Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Thank You...

If you are one of the people who offered to help me on the Southwest Corridor (Boston) bike path this morning. I blew out my back tire and went to change it and low and behold I forgot my wrench. I sat there for a few minutes trying to think of a way to get my back wheel off but there was no hope. During this time about 10 roadies passed me and noboby offered to help which I understand. The first fixie rider that passed me stopped and asked me if I needed tools. Very nice girl. Helped me remove my wheel and left. (If you are reading this, thanks). As I was replacing the tube another 20 or so roadies passed me and only one asked me if I needed anything. When I pumped up the tube it popped (dammit). Of course it was the only one I had. At that point two more fixie riders passed me and asked me if I needed anything (thanks guys) but at this point I had given up. I walked my bike to Northeastern campus,locked it up and took the green line in the rest of the way.

The moral of the story is: Although fixie riders are widely looked upon as reckless and, in some cases, obnoxious jerks, they were by far the most kind and helpful people when I was in need. I feel great right now even though I had the crappiest commute of my life. It's good to know that we look out for eachother.

funny you mentioned that.

Whenever I see someone walking their bike, I take a quick peek..broken chain? flat? If so, I'll stop and ask if they need help. On the other hand, if it's one of the many aero-bar havin', litespeed ridin', walkin'-in-my-sox-cuz-my-carbon-cleats-will-get-ruined tri-geeks, no help for you!

hehehe...flame on!

Butting in- I have no fixie, but I do know what it's like to be a person in need and have no one stop. One day, it was raining and at the time, I had a problem with my flat tire. I wasn't really adept with changing tires, and I just had a sucky hand pump. I was struggling to get the rear tire off and people were passing me left and right without comment. Finally, this guy stopped and asked if I needed help. He'd passed me earlier when I was riding, and I knew he'd be on his way back, so in the back of my mind, I'd hoped he would be the one person who would stop for me. He was. He helped me change my wheel, pumped up my wheel as much as possible, then he even gave me a Clif Bar. All the time, he explained to me the best way to change the flat. After that, he rode off, and within 10 minutes, the rain really started coming down, and I felt terribly guilty that I'd held the guy up, but he did say that it was no problem. After that, I always carried my multitool tool kit, a couple of spare tubes, and the necessary tools to change a flat, and I said I would always pay it forward and help out if needed. Every time I see someone stopped on the path, regardless of whether they look like they have it under control or not, I always ask if they're ok. I've helped a few people, gave away a few inner tubes, patched a few more up, fixed chains, and in one case, helped a frantic lady affix her water bottle cage securely to the bike. Pay it forward, because you never know when you'll be in the same situation with people whizzing by you without comment and because it's the nice thing to do anyway! We're all in the same boat... on a bike!

Koffee

P.S. I saw that guy who helped me about a month later racing at the USPS National Criterium Championships, and I took his pictures for him, burned them onto a cd and dropped them off at his bike shop. I'm sure he was grateful someone took pictures of him racing!

On the other hand, if it's one of the many aero-bar havin', litespeed ridin', walkin'-in-my-sox-cuz-my-carbon-cleats-will-get-ruined tri-geeks, no help for you!

Why not? Just 'cos they have more money than sense or skill, just 'cos they don't fit into a 'cool' bracket, just 'cos they ride an expensive, off-the-rack, big-name bike, and not a lugged steel shoestring-budget one speed, no reason no to help 'em out. And certainly no reason to brand every single person that fits that description as a 'tri-geek'. Sure maybe some of them are obnoxious or rude or just plain dumb, but I bet if you talked to every one you met for 90 seconds, I guarentee that you'd talk to at least one of them for a lot longer. Don't be so quick to judge, and don't be so harsh when you do :)

in my experience dealing with hundreds of flats over the last 2 decades..i've NEVER had a roadie stop and offer assistance. Occassionally a commuter will stop. A tourer will always stop. I've even had bad-a$$ harley guys stop on occasion.

I still offer help to anyone i see on the side. I'm out to enjoy my day, not fool myself into thinking that a 2-minute break will lose the tour for me. Besides, maybe some-day they'll will grab a clue and offer help to another.

Regarding the tri-geek comment....in my experience, triathletes are far more helpful and sociable than the average rider; they just get a bad rep from those of us who are elitist because we scorn elitists.

