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An incedent today made me think, I always stop or ask if help is needed if I see a rider in trouble, rarely get asked for help but surely it's the nice thing to do?
Out on my own at QECP this afternoon, dropped into a section called Snakes and Ladders and my front tyre burped all it's air out, high siding me over a berm. A rider had been waiting at the entrance to the trail, and he passed me as I was picking myself up, wondering what had just happened. No acknowledgment from him, not even eye contact.
Sat by side of trail, covered in mud and a bit of blood from a cut on my arm. Tried to reinflate tyre but had to admit defeat and fit a tube. While I had the front wheel out, struggling to clear the mud and get the tubeless valve out a group of 3 riders passed me, once again not even eye contact. I was able to sort the problem and continue with my ride, and indeed the only help they may have been able to offer would have been words of sympathy or encouragement but what if it had been worse, or I hadn't been self sufficient?
The group of 3 had grumbled at me earlier too, when I overtook them as they walked their bikes up a climb. Guess riding it on a ss when they couldn't with gears had pissed them off....
Am I just being a bit sensitive because I had a tumble and had to faff with a muddy bike, or were they a bit rude/selfish not checking if I was alright?
I would always offer help and ask if rider was ok as I think 99% of riders would
Mebbe you found the 1%ers
I think they are a bit shit for not stopping to check you were ok.
Thats pretty out of order
rude and selfish. no excuses.
Its not as though you were in the wilderness! was you riding a 29er by any chance 🙂
Like you, I always ask if a riders OK if they're trailside with their bike upside down. Unfortunately, some people are dicks, whether they ride a bike or not.
What you describe is poor behaviour: at the very least all we riders should offer assistance or encouragement to those who are in trouble. The trouble is, the more people there are around, the less likely someone will stop. On the road when a cyclist is seen with a wheel off it is usual to ask "have you got everything you need?", and give assistance when needed. Off rad I ride a 29er, in addition to my own spare tubes I carry a couple of 26" so I can help more often.
any excuse for me, to stop and talk boll**ks and offer encouragment
Whoosh..... Bye...... 😆
Ah but then you were on a SS riding up hills at QECP, so Ida stopped 😉
Isn't it normal to slow down, ask 'Are you ok?', meanwhile take the opportunity to check out the bike and any crumpet?
Ime most bikers check in to see if they can help. But, there are some numpties around.
Did you cycle past them on the hill screaming "straaaavvvvvaaaa" only to bin on the first downhill??
I've had a few scrapes and moments of turmoil,even had 2 punctures once up Gisburn and had to push my bike back to the car park which was 5 miles away,every rider on the way back offered me a tube and asked iff I needed anything,yes some people are ignorant and trout was spot on in saying you got the 1% I'm afraid.
Iff I'm honest the more people that don't see me struggling the better and I never let anyone help but I always insist on helping others,hope your ok.
I would have stopped, any excuse for a breather 🙂
Joking aside I think it's incredibly antisocial behaviour, I would always stop and hope that others will do the same for me when I hit one of those slippy routes at QECP.
Would you have accepted any help if it was offered?
Completely normal to stop and offer help/commiserate with/laugh at* someone on the side of the trail. To ride past and say nothing is just plain rude.
*depending on severity of reason for stoppage / attractiveness of other etc etc
I normally stop and ask if I can help, but if someone looked ok and were just pumping up I tyre I might not.
I'm generally an ask if you are OK person, but you were clearly conscious and not rolling around in agony. On that basis if you really needed help I am sure you might have managed to make it known. Riding a singlespeed implies some degree of biking knowledge as well so I'd expect you to manage to sort your blow out without my help.
If I did have a serious mechanical I would generally walk the bike back to a fire road / trailhead where it is practical and safe to work on the bike without getting in anyone's way - and where people tend to congregate / stop for a chat and so tools / parts / expertise might be forthcoming.
Strava, if your on a KOM or PB you don't stop.
In reality even if there were a group with one in difficulty I always ask if they have everything they need as I carry pretty much everything except a kitchen sink as I am paranoid about getting stranded miles away.
Be pretty p'd off if I were you but glad your OK. I would have sorted your tyre while you sorted yourself out mate.
I had an 11.5 mile walk back in france with a broken frame
mostly on the main road not one offer of help .
I always slow enough to check people are OK. Last time I was out we helped some random bloke get his chain out from where it was jammed in the chain rings (**** off big allen key and violence was the answer). Only as he picked his bike up ready to ride off did one of his mates reappear.
I know its a bit of a sweeping statement but it would seem the younger the rider the less chance there is of them stopping.
I might have asked if they had a multi tool with better pliers than mine to take the valve out, but as I said I was self sufficient repair wise. The bloke who passed me just after I had crashed though, I was kinda staggering back up the back side of the berm, i could have been properly damaged.
