A scooter rider gives his machine a bit of throttle during the group ride.

PORTLAND, Ore. - More than 70 riders gathered in northeast Portland Sunday to show off their rides and take a ride together. It was part of an annual summer rally - the Stumptown Classic - that draws people from as far away as Idaho and California.

Scooters are cool in the Northwest. In fact, Vespa says Portland and Seattle are their No. 1 markets for scooters. 

Be it gas prices or parking problems, lots of people are switching over from four wheels to two wheels.

And according to Vespa, most of those people are women.

A little research shows women and men have been scooting around the globe for 60 years. The idea started as a way to get Europe back to work after World War II.

But scooters have evolved beyond function. Now they are also about fashion.

Vespas have not always been so popular. The company behind them was nearly bankrupt four years ago. But high gas prices and huge U.S. sales helped the company turn a $12 million profit last year.

Learn more about Vespa by clicking here.

Find a local scooter club by clicking here.

Check out the Vespa museum by clicking here.