I loaned my whole bike to a bloke at Mayhem one year. It was about 5 mins to go and he turned out of the last bit of s/track and as he stood up on the pedals his chain went. He obviously wouldn't make it back running so i offered him my bike so he could get round for another, as he seemed pretty devastated by that turn of fortune.

The only issue was that obviously I inherited his temporarily, but he had legs about a foot longer than mine, and some funny seatpost thing that i couldn't get down. I could just about stand and keep half a cm between the spuds and saddle, but over every bump I encountered some 'discomfort'

At the finish he felt he owed me something so gave me a half eaten back of Clif Shotbloks. It's the thought that counts.

I've lost count of the 'assists' given over the years. I've met some really nice people that way, with interesting tales to tell. The karma built up has kept me free from major breakdown, I'm sure!

edit: LOL, tojv!

Always ask and have always been asked. In fact I've only twice had to face a walk home with the bike and on both occasions I've been offered a lift by fellow cyclists that just happened to be driving by (both times I declined as I was close to home by then – but nice to get the offer) . I'll often carry extra spares on rides incase someone else needs it- if we as cyclists can't rely on each other for help then it's all gone wrong.

"Y'allright fella"?

Is the norm, no?

Indeed – although I have to ask why did you not have a chain tool / powerlink with you?

I get asked tons, especially at races, to the point where it's a little annoying really. I mean I appreciate it but after the 20th time of 'no it's ok I'm just adjusting my saddle/putting air in my shock/whatever' it's quite irritating. I mean.. I clearly look like I know what I'm doing.

I only ask people if they are looking lost or bewildered, or obviously trying to botch something. Or walking with a bike.

I walked miles once with something broken (I forget what) with my thumb out at any van or truck that passed – no joy. In Finland once I had forgotten my pump and punctured on the road miles from home (not entirely sure where I was either since I'd only been there a few weeks). So I set off walking, it was a good 10 miles home, but within about 10 minutes a young woman on her own in a small car stopped to help me. She didn't even know that she could get my bike in the car either so she had EVERY excuse not to stop. That made me very happy 🙂 She took me to a garage where I bought a pump.

Gave a guy my chain the other day, was going to just give him the powerlink, but decided to give him the whole lot for peace of mind. Hope he enjoyed the rest of his trip.

been through loads of inner tubes and power links to help folk out.
it,s normal—-is,nt it.

I only help Roadies, them MTBers can go…. 😆

I was touring in france once with a trailer, it was a pre-production model and I had a glitch with the hitch that meant every hour or so I had to stop and take it apart and put it back together again. A german couple rolled up to see if we were ok and I said we were fine, we had all the tools and bits we needed. But their concern was that we were riding in the opposite direction to the route in their guide book and must therefore be catastrophically confused.

If I see a rider in need, I'll always ask if everything is alright, and on a few occasions have been able to lend a helping hand to fix something.

Having said that, I punctured during Wild Boar 24, quite near the start, and the adrenalin meant a quick repair turned into a painfully long job – not aided by swapping my faithful tyre levers for my wife's shiny new levers, purely because they were new and therefore must be better. They turned out to be utter gash. A two minute job must have taken fifteen minutes at least, and the more angry I became, the less effective I was.

Given I was second man out for our team, the field was still pretty close together, so it became rather tiresome to be asked, "Are you okay?" every 15 seconds as a rider passed by. All well meaning folks and much appreciated (in retrospect) but, coupled with my fury at my apparent inability to carry out a simple task, it came close to sending me over the edge. Absolutely killed myself trying to make up the lost time, too, and that pretty much ruined me for the rest of the event.

Actually, going back to my first statement, I did ride past a couple in Ae a few weeks back, thinking they'd stopped for a breather just by a rocky section. I cheerfully called out "Alright there?" with a big grin on my chops, as it was a lovely day, and rode on by. It then dawned on me that my wife might want warning about said rocky section, so I headed back up the trail, to discover the female of the couple I'd passed holding a tissue to her blood-pissing knee. Twas but a flesh wound, though.

Not cycling related, but my diesel froze last winter, minus 20, half past five in the morning, deep snow, and five miles from anything.
I could never pass anyone in those conditions, but i was shocked by how many people did.

On a sportive last weekend my stomach was doing funny things and I hadn't managed to eat for almost 20 miles, so stopped by the side of the road to get some food down me whilst I wasn't riding and have a bit of a break. Had to wave off so many well meaning riders as they passed me. Then at the finish some random bloke in the queue behind me bought me a hotdog as he couldn't be bothered with the hassle of getting change for his.

Personally I tend to do the "are you alright" as I ride past so fast I couldn't stop if they weren't!

I was 18 and my Triumph Dolomite Broke down. As I was fiddling with the engine, a fine looking 20-something in a Pug 206 GTi asked if I wanted to come back to hers to use the phone and have a shower. I was terrified.
.
.
.
.
.
I so wish I had gone…

Snapped my frame 5km in to the Marin Rough Ride a couple of weeks ago.
Started walking back and found a guy who had broken his collar bone and was waiting for an ambulance.
I pushed the two bikes while he walked up on to some flatter ground where the ambulance could get to him easier.
I was quite impressed by the number of competitors who stopped to ask if we needed help.
I was also puzzled by the number of riders who had covered well under 5km 45 minutes in to the event.

