Beautiful Winter – Tuesday's Commute 01/06/09

My ride today was noteworthy for the disparate conditions in the morning and the evening. In the morning, strong headwinds coming from the south made the simple act of pedaling quite arduous. Not the worst wind I’ve encountered in the Windy City, but in the top 3. My mood lifted during the final leg of the commute, when it began snowing. I’m a sucker for snow, which is still a novelty for me after a lifetime of living in the South.  So I stopped and took some pictures.

Many people seem to hibernate during winter, forgetting that the world is still out there. I was one of those people last winter, my first in Chicago. Now, on my bike every day, I’m reminded that the outdoors are just as interesting and even more beautiful on the bleakest days as on the sunniest days.

Nature is still alive out there, even in the city.

I would not have seen all this if I was stuck on the el train today. Or, heaven forbid, driving a car.

On my way home it was still snowing, with more to show for it.

As I was pedaling along, plowing through the snow with my weight and skating over the ice on my studded tires, a fellow cyclists on a fast bike with skinny tires slowed while passing me to say, “I thought I had the right bike this morning, but it looks like you have the right bike now.” He must have seen me this morning struggling against the wind. A nice ending to my day.