I’ve always been the first to stop and ask when i see somebody with their bike upside down next to the trail if they need any help but im starting to get fed up with people that come out unprepared. I mean the people that come out without even a pump on them expecting others to carry them. would it not be better trail etiquette to adopt the top gear style of waving them goodbye at the trailside so they learn to bring the minimum required tools and supplies. There could of course be exceptions, eg good looking females.

Karma.

Maybe I should ask what’s wrong and then if they say puncture just ride away. And only stop if its somthing more technical

Although while doing honk I did take one blokes wheel off him as watching him try and change his tube was painful
He did have all the stuff he needed at least

I always slow down at least and offer to help, only 1 person has ever accepted though (a trivial problem that was solved in 30s with a multi tool). Maybe if having to fix people’s bikes or be relieved of a spare tube, etc was a regular occurrence I wouldn’t bother!

Although while doing honk I did take one blokes wheel off him as watching him try and change his tube was painful
He did have all the stuff he needed at least

…apart from a wheel…. 😀

I get all conflicted on this, it’s probably because I’m a liberal pinko handwringer. Sometimes I just think “You should know better”. Like, if I meet a beginner with a flat, I’ll give them a tube and help them out. If I meet some ATGNI dude with a flat, maybe he’s not getting a tube.

Always offer to help, if someone needs something small and I have it, I’ll give it them. I’m on a mission to collect as many karma points as I can, you never know when you might to cash them in!

Never accept help either, unless I am in imminent and mortal danger, as a way of teaching myself to be better prepared.

a beginner with a flat,

some ATGNI dude with a flat

Sometimes they are one and the same though.

I’ll stop for anyone as I’m nice like that. I frequently go riding with no tools but then I accept that I’m walking home if I break something…

I’ll usually check they are ok or see what the problem is, if i can help I’ll offer it.
I broke a chain about four weeks ago and three guys coming down the trail behind me all stopped to help out finding the link, I ended up using my chain splitter and bodging the chain shorter but it was pretty decent of them to offer help.
I was just thinking the other night how nice it would be to just go out on the bike for an hour without any tools/pumps/water just me and the bike.. but i know that I’d be sure to end up breaking something.

I seem to get the job of fixing peoples bike on or off the trail!

My mate once asked how many gears he has! you see the problems I have……

I’d always help with what I can, but wouldn’t give a tube or anything like that as I only carry one.

What goes around, comes around.

AlasdairMc – Member

Sometimes they are one and the same though.

True that. Like I say, conflicted 😉

After all the help people have generously given me without being asked it’d be rude not to.

I’d always help with what I can, but wouldn’t give a tube or anything like that as I only carry one

You can always afford to give away a couple of Leeches though.

I think it’s wrong not to at least slow down and ask if people need a hand. If you’re genuinelly stuck feel free to shout up, if you think you have it under control just smile and wave me by. No problem.

always ask and stop if needed
Would probably give them a gentle talking to if they had not brought something obvious

Have needed help a few times when pumps have broken and other such unforseens

Once gave a roadie a lift for about 5 miles to the shop and lent him the money for a mech as he had none

We look after each other surely.

as for a tube depends how close to home I am but probably would donate one to a strange rand no brainer to a riding buddy [ we all carry two but have had bad days ]

I always slow down and ask if they are okay.

Always stop and help. Could be that the poor sod is onto his third or fourth puncture of the ride and is out of materials, or his patches aren’t working. Sometimes it’s something so simple – guy had borrowed a bike, didn’t know you had to unscrew the tip of a presta valve, so was pumping away to no avail.

It is satisfying turning a s*** ride back into a good one for someone – sorting out a rubbing brake caliper after some poor lass had pedalled up to the top of Grizedale Forest under maximum resistance…

Its more the deliberate not coming out with tools/pump because they are too heavy/bulky folk that annoy me. The genuinne newbs or complicated fixes are fine. I find it kind of disrespectful that somebody could think that its fine to put somebody else out because they just cant be bothered. I would never want to be an intentional bother to somebody so i carry the required gear. Of course you have to stop for everyone because you dont know what the problem is untill you have spoken with them!

We look after each other surely.

just because we both ride bikes, does not mean we’re friends.

You can always afford to give away a couple of Leeches though.

I wouldn’t mind a patch, but again comes down to if its my last one or two. Its not about cost its about me getting home, if two minutes later I found out that I’ve gone through the same glass/thorns/whatever I’d be pretty pissed off if i’d just given my only tube to someone else.

“got everything you need?”
recent gerber moments include using the needle nose pliers to tighten a cassette at the bottom of mynd batch and straightening alloy jockey wheels in the Berwyns. all good, and someone got to finish their ride.

Dicks- no pumps dad out with kicks and about £3ks worth of bikesa.
and “mate, you’re front QR is undone!” “yer i know”
too cool for school

I just give a “You okay?” if I see someone fettling, haven’t had to stop yet.

