3 mtb-er’s/cyclists asking for the use of a pump. To set the scene: Middle of a forest, two decent if lower end mtb’s and one super market POS, patches to fix puncture but no pump.
They’d asked two cyclist already, one hadn’t a pump* and the other had just cycles past ignoring them for all intense and purpose.

We stopped without thinking and waitied for them to fix their puncture (well I hope it stayed up), they explained there “fourth” carried a pump the rest relied on.

So why cycle past:
Worried about being mugged?
Decided to give them tough love (you walk out, you’d buy the necessary kit)
Just downright ignorant?

*Does anyone actually ride without a pump? (or C02 cartridge)

Ignorant I think.

And yes I have found myself without a pump in the past, but now after 20 years of cycling I’m pretty good at remembering and checking 🙂

And yes I would stop and help, goes without saying. But then I am nice 🙂

pretty much never, I always stop and ask people who’ve broken down if they need anything unless they obviously look fine, just manners really.

“*Does anyone actually ride without a pump? (or C02 cartridge)”

Yes I do as I have servants who follow me around who carry pumps on their bikes 🙂

To be fair I often don’t take a pump unless I know I’m in the middle of no where and wouldnt be able to walk out/ride out in less than 1 hour.

Always always always offer help or ask if they need it regardless. I usually ask if they have everything they need.

One bloke broke my tyre levers and didn’t tell me though, that was in Woburn. And I lectured a guy I had to help on a very ‘upgraded’ road bike about not carrying a pump and lever/s. I actually told him to spend less on colour co ordinated parts and buy a pump, even if they don’t look cool.

I would stop and help and have done several times in the past.

I think I’ve only forgotten a pump once (had moved it out of the pack for some reason and forgot to put it back) but otherwise always carry one. It does surprise me when others don’t, but it doesn’t appear to be unusual. One of the admin staff in our office cycles in most days and pretty much never carries a pump or spare tube despite having been caught out several times in the past.

I always stop and help but not carrying a pump (particularly between 3 riders) and then asking other people is very inconsiderate. You should really walk back to your car or home and refuse any offers of help.

Yep I stop, although someone did once ask if I had a pump, and all I had was one CO2 cannister with 40 miles or so to ride, which I (probably selfishly) wasn’t prepared to give him!

I must say it happened to me once; had 3 punctures in a wet road ride and only 2 tubes. A chap promptly stopped and gave me a tube, I was rather embarrased, and very grateful to him!

broke my tyre levers

stainless steel dinner knives, best tyre levers ever!

Actually my piss is coming to the boil on this one. I think if you can’t be arsed to carry a pump, but are prepared to ask a passer by or a buddy then you should have your pants pulled down and your bum smacked.

I always cycle past. Theres not much point in stopping to help as I never carry tools myself and would probably make the situation worse as I have zero ability in bicycle mechanics.

I did lend a chap at glentress my chain tool. He was obviously a bit of a mong as he couldnt use it properly and he broke it. He didnt tell me either, which was annoying when I needed to use it a couple of weeks later.

9 times out of ten if I see anyone stopped in mid repair I’ll slow down/stop and ask them if they are ok or if they’ve got everything they need.

The type of bike is generally irrelevant as anybody can forget a pump from time to time. But I do tend to look more kindly on folk with low end bikes, the chances are that they are dipping their toe in the world of cycling and either don’t have the experience to know how to fix a mechanical or don’t realise what repair kit they should probably ride with.

I’ve had people stop for me and although mostly I don’t need the help I do very much appreciate the offer.

[edit] I’ve even had one fella pull his car over at the side of the road and ask if I need a lift to the local bike shop, which although I declined, raised my spirits quite a bit.

Always carry a pump, and a puncture kit as a bare minimum.

you should have your pants pulled down and your bum smacked.

Would save me paying for that service………. 😳

I always offer help and spares, it’s good karma. They might get gentle lecture if they are obviously unprepared.

Would save me paying for that service

Just part of my roadside manner. AA RAC S&M.

I always offer help if I see a cyclist struggling with a puncture or a mechanical

‘You OK, need anything?’

Last tube I donated to a snakebite victim on the top of the Malverns, resulted me being forced to drink some decent real ale at the Nags for free!

A tube for a decent beer seemed like a good trade to me at the time (what I can remember) 😉

How many of you have a mate that never has any repair kit?

I have one, after all these years I’m still not sure if he’s taking the piss or simply incompetent.

I always hope they don’t accept my offer of help when they have bolt on wheels, not carried a spanner since the seventies.

i helpd some guy once, saw the same guy the other way out side the pub where we were going to have a pint, and he got me really quite drunk for nowt 🙂

I’d always stop. Also depends on the area. Sometimes your otters senses tingle and tell you to motor on past…..

