In yesterdays foul weather a group of us were off roading and happened to be on a road when we saw a road rider in trouble. Walking as he was unable to ride due to having 3 punctures and getting really cold. One rider had stopped but there were hundreds that didn’t.

We lent him 2 jackets and got him in a space blanket and fed him what we had as he was in a bad way. Sent someone down to the next checkpoint to tell them there was a problem, we also went off to get our van to get him in somewhere warm,
Point is – Why don’t road riders seem to look after each other like MTB riders do? (we were even asked by a passing MTB rider if we were OK but no road rider did)

Also may be wise to look at the forecast before you ride as all it takes is a mechanicalk to get you in trouble in weather like that, dressed in lycra and a showerproof top

Still hopefully we will get our jackets back!

They were all probably chasing a gold medal time.

Probably because the unprepared will expect the broom wagon to be along at any moment. MTBers don’t have that luxury so we have to look after ourselves.

That said, it’s the old “taking responsibility for your own actions” chestnut again isn’t it? No doubt said rider will be having a moan at the organisers for not providing more broom wagons, scattering thorns on the road, making it rain, etc., etc.

I think Darwin wrote something or other.

Point is – Why don’t road riders seem to look after each other like MTB riders do? (we were even asked by a passing MTB rider if we were OK but no road rider did)

The last time I had a (minor) mechanical on a road ride, one rider stopped and offered help and two others rolled by asking if I was ok.

The last two occasions I have appeared to be needing help on a mountain bike ride (one pretty major mechanical and one off, where I was lying at the trail side!) I have had several riders pass me without comment.

I wouldn’t judge one discipline to be more helpful than another, I’d suggest it is down to individual rider attitude. A sportive in bad weather isn’t really a good example either, most riders will have their head down focusing on surviving the weather in a fairly respectable time. Not noticing and not caring are two different things.

Maybe in a sportive there’s a sense that it’s the “organizer’s” responsibility to help out? Fair play to you and you mates – hope the chap was none the worse.

Seems that Everest rules apply to bad weather sportives 😕

It is surprising how under prepared some riders are though (road and mtb, aren’t most riders both anyway?) Had to lend someone a tube the other day on a dark wet group road ride. Rather surprised they’d come out without any means of fixing a puncture. And when I say lend, it turns out I actually meant give. A 10 quid tube and there was no offer of any sort of compensation. I know it’s karma and all that, but the number tubes I’ve handed out over the years far exceeds the number I’ve received (which is one I think.) Ho hum.

Jeesus how wet did you get?!

this is why you shouldn’t ride in the rain.

this is why you shouldn’t ride in the rain.

It’s why Jesus invented cars.

In yesterdays foul weather a group of us were off roading and happened to be on a road when we saw a road rider in trouble. Walking as he was unable to ride due to having 3 punctures and getting really cold. One rider had stopped but there were hundreds that didn’t.

I’d hazard a guess that most people were probably on the verge of hypothermia themselves or simply assumed he was walking up a hill. Bit of a difficult call
– do you stop, give out your last tube, risk getting hypothermia yourself but help out a fellow rider in distress?
– do you crack on knowing that you’re on the limit of what you can cope with, you’ve only got one tube and can’t do much to help?

Three punctures is unlucky though, not sure many riders carry that number of tubes? I’ve got two tubes plus a pack of those glueless Park patches but I’m guessing they’d be bloody useless in the rain.

That said, some riders really don’t help themselves at all – I was a chaperone on a guided ride last year and one guy turned up to it (multi-day event covering all sorts of terrain and weather conditions) with no waterproof – not even a basic jacket. He said “oh I didn’t think I’d need one cos it’s a guided ride”

WTF? Guided yes. I’m not going to hold a sodding umbrella for you though!

simply assumed he was walking up a hill.

