No Help From Passing Cyclists

fatdaz

I was out on a solo ride yesterday evening when I suffered a puncture. Not a problem - not the first and won't be the last - but I managed to pinch my spare tube when I was inflating it leaving me with 2 duff tubes and no spare. There was no drama as I was only 12 miles from home and the long suffering missus got to come and fetch me but what surprised me was the attitude of passing cyclists. 3 runners and a couple walking their dog passed and they all stopped and asked if they could help. Happy with that and with the lady who owned the house I had stopped outside who came out and offered me a drink and offered to run me to a bike shop to get a new tube. What surprised me was the 12 (I counted) cyclists in groups of 1 - 3 who went passed and didn't say a thing, and these would be the very people who could realistically help (I'm assuming at least some had spare tubes). None of them seemed to be involved in any kind of race or time trial - some of them certainly weren't - so it struck me as a little strange.

Obviously everybody gets stuck at the side of the road sometime and it's my own fault for only carrying 1 tube and then breaking that one but I just wonder if, in the experience of the cycling community, this is considered normal?

benkxk

Becuase if they give you their spare and their tube blows, will you give it back to them?

richh

Maybe you've just been unlucky. When I've had a puncture in the past and a cyclist has gone past I've almost always had an "are you alright?" comment. I certainly always do the same when I see someone that looks like they're stuck.

jonomc4

BenKxK wrote:

Becuase if they give you their spare and their tube blows, will you give it back to them?

I have given my spare tube to a cyclist - I trusted him to post me a replacement later - which he did - I helped him and I felt good for doing it!

ToeKnee

Perhaps you looked to be in charge of the situation. It doesn't take much to ask them for help either?

That said it, I'd rather not have to rely on others and always carry a repair kit (as well as tubes). If I were your 'long suffering missus' I'd buy you one for your birthday/christmas.

Pross

I had a situation once where I punctured and found my pump was broken. One group of cyclists went past without asking if I was OK but I think I was maybe looking in control at the time so when I saw another group I made it obvious I was struggling and they stopped and loned me a pump. Don't be scared to flag someone down if you need help. I suspect the reason non-cyclists stopped but cyclists didn't is that cyclists assume a puncture is no big issue whilst to others it seems worse.

ShutUpLegs

Advice as is often trotted out here, always carry enough to repair 2 punctures.

coopsman1

Have to agree with the above. Make it obvious you need assistance., I once get hit by a car and the front wheel was buckled so I ended up carrying the bike the remaining mile.

I was heartened by the amount of cyclists who stopped and asked if I needed help. It was at this point I showed them the wheel and said I only have a mile to walk.

Reading the above it sounds like you don't carry a puncture repair kit! :shock: always carry something as well as your spare tube. I recommend using the stick on patches so no glue is required.

fatdaz

Ironically I normally carry 2 tubes and only had one yesterday because I'd given one to somebody who flatted at the weekend and forgot to pack a second one.

Learned my lesson and bought some self adhesive patches today.

Although "Becuase if they give you their spare and their tube blows, will you give it back to them" doesn't really seem to extol the Dunkirk spirit

slowbike

ToeKnee wrote:

always carry a repair kit (as well as tubes). If I were your 'long suffering missus' I'd buy you one for your birthday/christmas.

Blimey - cheapskate - a couple of quid on a pressie for birthday or christmas?! I'd buy a second spare tube too!

edhornby

park tools stick on patches are your friend, a packet of these gives you 8 chances to get home

rolf_f

coopsman1 wrote:

I recommend using the stick on patches so no glue is required.

I wouldn't. The glue is no bother at all and using it saves re-fixing the patch later. Glued patches are far more permanent. In my very short dalliance with glueless (most fortunately failed to stick at all and I gave one away) I've been lucky that the patch failed at home rather than on the road. Glueless are very inferior for a miniscule short term convenience benefit.

And yes - I only stop for parked cyclists if they look like they need help. Or if they are female and fit :oops:

BridlingtonBiker

I'd give the stick on patches another go. I've used them a few times and they've always been spot on. Touch wood the oldest one has been covering a hole in a tube for about 18 months.

charlie_potatoes

Rolf F wrote:

Or if they are female and fit :oops:

I am with Rolf F on this. Your forum name (Fatdaz) doesn't exactly have me thinking mmm! female an fit :shock:

Only joking Fatdaz, I would have stopped

TheEnglishman

BenKxK wrote:

Becuase if they give you their spare and their tube blows, will you give it back to them?

I carry a tube and 3 self stick patches for just such occasions. They weigh nothing, take no space and are cheap.