I ride on my own knowing I have to get myself out of anything I get into, but I guess I always assumed others wold do what I do when I meet people who seem to be in trouble.
26" wheel ss, not 29 I'm afraid. No shout of Strava either, more the noise of my lungs trying to get out of my body through my mouth...
If someone looks like they need help you offer it. No conditions attached, unless you're above 8,000m apparently. Good Samaritan etc.
I guess riders who push bikes around QE are not ever going to get a KOM or PB therefore stopping is of no disadvantage to them .
Was it the berm on the 2nd right? Quickest section of S + L imo .
Yes they should have at least asked
I have stopped my car and fixed a road bike before so no reason not to , and QE will be a horrible slip slidey mess and not enjoyable in any way just now so stopping for abit of banter makes the ride better all round
26" wheel ss, not 29 I'm afraid
It was probably the beard and the fact that they thought if you had been on a 29er you would have just rolled through it so it was your own fault!!
Actually it is pretty grim especially the fact you were obviously not in the best shape ie just stopped fixing a puncture but covered in sh1t and bloodied. Don't let things like this prejudice you though. I think 9 times out of 10 people don't need help but it makes you feel good that at least you offer.
I have ginger hair so I am used to folk avoiding me.
In fact, a lot of folk normally stop & let air out of my tyres.
It's just gingerism.
Darn sarf innit.
There's no excuse for at least making sure you were ok or had kit to sort an issue.
Just riding on is partly just bloody ignorant, frankly not cool and I doubt it would happen round our way.
How far up themselves does someone have to be, to behave like that ?
I always offer assistance, it has always been politely refused.
At least I feel nice asking and I'm sure the recipient is grateful that someone has offered.
Punctures, offs, mechanicals etc.
It's only what I'd expect if I were in the same situation.
Always stop and offer help. Even while driving if I see a rider stopped I'll ask. I've fixed several punctures and a chain for very grateful riders! Track pump always makes things easier.
Trout: you and I are from Yorkshire, where manners cost nowt! (However owt more than manners, and the deep pockets, short arms syndrome kicks in).
To be fair, the last time I had a problem there was when I lost a brake pad descending the Velocity switchbacks, in the dark. The trail building crew were on their way past in their van. They stopped and offered help & when I got back to the car park later they were still there and they checked again that I had sorted it.
Was a bugger to meet the 2 sets of miserable sods in close succession though. Got blood all over my pump too, and that's not a euphemism...
Oh, I'm from Yorkshire too, raised in Barnsley.
I always slow down and ask and about 75% of the time get made to feel tiny when the people i ask don't understand the concept that someone else might want to offer help. Still the times when you get to help someone make it worth while.
Has just occurred to me that you might have come across new years resolution riders i.e. people who arn't quite used to the whole being outside thing!
not been riding a mtb for long so not been in that position .but as a road'y i've helped and offered help many many times, to mtb'ers aswell.
maybe different discipline's but we all push pedals and suffer.
what happened there stinks.
I always stop and offer help. My offers of help have included inner tubes, co2 canisters, tyre boots, cleat bolts, magic links.
Doesn't matter whether I am on the road or off it. Can't get over people who just walk or ride on by. Yes - I am on the floor crying in agony - of course I am fine you turd. Where has human kindness gone?
I help people in the hope they will do the same to others and maybe learn an important lesson.
Just plain rude. Hope you fixed yourself and your bike.
Bike fine, Jura Superstition helping to fix me...
I'd always stop for another rider, but I do feel that as mtb'ing has got more popular the 'one big family' feeling has diminished; especially at trail centres.
I've always offered help and given a few inner tubes and patches away. Only time I've needed help was when I came off at Cutgate. Broken ribs, cuts and grazes and not one cyclist offered help but some ramblers did.
Mattbee- Slightly off topic but I didn't realise they had named sections at QECP which is the bit you are referring to? Been out of it since August so have probably missed some changes.
Always slow down and check if I can help if I see someone having a problem. I'd be no practical use to anyone, but I offer.
Was walking home last week after another puncture debacle, most people asked if I needed a tube/patch, which cheered me up a bit. (Was easier to walk than faff with a thorn magnet of a tyre and risk another tube)
After the singletrack parallel to the A3, called Hard Shoulder, you do a rooty climb then a fire track climb. At the top of the fire track you used to go straight over into a descent to the Velocity switchbacks, Snakes and Ladders is the loop that drops off to the right at the top of the climb. It drops and climbs a few times and brings you out about 50m further up the fire track.
Ahhh the bit where you drop off the fire road straight into a left hand berm and then you have the humpy bits a bit further along?