He was walking down hill! which is why I asked if he was OK
Fair point regarding organisers should help and yes once they knew there was a problem the had a medic there pretty quickly, but with hypothermia it doesn’t take long to get serious

although she turned up in a car marked medic, and had a jacket stating she was a nurse, but had to ask us where we were, and get onto her radio to ask for a thermometer to be sent as she didn’t have one! not sure what kind of medical kit she had in the car????? 😕

– do you stop, give out your last tube, risk getting hypothermia yourself but help out a fellow rider in distress?
– do you crack on knowing that you’re on the limit of what you can cope with, you’ve only got one tube and can’t do much to help?

In the death-zone, rescue is impossible..

: )

– do you stop, give out your last tube, risk getting hypothermia yourself but help out a fellow rider in distress?
– do you crack on knowing that you’re on the limit of what you can cope with, you’ve only got one tube and can’t do much to help?

Or tell the guy at the next checkpoint perhaps, no one did it seems

He had fixed his puncture I think, he was walking as he couldn’t ride anymore

 A 10 quid tube

WTF 😯

although she turned up in a car marked medic, and had a jacket stating she was a nurse, but had to ask us where we were, and get onto her radio to ask for a thermometer to be sent as she didn’t have one! not sure what kind of medical kit she had in the car?????

She’ll have been some sort of “first aid for hire”, probably not local so won’t have known the area.
Not sure why she’d need a thermometer: it’s pouring with rain, cold = get him warm again surely?

Or tell the guy at the next checkpoint perhaps, no one did it seems

I’ve done that before on off-road Sportives (the Merida 100). I couldn’t do anything to help the guy (knackered bike) but they sent a guy on a quad bike back up the trail to rescue him.

I blame STRAVA.

A 10 quid tube

Pardon?

A 10 quid tube

Lol I wondered that too!

A 10 quid tube

Lol I wondered that too!

Well yes, a bit extravagant for a tube. Special light weight one 🙂

Edit: Ah having checked it was actually an 8 quid tube, a Conti Race 28 Light.

🙂

I’ve been out with local bunch of riders, Sunday morning poodle. They’ve been laden pretty lightly, had a laugh at my backpack, I explained it had waterproof, tube, pump, chain splitter.

“chain splitter – never carry that” they said. “If we have stuff that difficult to fix, Gordon’s always got the kit and he does it”

Me: “Which ones is Gordon?”
Them: Ah, he’s not here today”

that’s them booggered then.

See that a lot on group rides… people just assume that someone else will have the stuff they need to sort out any problems.

I once rode without a chain splitter, you can guess what happened!
Long scoot home……

Once trail riding on motorbikes in the dales and a lad cut himself changing a tube. Out of seven riders only one had a first aid kit. Your doing something relatively dangerous 🙄 And don’t get me on people who turn up with no map expecting follow my leader. What if your leader gets hurt?

Why don’t road riders seem to look after each other like MTB riders do?

Tar us all with the brush, eh?

Fwiw, nearly all the roadies I know would ask if someone was ok as we past them, stopping and trying to help if needed.

In fact, I did a sportive last summer, stopped at the 90 mile mark and gave a lad a tube and a gas canister. He, like the bloke above had gone through all his tubes, 2 or 3 I think and was a bit stuck.

One the Fred Whitton earlier on this year the last half was very grim weather wise. Despite being well equipped for it it was still very wet and cold and I wouldn’t of wanted to be stopping to help anyone, being on the limit as it was. Not to say I wouldn’t of, but it wouldnt of been pleasant.

Tar us all with the brush, eh?

Not just my experience, an organiser that turned up was of the same opinion as he rides both road and MTB

Of course there are plenty of exceptions in both sports but it does seem to be more common in road riding

FWIW I very rarely get anyone stopping or slowing down of any sort if I’ve stopped to mend a puncture, admire the view, spew my guts up (especially if it’s a Sunday morning hangover ride…).

That said, I do a) tend to look like I know what I’m doing and b) tend to look like I might stab them in the head at the slightest provocation, so I guess it’s justified…

Sportive you say, well they’re races by any other name so all the Riders were racing I betcha..
As for what I would have done, I’d shouted “need help?” then tried to help out depending what type of help..
Then rode to the next checkpoint and let them know whats happening down the road..
Then head down, arse in the air Race time again.. 😆

Sportive you say, well they’re races by any other name so all the Riders were racing I betcha..

I know you got a medal but really that doesn’t make it a race 🙂

I don’t know where all the rest of you are riding, but here in the North-East (of England), I can’t take a breather at the top of a hill without 20 roadies/MTBers stopping to ask how I am!

The last time I had to fix a puncture on a road ride, it took twice as long as it should’ve done because people were forever trying to lend assistance. One guy in a car with a roof rack (no bikes on it) even drove past me, made a U-turn and drove back to check I didn’t need a lift anywhere.

Bloody friendly Geordies…
😉 😆

Why don’t road riders seem to look after each other like MTB riders do?

They do if they are in a club or regularly ride with ‘club’ people or an extended group. Sportive riders on the other hand are often not schooled in the club ethos.
‘Sportive’ riders tend to think its a race when it obviously isn’t seeing as you don’t have a mass start and you have pee breaks and food stops and stop for traffic.

Rode the puffer a few years ago and the racing snakes wearing green from a lake district town. Rode in lucrative with no visible extra clothing kit or first aid kit contrary to the rules. They even got annoyed when I had the temerity to explode my rear mech infront of one of them.

I see it a lot on the commute in london, riders pulled to the side bike upside down or hands covered in oil, it doesnt cost anything to shout over and ask ‘you alright mate’… yet tens of people on bikes usually just ride past, head down. I will always shout and ask as I’ve been in a situation where I miss a sharp edge protruding from the rim and end up with all inner tubes slashed and unpatchable and a ten mile walk or fight with commuters on a train and oily bike. Cyclist ‘should’ stick together and help.

I would also say that roadies are often ill prepared compared to mountain bikers, its one thing to be stuck on a road with cars versus on a bridleway miles from help. As such mtb-ers are, I think usually better equiped.

Why don’t road riders seem to look after each other like MTB riders do?

I find solo / small groups of roadies generally ask if all’s ok when I stop to fix a flat and I do the same. And that’s in the South )
Can’t make a comparison with MTBers though, my MTB’s tubeless.

What is all this prepared stuff, beyond the odd puncture bikes tend not to go wrong! I can only assume people don’t actually do any maintenance on their bike as the only reason why they feel the need to carry a full workshop on every ride.

As for cycling being dangerous, it is only dangerous if you make it so! No more risk than going for a walk.

Did a sportive with my mate and he said morning to another rider who came past. He proceeded to look like he had asked to shag his wife and nearly fell off. Some were ok but quite a lot seemed to take themselves and time very seriously.

I was out yesterday, raining cats and dogs.

Went past a guy pushing the other way on the pavement with a flat.

Sorry, I had a tube, but I wasn’t giving it to him because I only had 1, chance of puncture in the rain is higher, and I didn’t want to be him.

I hang my head in it’s selfish shame.

If I had >1 tube, or if I was on my MTB (tubeless), or maybe if it was a nice sunny day, I would have.

What is all this prepared stuff, beyond the odd puncture bikes tend not to go wrong!

Never had a stick in your mech then?

I was out yesterday, raining cats and dogs.

Went past a guy pushing the other way on the pavement with a flat.

Sorry, I had a tube, but I wasn’t giving it to him because I only had 1, chance of puncture in the rain is higher, and I didn’t want to be him.

I hang my head in it’s selfish shame.

This is OK IMO theres no point in putting yourself into a situation but an “are you OK” doesn’t hurt

Never had a stick in your mech then?

In 25 years, not one that did any damage. I find looking where your going tends to stop that. So are you suggesting I carry a spare rear mech then?