FWIW it’s worth, I’d have stopped and I always offer assistance!

I always at least slow down and ask people if they’re ok. I have very rarely been asked the same though, only a handful of times out of the probably hundreds of cyclists passing me over the years when fixing a puncture or mechanical. I get the impression though that the vast majority don’t carry spares/tools or have ever even fixed a puncture themselves before.

I deflate my tyres intentionally and wait at the trailside for do-gooders to come along and give me their spare tubes.
I then sell them on ebay.

I drove past a lady who was pushing her road bike along a back road near here last week. Thinking she might have a problem I stopped and asked her to which she happily replied “yes I’m completely f***ed!”

Didn’t know how to assist with that one! 🙂

I’d have stopped to ask if you were ok.

I’d respectfully ask all these **** on their high horses to keep off the cycle paths. 🙄 😛

spotty white knees

Bit prejudicial of you that intit yunks. There’s no place for prejudice on here, etc…

AND you said “a couple of miles” but meant 15, a couple is 2 (or thereabouts). But if it was 15 then you’re a bigger nugget than I first thought.

Give the man a star.

There was a guy who had a chain snap on a cheap hybrid as he pulled away at a junction in front of me. He looked so dejected at this and when I asked how far he had to travel he said he was on his way from work and still had five miles to go. So I put a speed link in his chain for him. He was grateful but looked a bit bewildered that this was even possible.

Do you think I should have made him pledge me his firstborn?

If someone was off and pushing and/or obviously had a problem, I would stop. Thing is, you run the risk of implying they are an idiot, a numpty, who as said above, can’t even put a chain on or who goes out unprepared.
I’ve taken offence when others have pounced on me, just because I’ve stopped and put my foot down, I often wonder if some of the over eager go out in the hope of ‘rescuing’ someone, to satisfy their crutch of cyclist superiority.
once, I was laid in the grass by the canal, enjoying the sunshine and a can of pop. This old boy rolls up, jumps off his bike, “right, what’s the problem? puncture?, not brought any tools, eh?”. “er…NO, I’m enjoying a can of pop, the sunshine and some peace and quiet!, (now **** off)”.

Yep, you’re right. If there’s anybody worse than people who don’t want to help, it’s those who do. The utter bastards.

Must have been roadies..in my experience always rude and focussed on the average speed and cadence! Such boring a**e holes!

Then theres the roadies in London who ignore traffic lights & pedestrian crossings, I just step in front of them and shout now to scare them, one day one will get so close I can push them of!

But if it was 15 then you’re a bigger nugget than I first thought.

you don’t read too good innums bey..? 😆

I never bother taking a tube or levers with me as I find them uncomfy in my jersey pockets.

You’ve just got to use your initiative – last time I got a puncture 15 miles from home, I managed to wave down a passing cyclist. Had a quick chat/stern word with him about the cycling brotherhood, and eventually persuaded him to hand over his inner tube and lend me his tyre levers.

Managed to change the tube in about 10 minutes whilst he just stood about looking awkward! He wouldnt tell me where he lived either, so I couldnt drop a spare tube round. He seemed a bit of a weirdo really, but I shook his hand and off I went. Not sure how he got home without his tube, think he said he was going to phone his son to come and pick him up.

must agree that there is something in what Banana ^^^ says but as a rule, I would at least slow down & ask if you were okay.

& yep hands up to being a bit over zealous in the helpfulness dept, but as the past & present owner of aging italian motorcycles I know from experience that it is nice when people at least stop & inquire rather than just riding on by

Perhaps you had your tats on display ?

It will indeed be a sad day when DT stops posting on here 🙂

zilog6128 – Member
Yep, you’re right. If there’s anybody worse than people who don’t want to help, it’s those who do. The utter bastards.

😀

about a year ago i was working around oxford, when i came across a chap pumping up his roadie tyre with a hand pump, he looked quite shocked when i pulled up in my white van and handed him a track pump.

but back on topic,you really should be prepared to fix a puncture especially if your out with children.

But what kind of lesson are you teaching your kids here? Phone mummy to come and get you when things get a bit difficult rather than be self-sufficient?