Butting in- I have no fixie, but I do know what it's like to be a person in need and have no one stop. One day, it was raining and at the time, I had a problem with my flat tire. I wasn't really adept with changing tires, and I just had a sucky hand pump. I was struggling to get the rear tire off and people were passing me left and right without comment. Finally, this guy stopped and asked if I needed help. He'd passed me earlier when I was riding, and I knew he'd be on his way back, so in the back of my mind, I'd hoped he would be the one person who would stop for me. He was. He helped me change my wheel, pumped up my wheel as much as possible, then he even gave me a Clif Bar. All the time, he explained to me the best way to change the flat. After that, he rode off, and within 10 minutes, the rain really started coming down, and I felt terribly guilty that I'd held the guy up, but he did say that it was no problem. After that, I always carried my multitool tool kit, a couple of spare tubes, and the necessary tools to change a flat, and I said I would always pay it forward and help out if needed. Every time I see someone stopped on the path, regardless of whether they look like they have it under control or not, I always ask if they're ok. I've helped a few people, gave away a few inner tubes, patched a few more up, fixed chains, and in one case, helped a frantic lady affix her water bottle cage securely to the bike. Pay it forward, because you never know when you'll be in the same situation with people whizzing by you without comment and because it's the nice thing to do anyway! We're all in the same boat... on a bike!

Koffee

P.S. I saw that guy who helped me about a month later racing at the USPS National Criterium Championships, and I took his pictures for him, burned them onto a cd and dropped them off at his bike shop. I'm sure he was grateful someone took pictures of him racing!

that post has brought tears to my eyes :cry: - the next person I see broken down now I will stop and help out

Promise? I'm gonna hold you to that, now! So don't you forget, and help out anyone, whether they're riding a road bike, fixie, or recumbent!

There was a guy that needed help on another path when I was riding in Italy. I don't speak hardly any Italian, but he needed serious help. I was fully loaded with my bike, but I stopped anyway after I observed him asking for help from multiple cyclists who just proceeded to help. I had my multitool, and I got his chain detangled from the derailleur and back onto the chainring, then we tested it, and it road well. I just remember him saying "mille grazie!" over and over again, and I felt real good when I road off- I even offered him wet wipes to wipe the grease off his chain! He was grateful, and we were both amused... he spoke no english, and I spoke no italian, but it was all good in our books.

Koffee

i have to admit - i help people selectively. because i live in a city where EVERYONE needs some kind of help all the time, i have to pick and choose. if someone is in the middle of manhattan i'm not going to stop and help them with their flat. there are subways, taxies, bike shops, etc.. all over the place. they can help themselves at that point. if it's along a long lonely strech of road then i'll always stop and ask if they need help. no matter what kind of bike it is.

I haven't come across anyone on the side of the road or on a bike path needing help. I have helped people coming out of department stores or looking at bikes and stuff though. One time, a lady noticed my bike in the back seat and proceeded to ask me about bikes and what kind I would recommend for her intended use. I recommended she not buy a bike from Walmart but go to one of the LBSes in the area. She was pretty thankful Another time I saw a couple trying to stuff a newly purchased Walmart Schwinn into their trunk. I offered to help them take the wheesls off but they said they were good to go. By the time they drove off the bike was more thatn halfway sticking out of the runk with a mile of rope keeping it in place.

If I saw someone in need of assistance, I'd probably stop to help in any way I could. Mind you, I don't carry much spare stuff, barely enough for myself if I needed it. Hmmm, perhaps I need to start carrying more of the essentials like extra tubes, patches and stuff.

I always offer help. ever since a commuter offered it to me. You've gotta love the guys with racks and packs, they've always got tools in there, and they love to help. Plus it feels good to roll up to someone who's just looking at their bike with that sad "my baby is hurt" look in their eyes and help them get her back rolling again. I've done it a couple times on the bike path and once to help out a messenger in the middle of a delivery, who didn't have a spare tube. That was the fastest i've ever seen a tire changed ;)

Sometimes help goes to far though, like yesterday -- i was asked to "help" my sister change a flat on her vintage 1982 trek road bike (pretty neat to look at, its got engraved deraillers, which i'd never seen) -- it turned into a three hour tour -- a trip for new rim strips, another for new tires since my spare 700c's wouldn't fit her rims, two hours *cutting* the old tires off (they'd been on the bike since 82 i think) and fighting to get the new ones on the rim and seated, and then re-taping her bars for her. I'm glad to help her, but that turned into a project... :):):)

From here on out I'm carrying at least 2 tubes with me. A valuable lesson was learned from my experience yesterday. Always carry more than one. If not for you then for someone else.