Rescuing a stranded cyclist

macleod113

Went for a lunch time ride as I am working from home and 5 miles from home saw a chap on the pavement bent over examining his bike. so I slow down and ask if all is ok. he had a flat so I pulled over to see if can help.
he didn't have a tube, repair kit or even a pump.
I carry 2 tubes with me so I offered one and pump, levers and the offer of a blast of CO2 to finish it off.
his tyre was a bugger to put back on as he took the whole tyre off to examine it. took us 15 minutes between us but eventually we got it back on the rim using teamwork.
long story short he knows he must carry the basics with him and hopefully he will pass on the favour one day. i'll always stop to help when I think I can be of use even if it made me 15 minutes late back from my lunch break... so far the boss hasn't noticed

cougie

I fixed a flat for a guy the other week. New cyclist and he'd pumped his tyres up - but not undone the valve. So he flatted on a pothole. I'm not sure he wanted me to fix the flat as he'd already rang his girlfriend for rescue !

Last week I had a 'mare of a ride - lots of tyre problems - and not one cyclist asked if I was OK. (I was - but it's not hard to ask is it ? I know I always do).

Mikey23

I always ask and go out equipped. I kind of desperately hope that all is ok and im a bit rubbish with mechanicals. But you never know when the good karma might come around...

arran77

I don't necessarily do it for the good karma as I like to think I can look after myself (gets all Grant Mitchell :twisted: ) but I'd feel a bit of an arse if I just ignored someone and didn't at least offer any help

Tjgoodhew

I had a very good Samaritan stop and help me when i suffered my first ever flat. It was January, freezing cold and in the middle of nowhere as it always is.

I changed my tube but without realising and being a bit of a noob i had bought tubes with short valves and my pump couldnt make a seal to get any air in.

The guy that stopped tried with his pump with no joy so then gave me a tube with a longer valve and all was well. The OH was out so had nobody to call and was a good 12 miles from home so lucky he came by

I will always ask and stop if i see somebody on the side of the road - the majority of time they are fine but i have managed to assist a couple of times and always feel like iv done my bit for the cycling community

Joeblack

cougie wrote:

I fixed a flat for a guy the other week. New cyclist and he'd pumped his tyres up - but not undone the valve. So he flatted on a pothole. I'm not sure he wanted me to fix the flat as he'd already rang his girlfriend for rescue !

Last week I had a 'mare of a ride - lots of tyre problems - and not one cyclist asked if I was OK. (I was - but it's not hard to ask is it ? I know I always do).

Can I ask what you mean by this? is there something you should do after pumping up your tyres?

arran77

Joeblack wrote:

cougie wrote:

I fixed a flat for a guy the other week. New cyclist and he'd pumped his tyres up - but not undone the valve. So he flatted on a pothole. I'm not sure he wanted me to fix the flat as he'd already rang his girlfriend for rescue !

Last week I had a 'mare of a ride - lots of tyre problems - and not one cyclist asked if I was OK. (I was - but it's not hard to ask is it ? I know I always do).

Can I ask what you mean by this? is there something you should do after pumping up your tyres?

I would think if you could force the valve open by pumping up the tube without the valve open it would simply break the valve meaning the tube wouldn't hold any air?

BrandonA

MacLeod113 wrote:

Went for a lunch time ride as I am working from home and 5 miles from home saw a chap on the pavement bent over examining his bike. so I slow down and ask if all is ok. he had a flat so I pulled over to see if can help.
he didn't have a tube, repair kit or even a pump.
I carry 2 tubes with me so I offered one and pump, levers and the offer of a blast of CO2 to finish it off.
his tyre was a bugger to put back on as he took the whole tyre off to examine it. took us 15 minutes between us but eventually we got it back on the rim using teamwork.
long story short he knows he must carry the basics with him and hopefully he will pass on the favour one day. i'll always stop to help when I think I can be of use even if it made me 15 minutes late back from my lunch break... so far the boss hasn't noticed

I'd have stopped and offered technical assistance. If they are foolish enough not to take the proper equipment then I'm not going to give up mine though [as it costs me money and I might need them later into my ride].

On a club ride I should someone get multiple punctures then I would offer CO2 (more likely let them use my pump though) and/or tubes as I know these people and you'd always want someone to return the favour should you need it.

rickeverett

Having had only 1 puncture in 3 years I'm risking it every time now. :shock:

Find it a fag carting a pump around however I'm sure my luck will run out one day.

dilatory

rickeverett wrote:

Having had only 1 puncture in 3 years I'm risking it every time now. :shock:

Find it a fag carting a pump around however I'm sure my luck will run out one day.

