Forum menu
Rich you should have got yer thumb out - hitching usually works.
Yeah Tim did cross my mind but never hitched before.....
Quite a lot of no pump etc fail in this thread but I always ask, and whenever I have a flat or whatever it always seems like loads of other riders regardless of tribe check you are ok.
Giving someone an inner tube on a 'pay it on' basis is one of lifes finer pleasures.
I carry a powerlink on my keyring. Used it on Saturday for a chap on an Orange 5 with a snapped chain. The bike belonged to his GF's father and neither he nor his GF had any clue about it at all. Just been to the LBS today to restock my keyring 🙂
i always try and stop wether be on road or trail.
A couple of winters age I was on my way in to an early shift, 6:15am, minus 20, 2 feet of snow on the verge and snow/ice on the road.
I got 20mins down the road and my diesel froze, rural location, no immediate help or means of calling.
Not one bugger gave me a lift, or even asked if I was OK, despite me making it clear I could use a lift and the fact that they must have just passed my abandoned van. Wasnt even like they were going too fast to see me.
Made me really sad that, I was well equipped and able to walk home with no problems, but they didn't know that. I'd never leave anyone in the shit without trying to help.
I'd probably stop to help anotehr cyclist.. I have a good pump/spare tube/etc in my backpack so feel like I should...
Always stop for motorbikes if safe to do so etc. (And have once been 'saved' by someone kindly doing the same for me.)
Problem with push bikes is a lot of the time you see people on their feet because they're knackered walking up a hill, etc. Or stopping in random places by the side of the road for a rest - may even be stopped and just checking the chain, say.
Not had anyone stop when I had a circa 8 mile walk home, but wasn't really expecting it.
I always offer to help - have done a few punctures and sorted chains for people who couldn't. I don't give tubes away tho - I will mend a puncture for them instead
I was on the receiving end of some help last weekend in sherwood. I was mid race, punctured (rim tape had moved and slit the inner tube on the inside) and started to walk / run back to transition (no pump or tube - so yes my fault) when 2 blokes who weren't racing offered a tube and a pump. So thank you to them.
I usually stop to offer if I think they need help.
A few years ago we passed 2 girls on nice road bikes faffing with a puncture (3 of us also on road bikes) offered support, they declined, in quite an agressive "we're fine, sod off" manner, came back past a good 40 minutes later and they were still there!
I once stopped to help some chap who'd broken his chain. He had a cheap multi tool with a chain tool, but had no idea what to do. I was helping him, and broke his chain tool (I very rarely carry one on the road), felt really bad but there was nothing I could really do other than apologise and ride off!
Stopped to help some other fellow once too who had a puncture in his spare tube on his MTB, I was on the road bike, so there was nothing I could do, but I'd have felt mean riding past.
Helped someone reassemble their headset once on Pitch Hill, their headset was loose, and I'm not sure how, but they'd dismantled the whole thing and didn't have a clue what to do!
Stopped in my car a few times to lend a track pump to folk struggling with a minipump at the side of the road too.
I'm just too nice.
I'd only offer a tube to someone on a 29er.
(No, I don't ride a 29er.)
Always slow down and ask if okay if I'm on the bike. Wouldn't do it if I was driving thoigh
[i]spare tube faulty, pump failed[/i]
How do you know the tube was faulty if the pump failed?
I offered someone 10p at the petrol station recently coz they were short - the look of surprise on the ladies face was priceless!
probably thought you were being heightist!!!
i always stop and ask if helps needed 🙂
roadie with a saddle hanging off as one of the rails had gone. He was standing up to pedal. I stopped and asked him if he needed a lift, told me that he was only going back as far as Putney and that he'd be fine.That's around 25 miles standing all the way - Hardcore
Not quite the same distance but a friend of mine went up quite some way in my estimation at Afan a few years ago. About 4 miles from the centre, he came off, smashing his derailleur through a few spokes.
