Scene from my bike: Counter Culture Coffee

Durham is the home of one of the finest coffee roasters in the country, Counter Culture Coffee, and I am fortunate to pass within a mile of their roastery on my daily bike commute.

One of the things I enjoy most about bike commuting is the ability to take in my surroundings at a pace that allows me to enjoy them. And, the wonderful smell of Counter Culture's fresh roasted coffee is absolutely part of that. A few times a week I roll by at roasting time and ride in a coffee cloud for a few minutes. Its pretty wonderful.

Scene from my bike: the morning sky

A great thing about bike commuting this time of year is how amazing the morning sky can be. While the winter ride is all dark, and the summer ride is all light, the autumn and spring provide some great sunrises.

Admittedly, this pic isn't the best morning sky, but I thought the clouds were pretty amazing. I'm consistently struck by the fact that a great sunrise isn't even ruined by an urban or industrial skyline. Sure, it'd be better without the cars, buildings, power lines and cell towers, but the natural beauty easily overcomes the man-made clutter.

And, of course, it's all made better when you can enjoy it while travelling at a human speed. A sunrise is always great, but even better seen from my bike.

Bike to Work: 24 miles, American Tobacco Trail to Cary to Work

Enjoyed a really nice 24 mile ride to work today, much of which on the American Tobacco Trail, and some of which riding through the Preston Preston Preston neighborhood of Cary.  Some of the trail was a little muddy, but nothing that bogged me down.  It was slightly overcast today, but still really pleasant.  I'd like to do this ride on a nice sunny morning to enjoy the sunrise from the trail.