On Two Wheels Part 4: The pros and cons of scooters

I no longer have to walk 10 minutes to the Tube in the pouring rain and cold to cram myself into a sweaty steaming cattle truck.

My journey takes an average of about 40 minutes rather than an hour. I arrive on the Wharf awake, invigorated by riding in the great outdoors through the City. I've breathed fresh air rather than the recycled, grainy atmosphere that hangs around the Piccadilly and Central lines.

I've not had to wait much. On the whole, being on a scooter enables me to overtake vast swathes of traffic, waiting only for traffic lights to change from red before continuing seamlessly on my way.

It's cheap. Probably about £6 in fuel per week (look out for a future column on the detailed economics of traveling by scooter) and parking is only £2 per day. Consequently it's comparable to public transport.

It's spacious. No really. A Vespa LX 125 might look tiny, but there's space for everything I need to carry to and from work and more besides, especially as I have a top box fitted.

Above all, it's enjoyable and lends a sense of excitement to the drudge of the daily commute. No ride is the same and the level of concentration necessary in comparison to driving is extremely high, forcing engagement with the riding environment. In short, held up next to other ways of getting about, it's probably one of the most exhilarating ways of travelling.

On the other hand, there are the negatives. If you're a Wharfer used to finishing work and flopping onto a friendly Tube or DLR carriage for the ride home, then getting on two wheels will come as something of a shock.

No more reading - be it the comforting words of an engaging novel or just a chance to catch up on the must-read excitement of a report you should have scanned weeks ago but didn't - it's gone from your commuting life.

So if you work on the Tube, you suddenly find that the length of your commute may have been reduced, but that there's more to do at either end.

No music either. Before joining the Wharf I used to drive to work and listened to the radio, or CDs. But on a scooter, why would anyone choose to deprive themselves of hearing - an excellent safety feature of the human body and a valuable assistant when navigating the capital?

No sneaky after work pints. This one's pretty obvious, but for those making use of TfL's finest, popping to the pub for a few is always an option. Not so if you're riding.

The question remains, what do you do with your mount if you want to enjoy some on-Wharf refreshment? And then there's the weather. Of course, zipping along under sunny European skies is what the Vespa is designed for. But in grey, autumnal London things can get a bit chilly.

Even when it's not raining, your legs will get fairly cold and, like me, you may prefer to bring a change of clothes with you to work if you suit trousers are a bit on the thin side or you'd prefer not to arrive at that meeting after an unexpected shower looking as though you've had a little accident.

Of course there's room for it, but it's more stuff, more bags, more time. And don't even get me started on helmet hair (suggestions for a cure always welcome).

And of course there is the sense of danger - you're simply not as well protected or as easy to see as other road users. Last week a jogger, completely oblivious, ran straight out in front of me, forcing me to swerve. "Sorry mate, didn't see you", he shouted after me.

I had my lights on, my scooter is bright red and I wear a reflective strip. The road was clear. Seconds earlier and I'd have hit him.

Still, despite all these points, I'm starting to love riding. Somehow none of these niggles get me down. I simply don't care if it's wet, in fact I quite enjoy it, knowing there's a hot shower waiting for me when I get home.

- Column in association with Vespa. Go to uk.vespa.com