A Gray Commute

Posted by Dottie at 22:30 commute diary Add comments
Feb 032010

Gray, gray, gray.

I took the Lakefront Trail this morning, hoping to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately, it never happened; the gray just got lighter.  In fact, there was nothing noteworthy about my commute today.  When a bike ride is simply a bike ride – a way to commute – that can be a good thing.

I welcome the more inspiring weather, though, whenever it feels like returning.  I prefer a 5 degree day with bright blue skies over a 25 degree gray day.

Tagged with: , , , , ,
  • http://emeraldsedai.livejournal.com/tag/riding+clyde Anne Hawey

    Absolutely gorgeous photos! That tree and bench is just classic.

  • http://www.standrewscyclechic.com Kenny

    Thanks for sharing your lovely images and thoughts of gray. Inspiring is right. I like changeable weather and not the sort that sits around too long, like someone who outstays their welcome. I’d insist on dabbing a few friendly white clouds onto your blue sky.

  • nowhere

    Sort of like winter here in Vancouver. Except it’s warmer here and we would write “grey, grey, grey”. The second picture is one of my favourites of those you have posted here, right up there with some of those in “You Can’t Go Home Again”

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    Oh I think your gray commute is beautiful! Everything is muted and mysterious, like your own secret world.

    Since you were a Russian major, have you ever seen Hedgehog in the Fog? It’s a bizarre, existentialist sort of animated film that was meant to be a children’s cartoon, but you know how Soviet cartoons are… Anyway, gray can be romantic!

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    ah here you go

    Hedgehog in the Fog

  • http://www.mnbicyclecommuter.blogspot.com/ Doug

    “I prefer a 5 degree day with bright blue skies over a 25 degree gray day.”

    I couldn’t agree more!

  • http://cyclingisgoodforyou.blogspot.com anna

    Wow, that gray is really beautiful! There’s a lot of gray here too, but unfortunately not so much of a landscape. The streets would be really cool with some more fog.

  • http://www.welshcyclist.blogspot.com welshcyclist

    I love a cold, grey commute, but ice keeps me in my car, I do so envy your ability to stay upright in such conditions. Enjoy your photos, and your posts immensely.

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

    Thanks!

    @Lovely Bicycle! – I had not seen that (and yozhek is one of my favorite Russian words). That was absurdly wonderful and would have terrified me as a kid.

  • http://www.portlandize.com Dave

    Oh, I love Hedgehog in the Fog – there were so many great Russian animations from that time. Have you all ever seen Cheburashka or Karlson Who Lives on the Roof?

    I was just talking about this same thing yesterday – only here in Portland it just rains steadily through the winter. I’m the kind of person who actually usually enjoys the rain, and I’m definitely *not* a summer person, but even I am getting ready for a few days of sun. Here’s hoping for both of us.

  • http://www.portlandize.com Dave

    (Also, look for other short films by Yuriy Norshteyn, who did Hedgehog in the Fog, he has some other brilliant ones as well.)

  • http://www.catsegovia.org Cat

    Beautiful images! Being from Vancouver grey is the norm…although we’ve been pretty lucky lately.
    i love your blog…it really inspires me to ride when i’m feeling kinda lazy. Also, great new look by the way, the site looks fantastic. I meant to post that a while back!

  • http://imaginarybicycle.wordpress.com/ Emma J

    *You* are inspiring – who needs better weather? Though I wouldn’t turn down a few sunny breaks in the rain . . .

  • http://www.bikecommuters.com E A

    Agreed… these gray days (of damp weather) feel just as cold or colder to me than the blue sky days of near 0!

  • http://envirosprite.livejournal.com Lauren M.F.

    “I prefer a 5 degree day with bright blue skies over a 25 degree gray day.”

    +100 on this. I live in Minneapolis, and while we have some bitterly cold days, they’re usually quite sunny, which is a trade off I’m willing to make. Too many overcast days induce melancholia sometimes.

    Beautiful pictures though!

  • http://chicagobikecommuting.wordpress.com/ Pat

    People don’t realize that’s color photography!

    I love the lakefront in the winter. In fact, Lake Michigan may be at its most beautiful on those early winter mornings when the temperature is hovering near zero (F) and the “steam devils” are rising out of the lake between the massive, snow-covered sheets of ice.

    Love your blog.

  • Scott

    Gray — the color of the new Velorbis Scrap Deluxe I bought last weekend at Copenhagen Cyclery!

    Now the oma is going to be a loaner bike for all the people at my office who want to try commuting it on it after seeing me do it every day for the past couple years!

  • Ann

    I have to agree–lovely images. At this point in winter I’m sick of grays, white, and dirty white. I long for the colors of spring and summer (as well as the kiss of the summer sun). Like many, I’m now thoroughly bored with winter and ready for it to move on to the southern hemisphere. (Sorry to all of you down there, but it’s your turn to play host to Madam Winter. She’s about to eat us out of house and home with high utility bills to counter her frigid temper tantrums.)

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

    @Scott – Oh my gosh – really?? Awesome! I really want the red Velorbis Student. Your Oma will be the loaner bike, though? Interesting. Gray – does that mean you got the Scrap Deluxe? We should totally meet up so I can check out your bike and take pics. I sense a profile of Scott, if you’re up for it :)

  • Nick

    Great pictures, great insights. I too prefer sunny days even if the temp. is lower.
    Keep onblogging!

© 2010-2012 Let's Go Ride a Bike Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha