Gave someone a tube in transition at a triathlon relay once. He then paid me back by catching me for a good 2 or 3 minutes.
Always ask if ok. From mountain bike background too though ?
I towed a fellow commuter across Hyde Park this morning- her chain had snapped. Feel bad now that I didn’t offer her my quick link but she worked next to cycle surgery and by the time I left her she was only ten minute push away.
Stopped to help an elderly gentleman unlock his bike the other morning it was so dark he couldn’t see the combination.
Hmmm..if they looked like they were mid fix no. If they were standing around looking confused id probably ask if all was ok. I wouldn't hand out an inner tube to someone who needed one though as I only bring one spare with me...so not exactly sure what help I'd be.
I didn’t offer her my quick link
I should think not, you dirty boy.
Ofcourse. I usually ride by myself, so it’s nice to have someone to talk to.
Often pulled over whilst in the van to help a cyclist at the road side.... Have handed out water, bananas and nuts in the past, too.
Probably wouldn't stop to help the OP, mind.
Depends
Yeah, always - don't even think otherwise.
I always stop to check if the person is in need of any assistance regardless if I’m walking, mtb, road bike or car.
Couple times me and my group have come across people who needed help and we’ve got them back on their wheels and saved them s very long walk. Hopefully karma will pay me back if one day I need the help?
Car drivers always get a bad wrap on here (including from me) but once I was stopped on the side of a pitch black contry lane late evening looking for a tiny screw that worked loose and fell of my light mount and all 5 drivers who drove past stopped to check I was ok and if needed a hand. Helped restore my faith in humanity that evening.
Gisburn at the bottom of Hully Gully I came across a chap with a flat and no spare, gave him a tube so he could finish his ride, he was probably at the farthest point from his car when he got the puncture.
I hope you chucked the old one into the ceremonial 'tube tree' there, like everyone else seems to do...*
What is it about Hully Gully and flats? There's nothing particularly rough on it.
I do the checking they've got everything thing. Have offered a tube now and again, conversely someone gave me another tube to get me home when I was staggering around covered in blood after a comedy exploding sidewall crash moment.
*this is a joke. Do not chuck inner tubes into the tree... 🙂
yes - also stopped when driving to see if they needed help.
Yep - always ask if they're OK, got everything they need etc.
Had a ride up in the Peaks over the summer that was at least 45mins longer than it should be as there was a rider at the bottom of Lockerbrook struggling with a puncture and then a lad and his missus who had hired bikes, but as he started up towards WLT the derailleur has gone into the spokes. Rigged it up singlespeed for him with lots of "don't worry about the shop, it's knackered anyway" and "this isn't a perfect fix, but".
I like to think that others would do the same for me. Despite being fairly well prepared when I go out there are always the times when one of the kids breaks something in the house just as you're transferring spares and tools from one pack to another and you forget something.
Very occasionally people get a bit huffy when you ask them if they are OK (always male) - no problem from my POV, I guess it must mean they're struggling with something and too proud to accept any help. Some people can't be helped, but the offer is there.
I’m a depends. Commuting: not if it is going to be late for work. If it is in the middle of town & I am going somewhere where I don’t want to be covered in someone’s road grunge:nope as well. There are plenty of bike shops around in Edinburgh. Otherwise I will always offer, although I was less impressed, at a busy Glentress when a mate insisted on spending 25 minutes trying to fix someone’s chain just above Buzzards Nest. That would’ve been a freewheel down to Alpine Bikes & I was tight on time.
Yep always ask if someone having a mechanical is ok. Why wouldn't you?
Yes, I always do. I've also stopped the car and given someone and their bike a lift when I could see the buckled wheel.
I even gave someone my whole bike once so they could finish their ride. OK, it was as Mayhem back in the day, about 5 mins before cut off and some skinny snake came out of the last bit of singletrack behind me, stood up on the pedals to accelerate away and his chain just disintegrated. He started running and was clearly desperate, a quick chat revealed they were podium or thereabouts and really needed to get back for his teammate to do another lap. Whereas i was on explicit orders to under no circumstances get back before 2pm.
So we swapped bikes, and I pushed the last half mile back up the fireroad before leaping on and freewheeling the last bit back to the arena..... which was the problem because he was about half a foot taller than me and even stood up, over every bump his saddle just tapped me in the nuts enough to hurt without actually being a full blown whack.
To date it (a full carbon TREK OCLV) is probably still the most expensive bike I've ridden, and the one I'd give back in an instant.
Why wouldn’t you?
- Going for a KOM on a Strava segment
- Don't carry anything that could actually help them
- they look like a wrongun who might be pretending to have an issue and then rides off on my bike when I stop
And probably many other reasons.
most riders are selfish shits as far as I'm concerned, 4 rode past us at Nanty when the wife broke her collar bone, head down refusing to make eye contact and deaf to boot.
Gisburn at the bottom of Hully Gully I came across a chap with a flat and no spare, gave him a tube so he could finish his ride, he was probably at the farthest point from his car when he got the puncture.
I hope you chucked the old one into the ceremonial ‘tube tree’ there, like everyone else seems to do…*
Of course in fact all of those tubes in that tree belong to me!
Standing around enjoying the view with some food in your hand?
I'll leave you alone.
Obviously fiddling with bike or looking lost/broken I always ask 'have you got everything you need'.
It's not common but it's usually a pump required or a tubeless tyre needing a plug when they've not got anything for it. I've given out a few chain links, some tubeless spooge and loaned my expertise a few times for trail mechanicals.
I once got the air ambulance for a guy I met on the Mendips - he'd sliced his leg open on a solo ride and I took his bike home to look after it until he was fixed.
