Interesting social observation

chewa

....I think, at least.

Last week in France my wife was stranded at the side of the road with her road bike after a blowout wrecked her rear tyre. Only 3 miles from home so I rode back to pick up the car.

She told me that in the time I was gone 3 cars and EVERY cyclist who passed (admittedly only a few as it's very rural) stopped to check she was ok.

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road. I turned back to help and on the way back noticed a chain gang was passing her (an Edinburgh shop club).

When I reached her, they had passed and not one of the 20 odd riders had asked if she was ok!

Makes you proud.

The Rookie

I always stop and check.

I can understand why the chaingang didn't though, if one stops all have to stop and apart from the leader at the time most will be focused on the bike in front so intently they quite possibly didn't even see her until it was too late to say/do anything.

john1967

no need for anyone to stop and often help isn't required but a quick " are you ok mate" never goes amiss.

Garry H

chewa wrote:

....I think, at least.

Last week in France my wife was stranded at the side of the road with her road bike after a blowout wrecked her rear tyre. Only 3 miles from home so I rode back to pick up the car.

She told me that in the time I was gone 3 cars and EVERY cyclist who passed (admittedly only a few as it's very rural) stopped to check she was ok.

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road. I turned back to help and on the way back noticed a chain gang was passing her (an Edinburgh shop club).

When I reached her, they had passed and not one of the 20 odd riders had asked if she was ok!

Makes you proud.

Ronde by any chance? Too kool for skool that lot.

bernithebiker

Which part of France? Makes a difference.

awavey

but dont forget theres quite an awkwardness in the scenario where you are the lone female in the middle of nowhere, and a stranger who is a bloke happens to stop. if its groups I think its different though I wouldnt expect a chain gang to stop, they barely even wave half the time

Bobbinogs

I usually ask if all is ok on the way past but I am also aware that there are far too many riders out there who simply cannot be bothered to learn basic maintenance or carry the right spares and tools. I am not a mobile bike mechanic so I really don't feel that i should stop...but I am sometimes prepared to do so ☺

Man Of Lard

Was just headed along the valley today in the car. Guy walking like a ruptured duck with his bike, the way I was headed... Stopped & asked if he was needing any help... Turns out his chain was in several parts and he was phoneless and 8 miles from home (which I'd be passing anyway) - he was most delighted when I offered him a lift home & flashed out the towbar bike rack...

If I'm in the car, I'll always stop for a cyclist and check they're ok. If I'm on the bike I'll do the same (and if I can help, I'll help).

What goes around comes around.

redvee

If I see someone 'stranded' I'll slow and ask and have had similar in return from fellow cyclists in the past but also had a motorist do a u-turn and ask if I was OK when dealing with a late night PF visit, he said his son was a keen cyclist so knew the suffering I was going through. I didn't realise he turned around and stopped till I saw him drive away and make another u-turn to carry on in the direction he originally was going.

w00dster

Solo ride or club ride I'll always stop and ask. Chain gang afraid not. I know it's selfish but generally we have just over an hour, midweek so all just home from work, have an hours training to do for what is a pretty intense ride, my mind for this period of time is focused on me and my training.
I do agree it's selfish, but i' d expect the same treatment. If i got a mechanical on the chaingang ride i would deal with it myself, drop off the back and let them carry on.

chewa

Garry H wrote:

Ronde by any chance? Too kool for skool that lot.

Hmmmm, my lips are sealed It wasn't the fast group (At least I hope not as we were catching them after the chain issue) so I suspect someone peeling off to check on a "damsel in distress" would not have had too much trouble getting back on.

More the principle of the thing. I always ask.

In the last year or so I've come across a guy with all the gear who had a CO2 failure so just having a pump got him on the way. Similarly, a few years ago a woman sitting at side of road was having a hypo, help was on the way, but an energy gel was gratefully received. Even just having a working phone might be the difference between a long walk home or a lift.

Big part of enjoying cycling for me is interacting with the environment, and that includes my fellow road users - thanking motorists (or not) chatting with bikers at stop signs, saying good morning as pass dog walkers etc. I like cycling on my own but have met some really interesting folk while on the bike.

Shame that some folk are so insular.

jgsi

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road.

Big part of enjoying cycling for me is interacting with the environment, and that includes my fellow road users

You were riding at 'tourist' pace (interacting elsewhere obviously) and you didnt realise yer missus had gone awol?

If you feel ill equipped to deal with basic mechanicals at the roadside, you can get recovery insurance...... :roll:

jeremy1

JGSI wrote:

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road.

Big part of enjoying cycling for me is interacting with the environment, and that includes my fellow road users

You were riding at 'tourist' pace (interacting elsewhere obviously) and you didnt realise yer missus had gone awol?

If you feel ill equipped to deal with basic mechanicals at the roadside, you can get recovery insurance...... :roll:

I agree.

I wonder why people go walking in the mountains with inadequate clothing then rely on mountain rescue, or cycle unable to repair damage to tyres. I am NOT a seasoned cyclist (nice weather rider) but have almost everything needed to repair a problem

Also this C**P about "damsel in distress" women fought long and hard for womens lib then complain when they need help.

jeremy1

jeremy1 wrote:

JGSI wrote:

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road.