I’ve seen your mugshot on here yunki, you look a bit scary tbh…On that basis I would deffo have avoided eye contact, dropped a couple gears and mashed my way into the horizon 😉 😀

But, in a sense, this reduction of “cycling community spirit” can be seen as a positive.

+1.

Why would anyone give special help to someone who happens to do the same sport as them? Fellowship of humanity would be better 🙂

I’ve been offered help by non-cyclists and also offered help to non cyclists and cyclists when in a car, or walking, or just generally.

In short, let’s all just be nice 🙂

It takes seconds to ask if someone needs help,who cares if they are a newbie or badly prepared .

Random acts of kindness and all that.

I punctured on the way hope last night (must have been that last kerb hop), and one person stopped and offered a patch. I was fitting my spare tube so it wasn’t needed but the other 5 gazzillion cyclists who passed me couldn’t have known!

I always stop and have had help twice myself with mechanicals

one bloke – commuter going the opposite direction from me when i was 8 miles from home wanted me to remove both his wheels give him both my spares tubes and then pump up his tyres.
he seemed shocked when i declined.
I offered to sell them as i could pick up some from merlin about a mile away he told me I was taking the piss
i told him they fixed punctures at £10 a time and dont do callout and then left.Gave someone a 10 mile lift once in my car and then paid for a new mech as he had no money ..he sent me the money next week and a tenner to say thanks

I once stopped to help a young lad on a road bike who was with an even younger lass, mebbe 14-15. They were on a group ride with some ‘adults’ & his rear mech had turned to separate bits so I shortened his chain & made him SS at the back. I wouldn’t expect youngsters to have the knowledge & tools to cope with that usually. I was more astounded at the rest of the group that had vanished ahead.
I can imagine the tale later, ‘My shiny road bike broke & a mountain biker fixed it for me’ 🙂
I always ask if anyone needs assistance.

Thanks to developments in technology / the bike industry expoiting cyclists* (delete as applicable) the sharing of tubes out on the trails is getting a bit harder these days. Do you need a spare tube? Sure, you can have mine. Ahh, your wheels are a different diameter, never mind.

I drove past Ed Oxley the other week, on Long Causeway.

He was stopped at the side of the road with another cyclist, but not obviously in trouble.
I turned round and went back, just to see if they needed help, but they’d both started riding, so I kept going without stopping.

Given the fact that I once knocked on his door by mistake when going to a client’s house (it was the house next door), I’m a bit worried that he thinks I’m stalking him. 😐

*shakes head sadly at Shibboleth*

I always stop and ask. It is simply the right thing to do, irrespective of whether you think they were ill-prepared or not.

I remember helping one guy (decent bike, far from home) that had a puncture, and a little repair kit, but he didn’t have the foggiest how to use it 😕

To be fair, even if he had that secretive and arcane knowledge, he would have been rather hampered by the fact that he had no glue in his kit. Or a pump. 😆

Cycling to work one morning a cyclist in front of me decided to cycle off the pavement onto the road. I was on the road about 20m behind him. He was looking over his shoulder as he did it – he then fell off in a bit of a heap on the road. I stopped to ask if he was ok and positioned myself to shield him a bit from the traffic. His reply was for me to ‘F*ck right off’. Charming. Kind of put me off assisting others. I guess he was embarassed but even so.

Riding on my own in Ae a few years ago, I spotted a couple at the side of the trail, so slowed down and asked if everything was okay.

Him: “We’re fine, thanks”
Her: “No we’re ****ing not”

Not sure what had gone on, but she looked ready to kill him.

I didn’t stop.

I always stop and ask. It is simply the right thing to do, irrespective of whether you think they were ill-prepared or not.

I second that. I stopped to help a young lad the other day; his chain had fallen off because his rear mech cable had gone and the limit stop screws were too far out. This was on a busy canal path, and loads of cyclists were out. He was really grateful, and amazed anyone had stopped at all. He’d been there for over half an our apparently, obviously struggling. Took 5 minutes to sort him out, and he rode off happy.

I just find it a bit sad that no-one else had bothered to stop to see if he was ok. Maybe they were all like Shibboleth.

Or maybe it was because the lad was black.

you don’t read too good innums bey..?

