Bike Rack Shadows

"Isn't that interesting?"

CLEVELAND — August 2026.   I noticed this bike rack and its shadow after parking the car and walking toward Lake Erie.

Then, I wondered:

Did the “powers that be” intend for the creation of this artsy shadow?  

In other words, consider the combination of sunlight at that angle alongside the bike rack cemented to the sidewalk at that degree to the inbound sunlight.    Was this planned?   

Look at that corkscrew-shaped shadow.

For the shadow to fall like this, someone would have had to consider the position and angle of the sun—something that changes throughout the year.

Or maybe it’s simply a happy accident.

Either way, look at the pattern the rack creates on the pavement!

It got me thinking about all the people involved in creating and upgrading this area:

Industrial designers — like my brother.   Jim Wible would have loved this.  I wish I could text this to my brother in St Louis.   If he was still around, then I'd be texting the pics above and the caption:   "Artsy new bike rack in Cleveland.  Check out what happens when you add sunlight!"

Urban designers and landscape architects

Mechanical engineers

Public artists

Civic leaders

And the people who made donations—and the taxpayers who helped make it possible.

We often walk past things like this without giving them a second thought.

But sometimes, if you stop and look…

Isn’t that interesting?

Photography and Post-Production: Tom Wible  

Location:  Lake Erie Shoreline.  West of Cleveland, Ohio

Media:   Samsung Galaxy A15 Digital Photos

Date:   Summer 2026