Big part of enjoying cycling for me is interacting with the environment, and that includes my fellow road users

You were riding at 'tourist' pace (interacting elsewhere obviously) and you didnt realise yer missus had gone awol?

If you feel ill equipped to deal with basic mechanicals at the roadside, you can get recovery insurance...... :roll:

I agree.

I wonder why people go walking in the mountains with inadequate clothing then rely on mountain rescue, or cycle unable to repair damage to tyres. I am NOT a seasoned cyclist (nice weather rider) but have almost everything needed to repair a problem

Also this rubbish about "damsel in distress" women fought long and hard for womens lib then complain when they need help. May I suggest that as a "couple" you carry what you need between you for repairs. even a spare tube takes up almost no room

As an example a year back I stopped to ask a caravanner with a flat if they needed help replacing the tyre on the van as I had a bottle jack, the comment amazed me, "we don't have a spare" I did make the appropriate comment before leaving, BE prepared don't moan if people don't stop

Garry H

chewa wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Ronde by any chance? Too kool for skool that lot.

Hmmmm, my lips are sealed It wasn't the fast group (At least I hope not as we were catching them after the chain issue)

Do they have a fast fast group? Never seen them if they do.

The Rookie

The only person I've asked who needed help was a solo female, chain off the outside of the cassette and jammed between it and frame.

Had to remove the wheel to free it, put it back together for her, the high stop was too far out, so suggested she didn't use the highest gear until she had it seen to.

Followed her for about 4 miles (a mile extra from when I would normally turn off) to the edge of town to make sure she was OK. Truly believe in what goes around comes around!

Man Of Lard

JGSI wrote:

If you feel ill equipped to deal with basic mechanicals at the roadside, you can get recovery insurance...... :roll:

Like a phone with the number of local taxi firms able/willing to carry a bike? (Probably cheaper & quicker than a recovery service too, even if you have to buy a phone to do it)

chewa

JGSI wrote:

This morning, she had a drivetrain problem and I didn't realise she had stopped until I was half mile up the road.

Big part of enjoying cycling for me is interacting with the environment, and that includes my fellow road users

You were riding at 'tourist' pace (interacting elsewhere obviously) and you didnt realise yer missus had gone awol?

If you feel ill equipped to deal with basic mechanicals at the roadside, you can get recovery insurance...... :roll:

jeremy1 wrote:

Also this rubbish about "damsel in distress" women fought long and hard for womens lib then complain when they need help. May I suggest that as a "couple" you carry what you need between you for repairs. even a spare tube takes up almost no room

On the tourers we'd be averaging 16 mph for our usual route, but at that point it's a narrowish coutry road and we were into the wind so we had singled out and she was "wheelsucking". I just hadn't realised she had dropped back. She didn't shout, because she can cope with pretty much any breakdown on a bike.

Not sure what you've both read into the original post so I don't understand the comment re mechanicals at the roadside.

We've both toured for years so have fixed pretty much everything at the side of the road. We had everything we needed (tubes, patches, pumps, multitool - both carry spare tubes/patches and pumps). There was never going to be an issue about getting the bike going. Only reason she had to be "recovered" by me in France was that the tyre was wrecked and we hadn't taken a spare tyre as we were never going to be more than 10-15 miles from home at any time.

Admittedly my "Damsel in distress" comment was tongue in cheek, I suspect my wife has better ability to repair stuff at the roadside than most, but my point was that I find it a bit depressing that a large group of riders can pass ANYONE standing beside a bike which has an obvious mechanical and can't find the time time ask if rider is ok?

keef66

I was faffing at the side of the road changing a tube yesterday in the glorious sunshine. Couple of cyclists slowed as they passed and asked if I was OK, which was nice. I always do the same.

Which reminds me, I must examine the offending tube. I noticed the tyre had a Park tyre boot patch covering a tiny cut in the sidewall. I'm now wondering if the edge of the tyre boot might have rubbed a hole in the tube...

Perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and replace the tyre...

Annoying because it's nearly new and the cut is tiny

slowbike

I could understand a chaingang not asking if the person at the side of the road is ok - however, I'd hope that if it looked like they were in actual distress (rather than just having issues with a mechanical) then they'd stop - it depends on location too - popular route with traffic = plenty of help around - country lane in the middle of nowhere - help may not approach for hours - so perhaps it's best to ask.

For my part - I would always offer assistance if I can - I'm no mobile mechanic - but the bare minimum I could do is call someone to come and pick them up - even if that means riding to get a signal.
<hero mode>Whilst driving - I've stopped and lent someone the stand pump, given another bloke with a flat a lift - putting an extra 4 miles on my journey. Whilst riding I've extracted 2 chains from where they shouldn't be</hero mode> and that's for strangers - not mates/club riders I'm with.

<prat mode>I've accepted assistance from another rider when I didn't have a spare tube and no mobile signal - I did ensure I got a new replacment to him</prat mode>

My wife has also accepted help from some club cyclists - despite being perfectly capable of changing a tube, she was heavily pregnant so it wasn't the most comfortable task to undertake at the roadside (I was elsewhere).

