This morning was 76 degrees, a full 20 degrees above normal. One of the warmest September mornings we've ever had in South Dakota. Humid to boot, so it was a sticky ride to work. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be back into the 40s.
Yesterday afternoon I had a near-rage incident on the MUP. I'm usually a pretty even keel kind of guy that doesn't get worked up too often, but I had a guy really push my button.
I was riding down a pretty quiet branch of our MUP, the kind where you can see a mile in both directions. I was cruising along enjoying the tailwind when I saw two guys ahead on skateboards riding two abreast. I could also see a woman on a bike coming in the opposite direction up ahead of them. The skateboard guys saw me coming for quite a while before I actually got there.
As the woman approached, the skateboard guys slid over from riding two abreast into single file to give the woman room. I realized that the oncoming woman on the bike was going to reach the skateboard guys the same time I was going to overtake them, so I slowed down and waited for the woman to go by so I could make a safe pass. No problem. This was all working as it should.
I called out "passing" to the skateboard guys and pulled to the left side of the path to overtake. The skateboard guy at the rear stayed right, but the one in front purposefully pulled to the left side of the path and blocked me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't hear me, and announced "passing" again. He stayed put and gave no acknowledgement that I was behind him.
So I rode slowly behind him waiting for him to get a clue and move to the right so I could pass. Finally he looked back at his friend and said, "I guess this guy doesn't know how to make his bike go on the right side." He moved slightly to the right and I passed him on the left side.
It took every bit of restraint within me not to knock him on his butt as I went by, and somehow limited myself to give him a stern "you are a jerk" glare. Man, was I angry. Once past him I dialed up the watts (the few I have) and got out of there. I needed to put as much distance between him and me as possible less I be tempted to turn around and demonstrate how physically fit I am.
Wow that one got me riled up. I'm better now.