Safer in the garage

It was great to be back out on the road today. Having not been out since February I have been going slightly crazy looking at the back of garage door if I'm on the turbo or at the gym walls if I decide to go and train there. The weather was just warm enough and with no snow since yesterday the roads were nicely dry thanks to the March sun.

I needed my long-sleeved thermal, long sleeved shirt and long-sleeved windproof on today with bib shorts, longs and full fingered gloves. I was only just cosy, only needing to un-zip the windproof a little on the biggest climb of the day.
An easterly breeze kept me honest down to Crail and provided help on the way across to Anstruther where a traffic jam made me change my route and head up to Arncroach. On this road I had the kind of excitement I can do well without.

Approaching a little chicane type feature in the road I was aware of car right on my back wheel. The second bend sits in a little dip with a rise beyond and it's just a little narrower there than before or afterwards. So I went right, left and made sure I was riding well out from the gutter to go up the rise. And as I came out of the second corner "BEEEP" from the car behind. He overtook after the rise on the clear straight but as he went passed he made it plain he was unhappy that he couldn't overtake in the dip. I tried to make it plain that I decide where I ride my bike on the road, not him. I don't enjoy the conflict but I refuse to be intimidated. I'm always keen to let people past, if I think it is safe; not otherwise.

View Larger Map
Would you overtake on the outside of this left hand bend?

The rest of the ride was uneventful and I thoroughly enjoyed working against the breeze using a higher gear than normal and a lower cadence. It seems my gym work over the winter has given my legs a little more deployable strength.

The Ride

Idiot Road User of the Day

No prizes for guessing who. See above.

Road User of the Day

As the absolute opposite of the driver above great praise goes to the tractor driver, trimming the hedgerow from the road, who stopped all activity to make it safer for me to overtake him. Two very different experiences all within a mile of each other. He restored my faith in humanity a little.