We trued the wheel enough for it to roll through the unclipped brake blocks, ziptied the derailleur to the frame and put the chain in a bag. He ran up all the hills and freewheeled down, and we didn't really have to wait around for him.
Edit: I tend to ask "Got everything you need?" if they look like they have a clue, and "Do you need a hand?" if I think they might not. Probably got that wrong on a few occasions, though!
If i was driving, and passed a "walking rider", i probably wouldn't stop - too many freaks and weirdos in the world. But if i pass a rider with a mechanical out on the trails, I'll always stop, ask and help if needed.
I was walking home with a puncture a few weeks back, and was AMAZED when another cyclist stopped and offered me use of him pump. It wasn't going to help though - i had a four inch nail stuck in the tyre! 😆
I always stop. Even in a car. I got our and fixed a chain and sprocket for a woman in the pouring rain in a lane in Herts a few weeks ago. If I'd been in the CRV, I'd probably have offered a lift - bike rack always at the ready 😀 .
Oh and I carry two tubes and pumps are fixed to the bike. I'm always happy to offer one, but it might only be 700x25c
Yes always ask whether it be mtb or road. That is when I'm also cycling.
Seems to happen quite often. Stopped and given out 2 tubes and two power links and used 2 co2 cartridges in the last few months.
I'll ask if I can help, and might even give away my spare tube under the right circumstances (if I was close to home, say- I wouldn't be bothered about the money aspect, karma and all that).
On my commuter/town runabout I don't usually have any tools/pump/tubes with me though so if I can see it's a flat I probably wouldn't bother.
I'd offer any walking cyclist help however lacking the ability and equipment to sort a simple puncture is pretty poor IMO.
You only ever make that mistake once!
Nope, Never stop, you never know who's on the scam ❗
I'd offer any walking cyclist help however lacking the ability and equipment to sort a simple puncture is pretty poor IMO.
You only ever make that mistake once!
Sometimes you get caught out though. I had to borrow a pump from the bike hire place near Ladybower when mine turned out not to work, and the guy lectured me half to death about being ill-prepared. But the pump worked fine last time I used it (a few rides before) so I don't think I'd been particularly daft.
Edit: Off topic I offered someone 10p at the petrol station recently coz they were short - the look of surprise on the ladies face was priceless!
At a filling station in Walsall I went to, they had a bowl of coppers on the counter & a sign inviting you to take some if a few pence short. 🙂
If I see someone walking I'd ask if ok. been asked myself a few times when stopped.
always stop,always ask,always help,always seem to find myself fixing other people's bikes,giving directions,doesn't seem to work the other way though..ah well.hugur's right though.had to walk back home a few times,took a few hours(nobody offered me a lift-only lift I've ever got was either in my dad's van or in an ambulance).educating experience.
I always stop, and have had people stop for me. Even though I've never needed help, but I always thanks them, sure i'll probably need their help one day. Tis good karma, I think it's balanced out over time for me as well. Seems completely unrelated, but I've had people hand me back money I've dropped on a few ocassions!
But recently, I've stopped for 2 guys walking their bikes up the road, and jebus, it makes you wonder why you bother, they both basically looked at me as if I was stupid for offering them what they needed to fix their bike(It was punctures in both cases and I offered repair kit, levers, pump and even tubes, f*ck, I'd even I shown them how to do it if they were struggling once they started.) But aw well hope they enjoyed their walks..
Not going to stop me stopping mind, but maybe other people have had that kinda experience before and it puts them off..
I've stopped loads of times. When I used to live in Dorking and ride up the path at the side of the A24 punctures were quite common, helped with tubes and pumps on several occasions.
Probably the most notable one was driving past a guy pushing a motorbike on the Brighton ring road. I was in the work van and had moved my motorbike the previous day, so had a board to load and tie-downs. Stopped and gave him a lift about 5 miles to a petrol station, he was very grateful!
Cheers, Rich