an eye on traffic, but don’t forget to look around at the buildings you are passing. They are a part of the reason they call this Historic Downtown Lancaster.

Turn right on Orange St..

Turn left on Prince St..

Turn left on King St.. Straight one block and we are back where we started.

If you take this ride, leave a comment. Let us know how it went.