Got the same when I was fixing a puncture recently, but I was so he didn’t have to stop.

I helped a cycling tourist on the local canal trail with a busted chain. He was pushing his loaded bike back to town about 4 miles in the wrong direction.

He had a quick link but no chain tool. 10 mins with my multi tool, a nice chat and hands covered in oil and he’s on his way again in the right direction.

I found it very satisfying. Should I ever have the need hopefully someone will do the same for me….

Karma. +1

I’ve always offered help whenever I see such a problem, and almost always had a “thanks, I’m ok” reply.

commuting to work a few years ago I snapped my cheesemano chain, a passing rider offered to help, which I gratefully accepted. I had all the tools, including a chain breaker, but he was so quick I couldn’t stop him! It snapped three more times on that commute (granted it was 24 miles) so I did a lot (more than usual) of walking on the ups & coasting on the downs.
When I got home I bought a SRAM chain & it never snapped again…

My son (15 year old) flatly refused to take any sort of tools or tubes with him. Cost him a 6 mile walk home a few weeks ago and I don’t think he’ll make that mistake again!

I’ll always stop for someone who’s run into problems on the trails. But I’ve got fed up with stopping for commuters who have punctured and have nothing to aid themselves. I must pass 2 or 3 a week pushing their bikes with a flat!

i stopped and let a couple of guys borrow my multi-tool, a jockey wheel had siezed on a pretty new looking bike

i always wonder if he loosened the bolt a bit much and it fell out on their way home?

I’d help someone out if they wanted my help. I wouldn’t gve up a tube as I only carry the one.
I haz the skillz to fix stuff so why not help someone struggling. Show them the art of the knotted innertube as a bodge to get home.

Yeah and I try not to be too patronising about it.

I always carry a tools but cant remember the last time I used them on my own bike. Happy to fix others but was annoyed last time as I left my chain splitter at the side of the trail.

I’ve helped a few out, once rebuilt a chainset for some cycle tourists whoe’d got a chain jammed and started to take chainrings off to free it

on the other side, I normally don’t carry tyre levers as I take tyres off with my thumbs, got caught out when riding a borrowed bike with Stans rims and tyres so tight I couldn’t move them. Was very appeciative of the two groups who loaned me tyre levers to first remove then refit the tyre. Very annoyed with myself for subsequently forgetting to repack my brand new pump in my haste to get home having spent twenty minutes battling to get the puncture fixed 🙁

I experience reverse karma when helping people. I always do it where I can because I’m that kind of person. I’ve fixed chains, repaired tubes, provided tubes, put cranks back on, all sorts.

But if I do help someone, the best thing I can do then is head for home sharpish because absolutely guaranteed, I will suffer a mechanical before I get home. Every single time. I’ve snapped frames after reconnecting chains, snapped cranks after repairing punctures and broken wheels after lending a pump.

It’s like someone up there is having a good old laugh.

I sold a guy a quick link the other week in wyre forest, but I had offered it to him before I knew he had money to pay for it. I would have let him have it any way.

Yes it’s sensible to take tools/spares out with you and maybe they forgot to pick something up or lost it or were just trying to get away with not having to carry much, but I don’t think people are going out expecting other people to have stuff for them if they need it. I think most would just accept there is an issue and walk.

micky – Member
Its more the deliberate not coming out with tools/pump because they are too heavy/bulky folk that annoy me.

This is when I get stubborn and don’t like to help….although normally by the time you’ve stopped it’s too late to just carry on and leave people stranded.

A mate of mine I ride with is one of those people who will spend £350 on some new wheels, £80 on the latest colour helmet, £150 on the latest GPS widget but never has a tube with him. Or a pump. Or tyre levers.
But he can pinpoint our location to the nearest inch and is wearing this season’s colour……

Always. As I have, on occasion, headed off only to realise that I have left my tools in the car I assume that the other rider could be a dumb as me.

Usually carry 2 tubes, a patch covered “give away” and a new one for me, and a spare set of levers I can leave them with if it’s raining.

but I don’t think people are going out expecting other people to have stuff for them if they need it. I think most would just accept there is an issue and walk.

Yup, this. I love riding without a bag full of kit. I keep my bike in good working order so it’s rare that I need to fix stuff at the trail side. If something breaks I carry the bike back.

Even though I don’t carry much other than a 5mm wrench, twice his year I’ve helped riders fix their bikes using their tools. Always polite to slow and ask if they’re ok.

very rarely offer help. Have been taken for a ride too many times by the unprepared and the clueless

Alway ask if people are ok, mostly everyone is sorted

in the middle of the lakes some newbie guy had ripped his mech hanger off – one of the group had the correct hanger and sold him one, I changed it – good karma all round

sorted out a little group of kids bikes one day on the leeds liverpool canal not a tool between them but they were grateful to be able to get back home without having to call their parents

All good