I always ask if people are ok. I just hate the answer 'I think so' What does that mean? At a passing speed of 20mph I'm looking for 'yes' or 'no' not a conversation ... :roll:

fatdaz

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Or if they are female and fit :oops:

I am with Rolf F on this. Your forum name (Fatdaz) doesn't exactly have me thinking mmm! female an fit :shock:

Only joking Fatdaz, I would have stopped

I'll admit that my appeal would probably be described as "niche"

rubyrider

I stopped to clean mud from my cleats yesterday and the only cyclist who passed, asked me if everything was alright. I've been carrying a spare tube but after reading this thread I will add some patches to my saddle bag.

rolf_f

BridlingtonBiker wrote:

I'd give the stick on patches another go. I've used them a few times and they've always been spot on. Touch wood the oldest one has been covering a hole in a tube for about 18 months.

Thing is though that a trad patch repair is stronger than the patch itself - it's vulcanised to the tube rather than stuck to it. The one self stick I had failed when I deflated the tube to replace the tyre. The tube shrank but the patch didn't; the properties of a self adhesive patch are completely different to those of the inner tube. And since I found it took me the same amount of time to fit a trad patch as a glueless anyway, I just don't see the point. It's like gluing a crack in a frame rather than welding it because gluing is a little quicker

Either way though, the sensible approach is surely; patches of whatever sort you like and two inner tubes.

ToeKnee

Rolf F wrote:

Or if they are female and fit :oops:

Not enough 'female and fit' cyclists puncture/need assistance! :oops: Either that or you have all beaten me to it. :twisted:

Mark Alexander

Slowbike wrote:

ToeKnee wrote:

always carry a repair kit (as well as tubes). If I were your 'long suffering missus' I'd buy you one for your birthday/christmas.

Blimey - cheapskate - a couple of quid on a pressie for birthday or christmas?! I'd buy a second spare tube too!

can you buy gold plated puncture repair kits? a christmas pressie to cheer you up?
It is un usual not to get even a check to see if you're ok.

CiB

BenKxK wrote:

Becuase if they give you their spare and their tube blows, will you give it back to them?

I had what happened to OP once, pinching the spare after a flat, and although I did have patches it was one of those bitter icy cold January days when patching a tube is hard work. A passing cyclist stopped - I'd just lobbed the wheel + flailing tube & tyre onto the grass verge (purely to make it clear that I was a little miffed) & he gave me a tube; I told him I'd leave him a replacement behind that very same telegraph pole the following day, which I did. It had gone a day or so later. Benefits of rural cycling I suppose. Leaving a spare tube at a lamp post on Tooting Bec High Street probably not as effective.

slowbike

Mark Alexander wrote:

It is un usual not to get even a check to see if you're ok.

IME It is unusual - even been stopped for a breather and those that pass check ...
I make it a point to do the same - after all, if the boot was on the other foot I'd be grateful for a hand!

Jez mon

I'll try and stop or at least check, unless it's the middle of an interval. Also, our club might not stop, purely because we like to keep the ride going.

The exception would be if someone waved me down, in which case I'd always stop.

♠ChumBucket♠

I've been cycling since April & I can count on one hand how many other "proper" cyclists have acknowledged me! :?

sadlybiggins

I always ask cyclists who are at the side of the road if they are OK. Others have done the same for me when I've been at the side of the road - including a rather fit looking runner who asked me if I wanted to borrow her track pump from her house 500yds up the road. I wasn't sure if that was a euphemism so declined :shock: and carried on bending the valve with my mini-pump (nope, not a euphemism either).

I've always got a spare tube and patches with me so could help others if needed. I would never go out without my puncture repair kit as Mrs Biggins would be none too pleased about having to find me early on a weekend morning.

mamba80

If your car had broken down, how many people would have stopped and helped you?
Unfortunately, we live in the sort of society where everyone looks out for them selves and not much else...cyclists are drawn from that same society.........
That said, you were a bit unlucky, i d have stopped and helped you fix it with a patch BUT i would nt have given you my spare tube - had that not been possible, sorry! not unless your misses would have dropped me home, should i have punctured

ben@31

I was out cycling with a friend last night.

In the middle of nowhere. His rear tyre blew. So out came the repair kit, but for some reason he had ran out of patches and couldn't fix it.

Anyways, I ended up cycling 6 miles back home to get an old inner tube off an old set of wheels that was in my garage.

As I was frantically rushing back to him, my legs burning, he phoned me to say some passing cyclist had stopped and gave him a patch, so he doesn't need my tube after all. I never swore so much in my life because of someone doing a good deed.

the_cyclist_of_catan

I *always* stop - or at least check.

Because one day it might be me at the side of the road in need of a hand, and I'd like to be in karmic credit when that happens.

essjaydee

+1

The majority of people (unfortunately) are selfish feckers

Cleat Eastwood

Karma rules. I'd give help and if I had to give up an tube I'd cut my journey short so I'm within phoning/picking up distance.

Mikey23

Perhaps everyone is too busy chasing strava segments