I’ve even had one fella pull his car over at the side of the road and ask if I need a lift to the local bike shop, which although I declined, raised my spirits quite a bit.

when i was about 12 the guy from Truro cycles stoped and fixed my chain for me 🙂

How many of you have a mate that never has any repair kit?

We probably all have. I’m at the point of saying ‘no spares no ride’ for our club runs, though that makes me sound like a ‘blazer’. Tube/lever/Co2 how much room does that take up?

I would also ask if they needed help. FWIW, I’ve been stuck on a ride when my pump failed (crap Topeak GRRRR).

I’ve got to pick this up though

for all intense and purpose.

LOL. Almost as good as hearing someone saying he heard a rumour on the ‘great divine’. 😆

I always ask stopped cyclists if they need help, or tools etc. most of the time they’ve just stopped and there’s nothing wrong, but it’s nice to be nice. I stopped for a couple on Friday and forgot to unclip…rather embarrasing when they’d only meeting each other!

To be fair to them, I think they expected the fourth (or mule) to come along, and were left unprepared when he dropped out at the last moment. This meant they didn’t think about whether or not they’d got all the kit they needed.

Personnally I just don’t think about it, I’ll always ask if ppl are ok & help if I can, even roadies!

Right at the start of my mtb experience I broke my chain in the same wood, and had no tools (wouldn’t have known how to use it even if I had) and spent the next 3hrs walking out (didn’t know the wood well either). I bought the tools I needed and now carry everything I might need, every ride.

We (skiprat/podge) came across two lads on decent bikes who hadn’t brought any spare tubes so we gave them abit of tough love. I removed the inner tube and one of the lads put a puncture repair on whilst we watched/waited and then I showed him how to reinsert the tube/tyre.

It was a fair wait but personally if someone did this for me (even though I **** up) I’d be very appreciative.

I’ve even been known to stop my car and offer help to someone stranded by the roadside.

I have completely changed a tube for a stranded lass and recommended she get the relevant tools and tubes ASAP.

Also got asked once if I had a shock pump on me, which for some reason I did at the time.

The lad ontop of Ladybower with the full carbon Mojo susser the other week was abit irritated with me though when I asked if he needed help. Maybe because I asked him infront of his young son and it dented his pride? 😆

When I was a lot younger I used to ride without any form of tools, pump etc and low and behold I got a puncture … so I started pushing my bike back home and after about 20mins some dude stopped and I asked if I was okay. He then helped me fix my puncture with his puncture repair kit which was amazing! So from then on I always ask if cyclists need help if they look as though they are in need!

Like most I stop. Not always a karma experience though – I leant/ gave a lad my last tube and CO2 (I’d already used one of each myself earlier) when I met him at the side of the road in pouring rain thinking I’d only got 10miles left to home myself so no bother….. the last 7 of those (when the rain had really started to come down so hard it was bouncing back) walking like a total mincer with road cleats on was not a lot of fun 😥

They only time I’ve regretted stopping to help is when I stopped to fixed a young DHers chain at Fort William.

I got absolutely eaten alive by midges!

A few weeks back on an evening training ride, I asked a bloke if he was okay as he was stood by the roadside bransdishing a cosmic carboned up Ti road bike.
He said he was and was waiting for his mates, and get this…he said we’ll see you soon. The cheeky ****er.

Very rarely stop if asked – what am I, the AA? – but I’ll stop and offer assistance if whoever it is obv in trouble.

Although I did stop last summer when a vision in lycra asked me if I would pump her tyre for her 🙂

Very rarely stop if asked – what am I, the AA?

A **** by the sound of things!

NB I only have your post to go on.

if you are out on the trails, then its simply the decent thing to do to ask if folk are ok and if they need anything. anyone can forget pump, spare tubes etc. also some folk dont know how to use chain tools, or powerlinks etc. You can help someone out and teach them how to fix their bikes. maybe that person will go on to help someone else. Maybe one day you will need help.
If you would just ride past someone out on the trails, then quite frankly you are a terrible human being.

“for all intense and purpose” sniggers
…reminds me of that episode of the IT crowd…

I was pushing my bike along the road from Champery DH to Champery and a van stopped and the driver asked if i needed help. He squeezed my bike in the back between a whole load of Lappiere’s and I got in the front. It took me about a minute before I realised it was Nico Vouilloz.

Nobody should be too ignorant to help a fellow MTB’er

Wow. Genuine Wow. 🙂

I usually ask if people are okay as it doesn’t hurt to be polite and on a couple of occasions I’ve been able to save someone a long walk by bodging a repair for them or giving them a powerlink or what have you.

That said, yesterday I had a bit of an off on the road bike and was trying to fix a messed up mech. 10-15 riders passed in ones and twos and nobody even acknowledged me apart from the wag who shouted “Nice one Cadel” as I was wearing a BMC jersey.