lalo continues norcal tradition

Words/Pics: Jordan Le Boeuf

LALO … (Lay-low) … stands for Loose Association of Lambretta Owners which was started by John Quintos 17 years ago here in the Bay Area. John having been in the scooter scene for almost 40 years, wanted to start a once a year gathering for fellow Lambretta enthusiasts that he has known throughout the years. Normally the ride starts every year in San Francisco but for 2020, the organizers of LALO decided to branch out and the Wine Country was the preferred choice.

Santa Rosa, site of the 2022 Lambretta Jamboree, was the starting point with Ben Cooney, another looooooong time scooterist, leading the way. A few of the riders decided to ride up from San Francisco the day before, meandering through the Marin Headlands and up the coast past Point Reyes to Santa Rosa. That ride along with the actual Saturday ride encompassed a route through Coastal Redwoods, beautiful twisty-turny backroads, as well as aroma filled vineyards. With a lunch stop at the General Store, everyone was able to relax and enjoy what was a taste of the future Lambretta Jamboree. Regrettably we did have a spike in COVID numbers announced only days before, reducing the number of expected riders, yet the ride took place anyways but with a nuance to it. The meet up, traditionally an hour long minimum, was only 10 minutes and riders could meet us along the way as we meandered through the wine country. All told we had a nice turn out of roughly 35 Lambrettas with only one break down.

The ride finished up in classic NorCal tradition with fresh tacos and cold brews onsite at the end point. As expected, the weather in was perfect with the temperature being in the mid-80’s. Overall this was an absolutely memorable experience for everyone.