How is it any effort? A Topeak Micro Pump is the dogs danglies. It'll fit in a jersey pocket without even poking out. There's no excuse really.

davidof

A friend of mine and I stopped for a Scotsman in France. He had a faulty spare tube and there was something wrong with the tires he'd bought before setting out from Edingbourgh in Scotland which meant it took us 45 minutes to sought out his tire. We then cycled with him to my friends house where he had lunch and got three other tubes before heading on hsi way to Nice.

It changed his opinion of the English - although I've not been to England for 20 years myself!

dilatory

I bet you calling a Scotsman English changed his opinion of the French too! Surprised you got out alive, let alone with 3 tubes.

Wigster

Helped a guy on the weekend who had a flat on his new bianchi. I like the general community us cyclists have, even if I'm pretty surprised at the total lack of spare tubes or even patches that people seem to negate carrying.

cyclingsheep

I stopped to help out two guys. Gave them a tube, they took my number and a week later they'd sent me a new tube. I know this doesn't happen often but was happy it did.

chippyk

I recall 30 odd years ago finding a cyclist at the side of the road, he'd cycled from Kippax to Scarborough and back but collapsed 10 or so miles from home in a rural area with dark coming on. IIRC we gave him my bar of chocolate and called the police to take him home in a mini van. Never forget that.

Dippydog2

MacLeod113 wrote:

Went for a lunch time ride as I am working from home and 5 miles from home saw a chap on the pavement bent over examining his bike. so I slow down and ask if all is ok. he had a flat so I pulled over to see if can help.
he didn't have a tube, repair kit or even a pump.
I carry 2 tubes with me so I offered one and pump, levers and the offer of a blast of CO2 to finish it off.
his tyre was a bugger to put back on as he took the whole tyre off to examine it. took us 15 minutes between us but eventually we got it back on the rim using teamwork.
long story short he knows he must carry the basics with him and hopefully he will pass on the favour one day. i'll always stop to help when I think I can be of use even if it made me 15 minutes late back from my lunch break... so far the boss hasn't noticed

Well done.
You did the right thing.
Nuff said.

herb71

I seem to find myself helping people all the time. I live in a village at the junction of a couple of popular cycling routes. I often see people who have managed to limp to the village, probably to make it easy to be found / collected by car. My help is not always wanted though, I think some people have had enough and prefer to wait for a lift.

peat

I make the empty gesture of "You alright? Got everything you need?" If I see someone tinkering at the roadside. Thankfully no-one has taken me up on it for me to demonstrate my lack of technical prowess.

I do appreciate the gesture in return if I'm fixing something. Pay it forward and all that!

cougie

Gulf - sorry I wasnt very clear.

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

(i always do the nut up after pumping tyres up - not actually sure if it makes a difference - but I'm sure its the sensible thing to do)

drlodge

cougie wrote:

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

He must be a right numpty. Its pretty bl**dy obvious if the pump doesn't squeeze air into the tube!

I agree its good to ask people if they're alright/have everything they need, but I do question why people would go out unprepared i.e. without a spare inner tube or a pump. Its just asking for trouble.

I think there's a difference between helping people who clearly need help, and helping those are are frankly just plain stupid. I'd be very reluctant to offer one of my £10 inner tubes to someone who hadn't bothered to be prepared, I'd be more inclined to help them call someone to come out to them.

gaz047

I'll always ask if a stranded rider needs help. Sorted out a guy with a flat the other month. He had a tube but didn't bring pump/co2. I only had a co2 so donated it. He was very grateful and I felt good for helping, but with hindsight I'd probably help him call someone (as Drlodge says) instead, as I didn't have another if I needed it later.
It's good to help, but some could do with helping themselves

gimpl

drlodge wrote:

cougie wrote:

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

He must be a right numpty. Its pretty bl**dy obvious if the pump doesn't squeeze air into the tube!