It’s your medication time again i see…

Soooo then the burning question is why didn’t you take the means to perform the most basic of repairs?

If you use a public toilet and there’s no toilet-paper do you shout out for someone to come wipe your arse?

I always stop and ask. Have given many a tube away or helped out. I also stop sometimes if out driving and once gave a chap a lift home(Bike racks are always on the roof) who was in mechanical difficulty as it was getting dark.

Saw a larger gentleman pushing a BSO along the path the other day, looking rather red in the face.

I slowed and offered my standard question in this circumstance:

“Do you need any help or are you just knackered?”

He says: “I’ve just got a puncture”

Me: *stops* “Okay, do you need a patch or a tube?”

Him: “Got one thanks. But my grandson has the pump” *vaguely motions up the trail where I haven’t passed anyone for miles*

Me: “Well I’ve got a pump here…” (slowly realising that his tyres look absolutely fine)

Him: “Erm.. no, you’re umm.. alright.. I’ll uhh.. just walk… thanks..”

Me: “okaaay then”, *thinking, you could have just said “Knackered” mate 😀

I guess it depends if it was obvious you had a puncture/mechanical. If I see someone stopped and faffing with the bike or it’s upside etc. I’ll always ask if they’re OK. But if I just saw someone pushing a bike with kids in tow and didn’t notice the puncture I’d probably just assume the guy was walking for a bit of a rest.

Thats sad to hear. I had the complete opposite experience in Northumberland, while on Holiday. On a “Quick” road ride I got a puncture, went to repair it and both my (Naff) levers broke. Next cyclist passing immediately stopped to help not even knowing that my levers had broken. If he hadn’t I would have had a long journey home.

Thanks to you mystery Geordie helpful bloke.

Did the OP look like he needed assistance, or would he have just looked like a bloke out with the kids pushing his bike and trailer along because maybe it was too heavy?

I pass loads of people pushing bikes, but I don’t always look for flat tyres. Generally its quite hard to see those details at the kind of speeds that I’m hitting 😯

Riding round Tatton Park a few months ago, I saw a guy pushing an SS CX bike, stopped to ask if he was OK.
He had a puncture and although he had a tube, pump etc, he’d left his allen keys at home so he had no way of removing the wheel. He said he’d been fixing his kids bikes and forgotten to put them back in his bag. I leant him my multitool and helped him fix the puncture. He said I was the only rider out of about a dozen who’d passed him to stop and offer assistance.

I’m happy to do that but I would draw the line at giving away my only tube.

A mate once made up a big cardboard sign which he carried on his night lap at Mayhem, it said “I’m fine, I’m just sleeping, please leave me alone”. He explained that he’d tried stopping for a powernap during his previous nightlap but every other rider had stopped, shaken him awake and asked if he was OK – presumably thinking he’d crashed and knocked himself out cold!

patriotpro – Member

It’s your medication time again i see…

Soooo then the burning question is why didn’t you take the means to perform the most basic of repairs?

If you use a public toilet and there’s no toilet-paper do you shout out for someone to come wipe your arse?

gaaaaah, what is it with people not reading posts before commenting!

In summary:

> Yunki was out for ride with his littlun’
> Yunki unfortunately punctured while still several miles fromhome.
> Yunki WAS equipped with tube and pump but being some way from home, with a deadline and hungry/tired mini-Yunkis, he decided to ring his other half for assistance.
> While pushing bike to his chosen extraction point he was bemused by the number of other cyclists who passed him by without offering assistance or checking he was OK.

I would have offered help, as would most of the other riders I know, it’s just the done thing and basic kindness.

Lost count of the amount of times I’ve helped an unfortunate out with a mechanical over the years, rarely need it myself but would hope if I did someone would offer.

FWIW I always stop and ask too.

I always stop to see if people are ok. It is indeed the right thing to do. I carry spares and tools and have the skill to sort myself out but it’s still very nice to have the moral support of someone stopping.

Can Shibboleth please post a picture of himself? Then I will know not to stop and help him if I ever see him in trouble. Of course, I have tattoos, so he probably wouldn’t accept my help anyway 🙂