Helpful person

davidblackburn

Last week I had a puncture just outside Ilkley so I pulled over to change the tube, to my horror the replacement tube failed as well, bollocks! It had started to hammer it down and I had no luck trying to contact anyone to come and rescue me. Along came two gents walking their dog and they offered the shelter of their garage and possibly a spare tube. When we got to their garage we checked the spare tubes and unfortunately no luck, they were MT bikers. One of them then proceeded to offer me a lift home which was about 15 miles away. It's probably happened to loads of you before but it certainly gave me a warm feeling knowing there are still people out there who don't mind helping out in times of need.

Thank you, whoever you are, hope you enjoy the Whisky I dropped off

Jon_1976

It's nice when you hear stories like this. Whilst out cycling, I've seen loads of cyclists doing maintenance and always ask if they need help. Whilst driving, I've only seen one stranded cyclist. I stopped and asked if he needed help, he thanked me but said he was ok.

On the flip side, and to prove karma doesn't exist. Whilst out on a ride, I had the chain jump off the biggest sprocket (due to a bent hanger) and trap itself between the spokes and cassette. Carrying the bike on my shoulder, I was passed by a million cars (including 3 police cars) and a few cyclists. None offered any help, the attitude round here is to laugh at people in the situation I was in
Fuck em

I didn't have a phone at the time, so had a 2 mile walk to the nearest phone box in road cleats with bike on shoulder. That was fun.
I

dsoutar

^ Ahh - but all those drivers will get a puncture at some point and be unable to get all the wheel nuts off

Well, in an ideal world anyway...

davidblackburn

Ironically, I did get a puncture on my car as well a few days before and no, nobody helped that time!

Markjaspi

I went out for a quick spin a few months ago and forgot to reattached my quick release saddle bag (whilst washing my bike). Any way after months with no issue I managed to get a pinch flat. After walking a mile of so an older chap on a day trip (cycling) stopped and offered to help, after explaining that I had been a plank and forgot to pack anything he cycled off. Only to return 10 minutes later to offer the only spare tube he had with him.

Fortunately I had already phoned the Mrs who was on the way to pick me up, but it really made my day to think he had offered his only tube with around 2-3 hours of cycling left until he got home.

Keep hoping to see him on the route again, but never do unfortunately.

binsted

madasahattersley wrote:

Nice to hear that you got some help OP, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

That said nobody HAS to stop and help anyone, and I hate it when people moan because they once got a puncture and nobody bent over backwards and ruined their ride and spent a lot of time helping them out to get home. I once helped out a bloke by the side of the road, gave him a tube (£5.99 I'll never see again!), and basically did it all for him and got such little appreciation from the miserable sod for doing that I haven't helped a single person since. Call me scrooge, whatever

Don't let one bad incident jaundice your view, there are lots of good people out there, on the other hand if you are only doing it for the gratitude you will receive then don't bother.

wishitwasallflat

I always stop if I see someone whose stopped (because its the right thing to do) and I find people have always done the same for me. I stopped today on my commute in to work to ask if a cyclist was ok. I didn't know till I stopped but it turned out to be a guy who works with me! He was telling me there are stats that show that cyclist are the most likely road users to stop and offer help but not only each other but also pedestrians and even drivers!

lyn1

davidblackburn wrote:

Last week I had a puncture just outside Ilkley so I pulled over to change the tube, to my horror the replacement tube failed as well, ****! It had started to hammer it down and I had no luck trying to contact anyone to come and rescue me. Along came two gents walking their dog and they offered the shelter of their garage and possibly a spare tube. When we got to their garage we checked the spare tubes and unfortunately no luck, they were MT bikers. One of them then proceeded to offer me a lift home which was about 15 miles away. It's probably happened to loads of you before but it certainly gave me a warm feeling knowing there are still people out there who don't mind helping out in times of need.

Thank you, whoever you are, hope you enjoy the Whisky I dropped off

Fortunately you were in God's country where everyone is helpful

Just in case you travel across the border, here's some tips
http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/h ... ubes-video

Jon_1976

madasahattersley wrote:

Nice to hear that you got some help OP, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

That said nobody HAS to stop and help anyone, and I hate it when people moan because they once got a puncture and nobody bent over backwards and ruined their ride and spent a lot of time helping them out to get home. I once helped out a bloke by the side of the road, gave him a tube (£5.99 I'll never see again!), and basically did it all for him and got such little appreciation from the miserable sod for doing that I haven't helped a single person since. Call me scrooge, whatever

:shock: send me your address and I'll give you your tube back




it wasn't me really

Buckie2k5

lyn1 wrote:

Just in case you travel across the border, here's some tips
http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/h ... ubes-video

Love they tips, will remember them for sure. Maybe not the grass though

Brian B

I have helped out loads of people at the side of the road and so far have had many people on bikes/cars stop to offer help to me when swapping tubes. I feel if you are out in the country people are more inclined to help than in built up areas or cities.