I've stopped loads of times to help people over the years. Gave a guy a tube when commuting to and from Dorking once, loaned people use chain tools while riding, and loaned my bike to a guy with a snapped chain half-way round the course while I was spectating at Red Bull a few years ago.

Probably the best one was while I was on the Brighton bypass in the work van. Passed a guy pushing an old motorbike along the dual carriageway, who had run out of petrol. I had been transporting my motorbike the previous day, so had a plank and some ratchet straps in the back. Loaded the bike up and gave him a lift to a petrol station. He couldn't believe his luck, or how far he would have had to push uphill to get to the station (around 5 miles!)

A guy on a Fireblade gave me a lift home once after my Suzuki conked out on me years ago

Hopefully this will stand me in good stead for the future when luck isn't on my side 😆

Cheers, Rich

Molgrips: She took me to a garage where I bought a pump.

Is that some sort of code?! 😉

I always pop back later to check if they are lying in a ditch at the side of the trail/road.. If they are I simply rifle through their pockets/rucksack for cash and valuables and steal any parts that are worth having from their bike..
I've been known to take clothing and shoes if the right size too..

I got stuck once in Finland at 10pm in the middle of nowhere – my spare tube had a wrecked valve and I had more than holes in my old tube than the 8 patches I had with me (still not quite sure how I managed that). About 10 cars drove past until someone stopped. They offered me a place to stay for the night, the son sorted my bike whilst I showered, then I got fed a huge meal, and in the morning the mum made me an amazing breakfast and a packed lunch to take with me.

I always offer to help so figure what goes around comes around.

Yep, I always ask if I see someone who looks like they're having problems,*despite*, I might add, it being anti-karma. Everytime I help someone, something really bad happens to me later on. I've snapped frames after fixing people's chains, had punctures after giving away my last tube and fallen off after picking people up.

Ho hum, these things are clearly sent to try us (me).

I was once riding along on my bike when it broke. As I was pushing it home, a farmer pulled up and offered me a room for the night. He took me home, let me have a shower, gave me a nice meal and when it was time for bed he showed me upstairs, opened a door and beckoned to an already occupied bed.
"I'm afraid you'll have to share with my 18 year old son."
"Oh my god!", I exclaimed, "I'm in the wrong joke!"

I'll offer if they need anything or help, must be an English thing.

Always ask, it's nice to be nice 😀

I always ask if they are OK and if they need help in the hope that what goes around comes around.

always offer, once at cwncarn a guy stopped me at the bottom of the big climb, had punctured and had no tubes, i tend to carry two anyway so handed one over. he insisted on taking my name and address and sending me one in return. In the end he sent me a massive box of 10 as a thankyou. quality guy – always help out 🙂

Indeed – although I have to ask why did you not have a chain tool / powerlink with you?

Or a zip tie or even a bit of string. Re-join the chain and keep the bodge at the bottom by pumping the pedals. Easier than walking (you'll still need to walk steep climbs)

always ask, its what I would want if I had a breakdown.

Last time I stopped, gave someone a spare tube and pumped it up for them. Couple of days later, there was a small crate of beer and a new tube on my door step. (they knew one of my neighbours)

I always ask, I drove past two kids on bmx both with flats and no tubes, I had a track pump but no tubes or patches, we inflate both tyers but both went flat quickly so I just dropped them home.

There's a code with roadies to indicate you've got a mechanical.

You ride at the front of a big group and throw yourself on the ground just as they're all picking up speed/unsighted.

They then all stop and all sorts of cars pull up, the occupants jump out and run round fixing your problem.

That's how it works on the telly, anyway.

Having said that – I always ask, it seems only fair.

I was on a wet road ride in the Italian Lakes a few years ago when I a rear wheel spoke broke on my Kysyrium wheel, wheel wouldn't even go round without catching the frame. Resigned to a very long walk/carry, a guy in a VW stopped, obviously with mother and kids in car. Asked if I was ok, I showed him my problem and tried to explain the complexities of Mavic wheels in broken Italian, he put the bike and me (sopping wet) in the car and ran me to his LBS about 10 miles away which was the type of place that only sold Pinerello Princes and you could eat your dinner off the floor. They didn't have the exact spoke length in stock despite having a box full of Kysyrium spokes so took the wheel out of one of said Princes on display rendering it unsalable, fitted it trued the wheel and charged me 7 euros. I really must have been a good boy in another life 😀

Given away plenty of tubes and a couple of power links, I’ll Always Ask, I’d say 9 times out of 10 people don’t need/want any help but I’d hate to be the kind of person who didn’t at least offer some assistance, it’s also quite a nice feeling when you’re offered help, even if you don’t need it, it sort of re-enforces your faith in peoples good nature…

It’s also useful as a reminder of which tools/spares are most worth carrying, especially when you’re out solo.

