Originally Posted by
Saintly Loser
Funny story -- last summer I was riding, solo, from Manhattan to Nyack (a popular weekend day ride for lots of city-bound cyclists here in NYC). On the return leg of the trip, I came a cross a woman with a flat. She too was riding solo. She had no patch kit, no pump, no spare tube, no tools, nothing. I guess this would be expected from a novice cyclist (although novice cyclists don't usually attempt 50-60 mile rides solo), but she was riding an expensive carbon-fiber bike, was fully kitted out in cycling gear, and appeared extremely fit, and as I worked on her flat, talked about other long rides she'd been on, including a bunch of New York group or charity rides. I don't think she was a novice.
Anyway, I patched her tube for her, pumped it up, and off she rode. She actually told me, as I was working on her tube, that she'd never patched a tube and had no idea how it was done. I wonder if she really was that clueless, or if she'd always just worked the "damsel in distress" routine and gotten other people to take care of her problems?
I distinctly remember the day I lost my girlish charm. I was in my late 20's, got a flat tire on my car, and waited for the inevitable male to stop and help me. He did, but instead of changing my tire, he insisted on teaching* me how to do it myself. I smiled throughout, but inwardly I was irritated. OK, I was actually pissed off.
I wish I could run into the guy now... I'd thank him and buy him lunch. It made me think about my reliance on men, made me watch my tire pressure better, taught me to become more self-sufficient in many areas of my life, and made me realize the day was coming where guys weren't going to be racing over to help me.
I'll bet I still think about this guy a couple times a year, 15 years later.
Thanks, Dude. Wherever you are.
Oh, and about the guy replacing your tube? Don't worry about it. You wouldn't have not helped him if you were worried he wouldn't replace it, right? Consider it a gift, forget about it, and be happy if he offers to replace it. He probably will, and if he doesn't-- well, you'll still help out the next person, right?