Last year after the Etape Du Dales I was driving back to the M6 to get home and noticed a couple of cyclists at the side of the road. I stopped and offered help but it took several attempts for the Yorkshire man to understand my guttural Scottish accent. :P

They had had several punctures due to a rip in the side wall of their tyre. I gave them my pretty well worn out front tyre to get home, fresh tube and pumped up with my track pump. I was embarrassed when the bloke got out his wallet and tried to give me money. Morale of the story is that enough of us cyclists help each other out then you might also benefit at some point - karma.

gethinceri

I rode the Evans Ride It Wales Sportive and encountered an entrant who was just remounting after his 2nd puncture, we rode together for a couple of miles then that sharp expellation sound indicated his 3rd puncture. without a 3rd tube or patches his day was fucked after 2/3 of the ride. I gave him one of my spare tubes and he offered me a fiver, I said "that's not what it's about mate" and rode on. I don't mean I'm John the Baptist but that is my attitude to those in need, if I can help I will.
Lo and behold, at the next feed station the mechanic forced a free Specialised inner on me as recompense after I'd told him the story (without me expecting nor asking for recompense).
This says as much about the Evans Ride It series as it does about "doing unto others......."
Hope I run into that rider from Cardiff Les Croupiers again, though, I could do with a free night in the casino!

de_sisti

On the Marmotte in 2011, a couple of Km before Alp d'huez, I gave an inner tube to a guy from Cardiff Ajax
who was in desparate need of one, as he told me this incident was his 4th puncture.

What I do hate though is when you're at the roadside fixing a puncture/mechanical and someone rides past at
speed say "are you alright?" By the time you've turned round to acknowledge them, they're way down the road.
What's the point of asking if someone's ok if you've not even bothered to slow down.

Mind you, as an audaxer I've normally got enough stuff to get me going again.

cat_with_no_tail

A couple of occasions spring to mind.

First was the time I mangled my rear wheel on the MTB. I had to walk the 2 miles back to the car along the road in the middle of nowhere dragging the bike behind me. Almost every car that passed in both directions stopped and asked if I was OK and if I needed a lift somewhere.

Second was when I broke my leg and ruined my knee. At the time I hadn't realized how bad it was, so I'd arranged for a mate to pick me up at the main road and run me home. As I was hobbling along (using the bike as a crutch) same story. A good half-dozen people stopped and offered assistance (in hindsight, I wish I'd accepted their offer, I'd probably have done less damage to my knee that way too).

I always stop myself too if people look like they could use a hand. I even stopped in a race once to help someone who had snapped a chain. It was clearly due to poor maintenance too as that was left of the chain and cassette was COVERED in black shlt. Took ages to mend, and she never even said thanks, just pottered off.

supermurph09

I think its just a decent thing to do. I was driving home and had my track pump in the car when I saw 3 cyclists at the road side using a mini pump. Pulled over let them use the track pump and off I went. Took 5 minutes of my time, probably made their ride more enjoyable.

Iamnot Wiggins

Jon_1976 wrote:

It's nice when you hear stories like this. Whilst out cycling, I've seen loads of cyclists doing maintenance and always ask if they need help. Whilst driving, I've only seen one stranded cyclist. I stopped and asked if he needed help, he thanked me but said he was ok.

On the flip side, and to prove karma doesn't exist. Whilst out on a ride, I had the chain jump off the biggest sprocket (due to a bent hanger) and trap itself between the spokes and cassette. Carrying the bike on my shoulder, I was passed by a million cars (including 3 police cars) and a few cyclists. None offered any help, the attitude round here is to laugh at people in the situation I was in
fark em

I didn't have a phone at the time, so had a 2 mile walk to the nearest phone box in road cleats with bike on shoulder. That was fun.
I

I once came off on ice & was passed by 2 cars and a walker whilst lying in the road, winded. Nobody stopped. They probably heard of my love for just laying on a road in the freezing weather after throwing my bike to the other side of the road. Just fuels my sheer contempt for humanity.

dilatory

"Today you, tomorrow me..."