If you’re like me and refuse to accept that there is no such thing as an “off season” for scootering, you’re also faced with another challenge: Staying warm.

Staying warm isn’t just for comfort, it’s for your safety, too. Cold hands might not be able to grab a brake lever. A shivering rider could be distracted away from traffic. Plus, being cold just sucks.

Lap aprons are one way to go, but you have to install them on your scooter, and can sometimes be difficult to find for purchase. I love my Termoscud, but if it warms up, it’s a pain to have to unstrap the lap apron from the scooter (supposedly you can roll it up out of the way, but I haven’t been able to do that successfully since its so stiff), and then re-install it when it’s cold again.

I briefly wrote about Scooter Skirts last season, and it’s high time I write about them again. While the word “skirt” may put off some of its potential audience, I hope you don’t let it.

This thing is an awesome addition to a cold-weather riding ensemble - just strap it around your waist and ride. Hand-made from a windproof, waterproof, breathable Gore-tex outer shell with a quilted liner, articulated at the knee for a better fit while riding, the Scooter Skirt does what sets out to do: It keeps you warm. It takes only a couple seconds to put on, and only a couple seconds to take off when you get to your destination. Depending on your scooter, it should fit under your seat or in an average top case.
Emily was kind enough to model the Scooter Skirt for girlbike, above. She’s taller than me, and the knee articulation fell in the right place for her - it was a little long for me. But I just pulled it up a bit higher when I rode.

Based in Oakland, Scooter Skirts are $125 each, and can be customized for an additional price (how about your scooter club logo?). It is available in red and black, and in November, you’ll be able to get them in cobalt blue, yellow, and magenta for a limited time. The site also says “men and women’s sizes will become available.” I’m not sure how these would be resized by sex, it would seem to make more sense to resize by height. In any case, check them out for your next wardrobe enhancement.