bastards

On the flipside, I punctured early into my first lap at the Wild Boar 24, and in the process of trying to change the tube rapidly, ended up doing the job very, very slowly. I’d also elected to take shiny new, but unproven, tyre levers with me, instead of the trusty examples I’d relied upon in the past. Turns out the new tyre levers were cack.

My frustration at my own ineptitude under pressure was not helped by every single rider, averaging about one every ten seconds, asking if I was okay.

I would have stopped for a bird, but not a bloke with two screaming kids.

in the past two months ive ‘sold’ my spare tube to a stranded guy for a fiver and lent someone a multi tool to fix their chain

Both as my mates were about to ride past without saying anything 🙄

I even stopped to ask a SINGLESPEEDER the other day if he wanted a hand fixing a problem.

in the past two months ive ‘sold’ my spare tube to a stranded guy for a fiver

good little business if you buy tubes in bulk.

Just make sure you don’t ride over the tacks on the cycle path yourself 😉 😀

I lent a tube to some guys at afan once. They were coming down Skyline as i was going up whites. I sadi they could keep it as i normally carry 3 (tubless wheels) but they asked what car i was in and i found it on the roof when i got back. I have also stopped to help people in the New Forest who had all the kit but the pump they had was set for the wrong valve type. I would stop and ask anyone who looked like they had trouble of any kid regardless of the transport type. If you were pushing and looked ok at a glance i would have at least said hello.

I also always stop (maybe slow down) and ask. Only time help has been required was at one of the Merida events, about 50km in. Someone had broken their chain, so I donated a Powerlink and fitted it for him. He was fairly relieved that he could ride back rather than walk. Just asked him to pop a pound into the next charity tin he passed.

Also stopped the other day whilst in the car and drove past a rider down. Someone else from here had already stopped to help 🙂

I still think it’s a community, in this area at least.

No idea if i would have stopped. If the op was stood by his broken bike or was covered in blood, or was even just looking around like they might need assistance i would have enquired. But if they were just pushing along with nippers around i might not have noticed any issues and assumed they were going along at the pace of the slowest in the party, looking for somewhere to sit and have lunch or just it was a fat knacker STW’er who had over stretched himself and was giving everyone the evils and chuntering bastards under their breath. If i was riding past from the rear, i might not even bothered to say hello.
On a road ride last month, i did stop by a bloke near castleton who had a flat. He did seem miffed that i offered him my phone so he could contact someone rather than give him my only tube, but i’d got 60+ miles left to get home.
Chapeau to the op though, 3 pages of debate out of literally moaning about nothing. Classic stw.

I once punctured in a road race, neutral service just left me to it, but a kindly old gent on a tourer took pity on me and gave me a tube to get me back to the HQ. Seeing as he didn’t give me his name or anything I was a bit taken aback when my club chairman got a letter from him complaining about ‘a very inconsiderate member who was a disgrace to his club, and it was no way to treat a pensioner who could ill afford to give inner tubes away’.

Each to their own, but hard to see why one would not stop and ask if someone else is OK. To do so is to ignore karma which is a dangerous thing. I get the point about being prepared, but equally when I started MTB my mechanical knowledge was poor to say the least and I was very grateful at times for trail side assistance. Most recently, when demo-ing a new bike and trying to fit rear wheel with a clutch mechanism. Friendly passer bye (the IMB crew) educated me about clutch rear mechs (Doh!)!! That’s what that little black button is for!!!!

Two mottos seem to make sense, always be prepared yourself and always be prepared to help others.

I always slow down and ask if people need a hand and will stop if they need something.

People do seem to be getting ruder…the guy that really got my goat on Sunday at Cannock was the guy who didn’t even acknowledge me when I held a gate open for him. Wish I’d just let it swing back into his front wheel. Bell end.

me, i would’ve stopped. i stop or offer help to pretty much everyone from roadies with punctures (note one of whom has ever complained about my capacious back that contains everything) to mtbers with burst fork seals. this last one constituted a bit more of a problem which i wasn’t able to fix tho the last laugh was on me as the person i was offering help to turned out to be tracy mosely. not that i care much. i fix bikes for the kids in the street, i encourage fat, wheezing weekenders up the hill and i’ll always stop for those laden end to end types whether it’s for a chat, to offer a bite to eat, or just sympathy for their catastrophically overloaded bikes.

right up till i read read yunki’s post i would’ve stopped for him. but bewailing the lack of community then talking about broken nailed fixie riders and spotty youths? i think not. what goes around comes around. it’s a karma thing. thm is right on the money.

mindmap3 – Member
I always slow down and ask if people need a hand and will stop if they need something.

People do seem to be getting ruder…the guy that really got my goat on Sunday at Cannock was the guy who didn’t even acknowledge me when I held a gate open for him. Wish I’d just let it swing back into his front wheel. Bell end.

It’s the way cycling is nowadays.

If you want to participate in a friendly outdoor hobby then take up walking. As long as you’re not wearing a burka, everyone will acknowledge you.

good work a couple of hours back there davidtaylorth 🙂

😀

I always ask and offer assistance if i see another cyclist with problems , wether its a roadie or mtber ….. doesn’t matter, we need to all stick together

So you wanted passing cyclists to say, ‘Are you alright mate?’ just so you could say, ‘Yep, I’m fine, I actually have a spare tube in my bag’?