Always. Used my chain tool more often on other peoples chains than on my own, given out a few (used) quicklinks and tubes to folk on the trail. What goes around comes around......
If on their own and attempting a fix, I always ask.
When my trike had a puncture on its maiden voyage, I was absolutely inundated with passing cyclists asking if I was OK. So clearly number of wheels is a factor!
Only caught out once myself late at night when a tubeless tyre failed to seal and my CO2 had already been used and not replaced. A passer-by walked back from home with a track pump. Now I carry a road morph mini track pump as well as two CO2, two tubes and instant patches.
hi viz black in colour, but massive logos so that’s OK ... Yup they were Mamils.
dodderers ... high impact woolly hats
Were you wearing your snobby arse uniform ? I'd probably have given you a miss too
Yep even as a woman in the South (are you reading tj wink?) with zero technical skills I would stop. Over the years have given away plenty of inner tubes as well as fitting them on occasion, have offered drink bottles and accompanied lost cyclists to get them back to civilisation.
If it’s just one or two riders then, yes, I’ll always ask if they’ve got what they need. Larger groups I reckon will be able to take care of themselves anyway.
I always ask especially off road.
Helped a guy out once up on the Ridgeway. He couldn't get his patches to seal and had used all his CO2 cartridges.
Que smug me with my old fashioned pump.
Always.
Even had to rescue one poor chap with hypothermia. Breaking down when you are dressed in lycra is not a good idea in Scotland.
I can’t understand why anyone would leave a kindred spirit in a spot of bother whatever type of bike you ride.
Pretty much this.
Yep, 90% of the time I'll slow down and normally shout either "You OK?" or "Have you got everything you need?". The second one seems more appropriate if they're part way through a repair. The other ten percent of the time it's just because I've either not seen them until the last second or my mind is elsewhere (which is often the purpose of cycling for me).
I've also been known to pull over in the car. I've only done this for the last 5-6 years and I started because someone did it for me after I had a catastrophic tyre explosion about three miles from the nearest bike shop and about 30 minutes before it closed. On that occasion we bunged the bike into the back of the random fellas car and he dropped me off at the bike shop so i could buy a new tyre and be on my way.
Yep, always and quite a few times have been taken up on the offer.
I even carry a 26" inner tube in my commuting bag, because that's what the unprepared BSO rider is most likely to need. I ride 700c wheels.
Que smug me with my old fashioned pump.
One bloke, on a decent MTB with a puncture, laughed at how cheap my (very functional) pump was. ("Did you get that out of a cracker" I think were his words.) My offer of help was withdrawn, and I don't care if his bones are rotting into the ground as we speak. 😀
I once stopped to help two guys on road bikes when I was on my MTB (not that this is relevant, I ride both, and gravel, and BMX, and fat...)
One of the blokes was obviously more “experienced” than the other, who has a loose SPD-SL cleat. Neither had a hex key on them. I got my multi tool out and the more “experienced” of the two tightened the bolts of the cleats so hard he rounded off both bolts and my hex key. He then told his mate this was how he knew it was tight enough.
Luckily it was a cheap freebie multi tool so I gave it them and left them to it.
However, “got everything you need mate?” is the usual question.
Always, whether I am on a bike, walking or sometimes even in the car in some situations.
Stopped to help a German guy on a ride down a mountain in Garda. ended up sat in the pub with him for a couple of hours having some post ride drinks after finishing our ride together (we both set out alone).
Quite often stop (riding or walking) out on the mendips to help people and it's often young lads who have not come out with the right stuff or are struggling.
Always stopped and still will.
The amount of tubes I've given away over the years... dare not count them up.
Nobody has stopped for me 🙁 Big Bottom Lip Pout 😉
Thinking about it.....
I used to guide transalp tours. One week riding and another week or two or driving the luggage from one hotel to the next.
I stopped to help many a roadie, gave cheeky uplifts to various MTBers, drove well out of my way to get riders to a bike shop.
Me a good person.
I couldn’t give a shit what kind of bike it is.
Well said
most riders are selfish shits as far as I’m concerned, 4 rode past us at Nanty when the wife broke her collar bone, head down refusing to make eye contact and deaf to boot.
You didn't need their help.. it would have been sh..
On a very hot MTB marathon gave a Polish (I think) guy a drink and gel as he was in a bad place ... he couldn't speak English then but as the drink and gel worked their magic his English came back. So I guess he was feeling rough.
We can all go well prepared but have a nightmare.... Leyzne pump strapped to my frame , the hose had seized into the pump.. bugger.
A couple of things spring to mind.
Firstly, your post is both judgmental and assumptive, which is a shame because you raise an interesting point.
Irrelevant of whether we would ever be friends, the bike you ride or your appearance I would have asked the question as I coasted by.
Secondly, are you a woman? It would not have effected my course of action but the world is a funny place nowadays, offering a woman help is a tricky proposition.
I'll not list my list of good deeds but would say that I've been helped out on occasion, the wheel turns.
I always ask, roadie, mtber or even beardy gravelister.
Stopped in my car to tell a cyclist his light wasnt on last week.
I’ll always ask the question.
Even stopped and changed a car wheel for a couple of young ladies in Richmond Park one evening this summer. Doing my bit for cyclist / motorist relations.
I would always stop and ask but people can be funny like when I ride my mtb no nod or wave but if I’m on my road bike there like my best mates . I’m always friendly to cyclists except tyre suckers especially when I’m on my mtb 😂
I’ll ask if all is ok. Helped a few riders neet bother.
Always a friendly 'Are you ok?' or 'Need anything?' from me. Always.
Always stop and check id someone seems in need of help. Plenty of people have stopped for me too.
Am also in the South.. whatever that is supposed to mean.
