As you know, we here at ScooterNova do like to ride our scooters, an ethos that ties in perfectly with this weekend’s trip away with like-minded folk in The Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association.
Created a number of years ago by our friends at Disco Dez Scooters, the ethos is a laid back, gentle day of scooter appreciation and riding. To this end, the event is for those with pre-1966 scooters (of any marque), highly tuned engines no so much dissuaded but rather advised it’s not that kind of ride. That’s nothing personal – many of those in attendance, myself included, own and ride faster tuned scooters as well – but Awfully Pleasant is not about speed. The route was a gentle 20 miles or so, twisting itself along small country lanes, up hills, down through cute chocolate box villages, sometimes on roads so narrow even the Lambro had to breath in.
It was led by a standard LD 150 AVV electric start Lambretta (as an organiser, he knew where we were going!), and was followed in date order by a standard LC125 with beautiful patina, along with some LDs (including a couple of tasty Rivieras) my D Racer, and then GS Vespas and Series 1s onwards, most of which were standard but all enjoying the ride.
And that’s the point; beautiful English countryside, roads offering stunning scenery all around you, a well planned route that meant there was very little traffic to annoy (or ruin the ride) and of course a large amount of similarly aged vehicles, all ridden by owners who were there for the same reason.
Around 100 scooters assembled for the ride at the quiet riverside pub in Worcestershire where it was based, but Awfully Pleasant is about quality, not quantity. From rustorations to restorations, full accesorised to personally customised, mainly Lambrettas with a handful of Vespas and a sole NSU Prima (as featured in issue 2 of ScooterNova magazine). The variety was broad, but all the scooters were interesting in their own right, including the Cyclemaster Piatti being displayed on Disco Dez’s stand on the day.
There’s no one-upmanship, I didn’t even over-hear anyone discussing the colour of nylocks on wheel rims, the day is simply about the pleasures of riding scooters, with people partaking in the ride for that reason alone. It was indeed an awfully pleasant day as all who attended agreed, including riders from the west country, south Wales and over in Lincolnshire, as well as plenty from the neighbouring counties too of course. Even on the ride home, my little D felt like it was still buzzing from the event. And the rain held off too.
Andy
Edition 2 of ScooterNova magazine is published on 30 June 2017. To be one of the first to receive your copy through the post, simply buy online or subscribe here.