Just to be clear, I always let on to other cyclists (funnily enough, I don’t let on to every one I pass in the Arndale Centre, even though we share the same mode of transport: feet!) but I didn’t realise they craved it so much.

Never thought of cyclists as a ‘community’ and why should it be?.

Last time I had a mechanical, another passing rider stopped and asked “have you got everything you need?” which I thought was a lovely way of asking if I was ok without sounding condescending.

I’ll normally stop, unless they’re pushing something I know I can’t help with or look like a triathlete.

I never stop for gearists,far too complicated machinery for me 😉

Cougar, that’s what I ask people if their body language suggests they may have a problem. If they start whipping out tools and getting on the job then I just leave them to it. Which I also do if they start fixing their bike.

Let me tell you a series of short stories.

I fix someone’s puncture for them up on the moors. Later on I crash and scar myself for life.

I give someone a spare tube. Later on my tyre slashes and I’m walking home.

I come across two guys walking, one has broken his chain. I offer to lend them my chain splitter but neither of them know how to use it so I repair the chain. Further down the ride I snap my inbred.

I fix a mans puncture on the canal bank, my bak goes in the canal while I’m doing it and my phone is dead.

I’m out on a road ride, find a guy with a broken chain, fix it for him, later on my pedal bearings all fall out and I’m cycling home with one pedal.

I’m riding from Scotland to London. Some guys are having gear problems doing the coast to coast. I repair 3 bikes!!! that are all in a very poor state. An hour later I crash into a wall on a descent.

Every time I help someone, something bad happens to me later on so sorry if I just ride past but karma hates me.

I always slow down to ask cyclist who’s stopped on the side of the road/trail.

Most people I encounter are pleased somebody has stopped to ask if they’re OK.

On the odd occasion they will actually require assistance, loaned my pump out a couple of times & gave somebody a spare tube who was walking down a descent of the Wall trail at Afan a couple of weeks ago.

I agree that it’s best to be prepared – I usually carry mech hanger(s), tubes, pump, puncture kit, leatherman, multitool, chain tool, brake pads, tyre levers etc.

Even allowing for this I’ve come close to needing assistance to get home a couple of times – mostly due to broken spokes – had one go on my roadie last year & the wheel only just cleared the frame – had to disconnect the rear brake & ride 15 miles home very carefully

After a bit of lurking I thought I’d register to chip in on this.

Yesterday I was up at Derwent reservoir for the Dambusters fly past thing. Anyway, I got a puncture, and as it was a nice day I decided to fix it at the side of the path rather than using my spare tube. Whilst pumping the tire up, I ripped it at the adapter, and so had to take it out and use my spare after all. My point being, that you can’t just ignore people thinking “they should’ve come prepared”. I was ‘prepared’, but if I’d ripped the spare tube as well (unlikely I know), I would’ve been pushing my bike back to Sheffield 😯

Incidentally, whilst I was there, loads of bikes went past. I’d say about 30% asked if I was OK. With one bloke stopping and offering a spare tube. My bike was upside down and had a wheel off so no ‘just having a rest’ confusion.

Personally, I’d always stop, or at least slow down to offer assistance.

Sorry lost interest but…
You had a puncture, you couldn’t be arsed to fix it, nobody could be arsed to help you… Karma.

Chapeau to the op though, 3 pages of debate out of literally moaning about nothing. Classic stw.

It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it.. 😀

So you wanted passing cyclists to say, ‘Are you alright mate?’ just so you could say, ‘Yep, I’m fine, I actually have a spare tube in my bag’?

err, yeah sort of.. although I’m a bit more economical with my words than that..

I didn’t need or want any help but I was surprised that no-one offered..

dont ask you dont get. a simple excuse me shout probably would have stopped any cyclist to do what they can. as said on the comments im more disturbed you went out with insufficient tools to do the basic repairs when you have your kids with you. then blame someone else. personally i would have asked if you were ok

That is sh!te, I too would have given you a shout – we’re not all egotistical, vacant morons…..or even worse, French 😯

Cheap, very cheap 🙄 🙄

as said on the comments im more disturbed you went out with insufficient tools to do the basic repairs when you have your kids with you. then blame someone else

what the actual **** is wrong with you guys…!!!?

I had all the necessary kit with me – I didn’t want or need any help..
I got a lift home though under the circumstances, because I could

In reality, the only equipment I needed was my mobile, but all this is beside the point..

I’m gladdened though, that the rude and the stoopid are in a minority here.. 😀

Always offer to help if someone looks in difficulty or trouble.

But I also think it strange that you pass folks in the middle of nowhere and get not even a nod of recognition in response to a friendly greeting.

There are simply some right weird antisocial **** out there.

Apart from having a flat tyre maybe you just looked like you had the situation in hand and didnt look like you needed any help..

If id have seen you, I would have been a bit concerned that you might be a stressed out sleep deprived dad out with his sons.. who, had driven him to the end of his tether and, close to tears and frustration you were now pushing your bike convoy home… ready to flip out and beat some helpful soul to death with your pump if they had had dared to stop and ask if you were ok.

I think cloudnine has hit the nail on the head.. 😳