Motor scooters may be a familiar site whizzing through Italian cobblestone streets, but not so much on the asphalt of Elkridge and Columbia.

Except, that is, for members of the local Hop Head Scooter Club.

Founded in February by county resident Brett Rhodes, the Hop Head Scooter Club is now the largest vintage scooter club in the area, with more than 70 members who meet monthly to ride together to local breweries.

Known for their sleek, colorful designs and ability to zigzag through traffic, motor scooters have a dedicated following throughout the United States, especially via clubs such as the Hop Heads.

Clubs often will meet up at scooter rallies across the United States, when hundreds will gather to camp, eat, drink and ride together. While the scooter scene in Europe is considerably larger, with rallies attracting thousands of attendees, the craze is catching on in the United States.

Vintage scooters have their own following; riders often buy scooters from one another through social media, Craigslist or