Asking if someone is ok is just a decent thing to do and you might just be grateful of someone doing the same for you one day.

timothyw

Mmm. Generally speaking if someone is at the side of the road I'll ask if they're OK, but there is a reckoning of whether they look 'competent' and so should have things in hand, and also whether they appear in distress.

From what you're describing, with you and your wife being experienced riders it's likely that she appeared competent and certainly in no distress, and I'm guessing you were fairly close to civilisation, so it'd be a bit of a hard call to bring a group of riders to a halt just to make absolutely sure...

Conversely, your wife standing at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a wheel off and blown out tire in hand, looking thoroughly fed up and waiting for a lift is more likely to attract the attention of passing traffic (although there is no getting round the fact that French people in general are much better at looking after cyclists)

If I were at the side of the road with a failed pump or I forgot to come out with some tyre levers I doubt I'd have any hesitation in flagging down another passing cyclist for assistance, and I've also interrupted my rides to help out newbie cyclists fix punctures (on one occasion we happened across a cyclist that literally had all the gear to do it... but no idea how, as her husband usually took care of them when they were riding.... we talked her through it!)

I did get caught out once, when I declined some assistance - I was on a brand new bike taking it on the commute for the first time, seatpost had slipped a bit so I was fettling it at the roadside. As luck would have it, one of my clubmates was driving past, asked if I needed any help - I sent him on his way as all should have been fine and dandy.

A minute later I remounted the bike and the seatpost collar split completely! Being unable to take the bike on the train in rush hour (and several miles from home), I ended up riding to work standing in the pedals the whole way... not much fun!

What was actually wrong with your wife's bike?

thomasmorris

If someones had a fall and is obviously in 'distress' then I would stop and see they were okay whether I was in a group ride or even in a race.

If I'm on my own and see someone has any mechanical I'll shout out and ask if they're okay. I'm happy to offer my own time up. Mostly just out of courtesy and have handed over a inner tube a couple of times.

The problem with offering to stop when you're in a group, is it's not just your own time you're 'offering'. There's 10+ other people who would have to stand around having their ride interrupted. So as long as the person stopped looks like they are 'getting on with things' I probably wouldn't offer from a group. It just seems very inefficient of everyone's time to have a big group stop as well. (Obviously if someone looked in distress or had a fall I'd stop no matter what).

Mostly you can tell if someone needs help; if they're working on it, bike up turned, then they probably have it sorted, but if they're stood there dejected, or walking with bike, then it's beyond them and an offer of help would be nice.

term1te

I do quite a lot of cycling in France, living on the boarder with Switzerland. I'm trying to remember the last time I saw anyone with a bike who needed assistance. There are no flints around here, and the roads are generally quite good, so punctures are not that common. Maybe it is so rare to see someone in need of assistance, that people stop out of curiosity?

That said, I did have a bit of a bike fail at a roundabout, (that steer tube broke) and several drivers stopped to see if I was OK, one lady offered me a lift home, and appologised for not having a tool kit with her. So maybe people are nicer as well?

Also, if you come across an accident, or someone injured, you are obliged to stop and help, it would be an offence to just cycle on by.

darkhairedlord

maybe she just said the "chaingangers" didn't stop....

thomasmorris

Term1te wrote:

Also, if you come across an accident, or someone injured, you are obliged to stop and help, it would be an offence to just cycle on by.

Really, an offence, as in legally wrong? I mean, most decent people would stop if they were first on scene, but surely there is no legal obligation to stop?

I thought it was only an offence if you are actually involved in the accident not to stop?

mellex

I always ask if the rider is ok or in need of assistance and I've stopped a fair few times as well.

Recently stopped to help a young-ish chap with a twisted chain. God knows how he got it into the state it was in but, he was going nowhere fast. Broke the chain, removed two links, inserted a new pin and reconnected the plates. Job done in no time and we were both on our way.

Like most people, I imagine there will be a day I'll need assistance.

svetty

thomasmorris wrote:

......Mostly you can tell if someone needs help; if they're working on it, bike up turned, then they probably have it sorted, but if they're stood there dejected, or walking with bike, then it's beyond them and an offer of help would be nice.

If they've turned the bike upside down there's no helping them, they are irredeemable

term1te

In France yes, it is the so called duty to rescue,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_to_rescue In Switzerland also you must help, unless so doing would put you in harms way. I can't remember the details, but someone was prosecuted a while back for not helping at an accident, I think they were expected to call the police as a minimum.

chewa

TimothyW wrote:

What was actually wrong with your wife's bike?

When she changed after climbing the hill, the chain over-rode the big ring and dropped. Not a huge issue, but it then got a bit wedged between the crank arm and the outer ring, so she had a struggle to free it.

I (or she) wouldn't expect them to stop, but a quick "Do you have everyhting you need?" might have been nice.

Just seemed a bit of a contrast with the way it happened in France. To be fair, we've always found other cyclists in Europe to be extremely helpful, either when stopped to look at maps (pre GPS) or fixing stuff at the side of the road.

Garry H

It's nice to be asked.

roger_merriman

Does depend on the location, and the person, TBH.