I must be a numpty as well then, along with a few other people I know. Having never used a Presta valve before I had no idea you needed to unscrew part of the valve first before pumping. I will admit I was pretty embarrassed when I realised :oops: weeks later ! Equally ham fisted was my first attempt at a roadside tube change - you live and learn

drlodge

Gimpl wrote:

I must be a numpty as well then, along with a few other people I know. Having never used a Presta valve before I had no idea you needed to unscrew part of the valve first before pumping. I will admit I was pretty embarrassed when I realised :oops: weeks later ! Equally ham fisted was my first attempt at a roadside tube change - you live and learn

Er, well yes I guess so :oops: but not as big a numpty as a friend of mine that I went cycling with. We both hit a manhole cover and he punctured on both wheels, pinch flats. When I asked when he last pumped his tyres up, he said the shop did that...which was when his bike last got serviced about 3 months ago!!!

Old_Timer

I always stop and offer a cyclist help in any way possible, even when I am driving (I'll help a motorist, too.) Comes from my days riding dirt bikes and racing, the old guys always taught us that you stop and offer what you can as far as parts and advice, even a tow line in. Do it and don't ask anything or accept payment for the help. It goes around, and the woods or desert get really cold, dark and lonely after dark. Most motocross tracks here are miles from anywhere and sitting there for lack of a part someone has seems rather selfish to me .

Someday I might well be the one sitting needing something and its good to know it may be someone I helped previously. And,its satisfying to know the few things in my seat bag could get us home in a pinch.

marshall_a

I always ask and heartened by the number of ppl that ask myself if kerbside. I did help out a newbie at weekend, shop had sold him a high vol pump rather than High pressure with a fixed head, so had ripped the valve head off trying to get a decent pressure in. I usually only ever ride with a good tube so any with p*tures get fixed and are concined to spares, which I carry x 2 with Co2 & patches, so don't mind giving 1 away as it were.

chris_bass

drlodge wrote:

cougie wrote:

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

He must be a right numpty. Its pretty bl**dy obvious if the pump doesn't squeeze air into the tube!

+1

surely he would have not had any air in the tyres at all in that case?

Phil_D

Chris Bass wrote:

drlodge wrote:

cougie wrote:

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

He must be a right numpty. Its pretty bl**dy obvious if the pump doesn't squeeze air into the tube!

+1

surely he would have not had any air in the tyres at all in that case?

How did he manage to ride to a pothole before noticing?

navrig2

Phil_D wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

drlodge wrote:

cougie wrote:

He thought he'd pumped his tyres up - but as he hadnt undone the nut on the valve - no air had gone in. So the pressure in the tyre was a lot lower than the track pump was reading.

He must be a right numpty. Its pretty bl**dy obvious if the pump doesn't squeeze air into the tube!

+1

surely he would have not had any air in the tyres at all in that case?

How did he manage to ride to a pothole before noticing?

If he is that much of a numpty/newbie he probably doesn't know the difference in feel between 70psi and 100psi. Presumably the tubes and valves were secure enough to stay reasonably firm but gradually lost air to the point where a decent pothole cause a pinch flat.

Twice recently I've helped friends of my wife who have had very soft tyres and when asked when they last pumped up the tyres the answer was "I don't". In one instance the tyres were flat and they had assumed they had a puncture. I offered to fix and I went as far as taking out the tubes, inflating and dipping in water. No leaks. When I enquired when she last cycled it turned out to be months and months ago. She asked how often I check my tyre pressure and when I said every ride she said "I better buy a pump then"!!!

pinarellokid

i once had a nightmare ride, got a deep cut in my tyre causing a flat,
set off again on my 20 mile return to find tyre was bulging and threads of tyre could be seen, before i got home id used my 2 tubes and my mates 2, i was on my last tube and having to stop every mile to put pressure back in it, i still have nightmares about it, always carry 2 tubes and a tyre boot now, and patches, i always ask if help is needed, id give 1 of my tubew away to get someone going but not the second, i may need it myself.

macleod113

[/quote]I think there's a difference between helping people who clearly need help, and helping those are are frankly just plain stupid. I'd be very reluctant to offer one of my £10 inner tubes to someone who hadn't bothered to be prepared, I'd be more inclined to help them call someone to come out to them.[/quote]

Ouch! £10 tubes? I feel a right cheapskate now getting 2 for a fiver at Decathlon or 4 for a tenner at Leisure lakes :-)

drlodge

MacLeod113 wrote:

Ouch! £10 tubes? I feel a right cheapskate now getting 2 for a fiver at Decathlon or 4 for a tenner at Leisure lakes :-)

They're Continental Supersonic, very thin and weigh just 50g. Nothing wrong with "normal" tubes, I'd just rather spend a little more for the weight saving at the rim, and the better quality ride.