I suppose if it’s a race I can understand people not stopping, but on club/group rides, or just spotting someone in the woods, really quite inexcusable not to…

On the subject of cars, I've stopped a couple of times to help out motorists. Once I was riding to work in Bristol and a woman and her daughter were on their way back from seeing husband/father in hospital, when a coolant hose popped off their MGF spectacularly spewing steam and water everywhere at the entry to a busy roundabout. The older lady was in bits – I pushed them to the roadside which was fun in my roadie cleats and made sure they were sorted.

Another time I was stuck in a massive tailback on the A417 going towards Swindon for the first day of a new job. After a good hour I came upon the source of the problem which was a woman whose car had stopped in the outside lane of a dual carriageway up a hill with some car trouble. I pulled over to see if I could help her get her car off the road – turns out it was driveable, just behaving funny. so WHY THE F.. did you not just pull off the road? I walked into the queueing traffic and stopped it so she could get out of the way. People looked at me as if I was mad. I couldn't believe no-one else in an hour of drivers passing by had thought to sort the situation out…

My car once conked out on an exposed part of a busy roundabout and I had to try and push it to safety down a minor road on my own without power steering. A couple of pedestrians wandered by looking at me whilst motorists were beeping at me and being annoyed.. I said to one young chap "How about some help?!" and he did.. but it hadn't even occurred to him that I might need some assistance.

My dad once had to stop at services way back in the 70s when cars were much shonkier – water had got into the distributor on his car as was usual, and he took it apart to spray WD40 in it. Well he lost the rotor arm, presumably in the snow, so he started looking for it. A few people stopped to help and before long there was a team of lorry drivers and assorted folk tramping snow all over the car park looking for it.. half an hour or so later my dad realised it was in his pocket.

lol @wwaswas.

Yep, always offer. Maybe they were 'July specialists'? y'know, dust off the road bike for a couple of rides around the time their man Lance is doing his thing in France but haven't quite grasped two wheeled etiquette.

I always stop unless it looks like they've got the situation well under control.

Last year in Central Park – which is full of very serious roadies* – I stop to help a guy with a flat tire. I stopped without asking but the previous 6 riders he'd asked were either "Too busy" or ignored him.

*One guy on a baby blue Cyfac with matching kit 😕 drafted me for a while when he overtook to take a spell (or so I thought) he swore at me told me to get off his wheel because "he was doing intervals and I'd slow him down". So I put the hammer down and left him for dust 8)

I always ask.

I carry a Mountain Morph pump so when I see someone at the side of the trail sturggling with some useless mini pump I always lend a hand – Crocodile Dundee style "Thats not a pump. This is a pump"

Lent a few tubes and fixed a few chains as well

I always ask as well.

Driving to Mayhem on my own a few years ago (one of the gorgeous weather ones), I was about 10 miles away and I passed a guy with a HUGE rucksack pedalling his bike v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y along the road, the bike was way down on it's suspension. Anyway, I pulled into a layby a little further and he rode up and asked how far it was to MM. I told him about 10 miles and he looked ready to cry. He'd been told at the station 10 miles back that it was about 8 miles! Poor guy. Anyway, there was just enough room in my car for his bike, his gigantic rucksack and him so I gave him a lift the rest of the way including a food stock-up at Tesco's. 🙂

From the other point of view, I punctured riding home from work last winter (just wet and cold, not snowing) and was sat underneath a streetlight on a residential street around Reddish Vale fixing it. An old woman walking down the street with her shopping looked at me very strangely as if she couldn't quite work out what was going on, then she went into a house nearby. After a few minutes, the door opened again and she peered out, I was expecting her to tell me to get away from the front of her house. She asked if I was OK, would I like to come in for a cup of tea, did I need to phone anyone to let them know I'd be late. Bless. I declined the offer though, just finished pumping the tyre up and went on my way.

You idiot crazy legs, I bet she had an ace S&M dungeon set up for the likes!

druidh – Member

No reason not to stop. Ever.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Unless there's midges – in which case they can **** right off and walk home.

All heart 😆

Slow down and ask if ok is what I do. It may be me at the side next time… What goes around comes around I reckon.

Happened to me last summer. I managed to puncture a tube right at the valve and only had patches. On my 8 mile walk home I was passed by 2 club rides and 3 group rides (organised by local shops), about 80-100 riders in total. Not a single one even enquired as to whether something might be wrong. The only guy who did stop was a Mexican exchange-student who wasn't able to help, but offered anyway just in case. Needless to say, (the majority of) my LBSs can go **** themselves.

On a positive note, I was caught by the GoogleEarth streetview car on my traipse home.

Does it not occur to any of the people suffering mechanicals in races / endurance events that the incessant barrage of offers of help might be coming from people who are searching for any opportunity to have a stop and rest, but to make doing so appear altruistic.

On a positive note, I was caught by the GoogleEarth streetview car on my traipse home.

Cool – link?