Some time ago I gave away my spare to a random, shortly after I dinged a rim causing a terminal Burp and a long walk.
Not given one away to randoms since.

When I ride with others, they seem to carry the world and it’s shock pump so it’s not come up.

Make him sweat first. Ride on or something. Eventually hand spare tube over on condition it comes back if you need it. Insist on returned tube being better than given and rip piss whilst fitting and all evening afterwards. Show no mercy.

I’ll admit to being a lazy arse and carrying as little as I can on a ride, including no tube/pump/patches. But, I only do so when I’m prepared to push back or trundle down fireroads if I flat e.g. trail centre stuff. I wouldn’t expect anyone to hand me a tube, and accept that it could be game over for the day for the benefit of being unburdened.

If it’s into the wild beyond I’ll take all the necessaries, though. If it would be hours of walking and/or potentially dodgy weather then for me it’s worth the effort to pack a bag.

Met a bunch of 5-6 at Gisburn and one lad had a puncture. Not one of them had a tube or a puncture repair kit. They laughed about it.
I only had one tube so I patched the tube for them and pumped it up. Saw them back at the car park walking back as two of them had punctured. It’d just ruin a nice day out for me.

On the same ride I met another bloke helping someone at Whelpstone. I stopped (excuse for a break) and luckily had a 9 speed chain link in my bag, even though I’d stopped using 9 speed years earlier. They offered to replace it but I was happy to help.

People have helped me in similar situations and I’ll always try.

greigb – that’s almost exactly this guys attitude.

So if you’re out with some friends and you got a puncture, would you expect a tube / patch kit to be handed over?

Would it make a difference if your friends had already ribbed you and told you flat that you should carry a spare?

You see plenty of people out at trail centres who choose to carry nothing for the sake of being unencumbered, but I’ve never understood this myself as even a modest place can be > 1 hour’s walk back to the car which for the sake of a tube taped to the saddle and tools the size of a pack of playing cards in the back pocket, seems a little…errr, surprising to me.

Each to their own, I suppose.

I often find myself lending/giving away tubes etc.

If a mate made a habit of being supported by me I would let them walk a couple of times if it wasn’t that far back to the car and it wasn’t dark, wet or horrible out.

if he’s a mate, then offer to ‘lend’ him a tube, in exchange for the returnable deposit of his shorts.