Stopped to help a cyclist
04-08-09, 08:58 PM
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Stopped to help a cyclist
While traveling the lakefront MUP in Chicago a guy with a road bike was standing along the path looking a little confused as he tried to remove his rear wheel. I slowed and asked him if he was ok, "Flat" was the reply. So I swung by and asked if he had supplies and he said "No".
So I stopped, took out my pump, tire irons and a new tube.
I gave him the tire irons, but soon realized he had never used a set successfully.
So I removed the tire, changed the tube and reinstalled the tire. He was only able to take my tube from the package and do some of the pumping to inflate the tube.
While we were finishing, he says. "This is great, not only do I get home, but someone else did all the work!" Then he says "sorry I have nothing to offer you?" I'm thinking ...sure...
I rolled off, a little worst for the experience.
Is it always like this?
So I stopped, took out my pump, tire irons and a new tube.
I gave him the tire irons, but soon realized he had never used a set successfully.
So I removed the tire, changed the tube and reinstalled the tire. He was only able to take my tube from the package and do some of the pumping to inflate the tube.
While we were finishing, he says. "This is great, not only do I get home, but someone else did all the work!" Then he says "sorry I have nothing to offer you?" I'm thinking ...sure...
I rolled off, a little worst for the experience.
Is it always like this?
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 04-08-09 at 09:08 PM.
04-08-09, 09:04 PM
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He was trying to take off his flat rear wheel when he didn't have any supplies to fix it with? My guess is you'll probably see him stranded again soon. You can smile and wave when you ride by.
04-08-09, 09:05 PM
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Look at it this way: you did your good deed for the day/week/month, and got a bit of karma in the bank for the next time you need it. 
-DR
-DR
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04-08-09, 09:08 PM
#4
like we used to say
Agreed about the karma, and yes, it's always like that. Maybe dude learned something. Maybe not. What did you learn?
04-08-09, 09:12 PM
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Always tell them to pay it forward as payment.
04-08-09, 09:14 PM
#6
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I'm wondering if he actually had a spare tube and was too lazy, stupid and cheap to use it!
Should I have asked more questions before just helping the guy?
Michael
Should I have asked more questions before just helping the guy?
Michael
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
04-08-09, 09:21 PM
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one can only hope he was so embarrassed that he had nothing to say. we all know better, but it was good for karma. +1
04-08-09, 09:25 PM
#8
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No, you did fine. Maybe he will help someone else down the road. Maybe someone will help you down the road. Or maybe you just did something nice for another human being and that will be the end of it. No matter which, you did good and that is cool. 
04-08-09, 09:27 PM
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So what, a five dollar tube. Maybe he should have helped, maybe he had no idea what he was doing. Either way you helped out a fellow human, just feel good about it.
04-08-09, 09:27 PM
#10
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Yeah.. move on..
It's not worth it to think about it too much.
Thanks
It's not worth it to think about it too much.
Thanks
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
04-08-09, 09:35 PM
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At least he didn't jump on yer bike and ride off while you were fixing his.
04-08-09, 09:44 PM
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04-08-09, 09:45 PM
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04-08-09, 10:07 PM
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I think it's great you stopped to help the guy...but I'm curious what you were hoping for? The guy needed some help and you volunteered yourself and your supplies. If you didn't want to help him, why didn't you keep on trucking?
04-08-09, 10:18 PM
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I have a spare tire, tubes and a pump in the car along with some tools. Tire is used but has some mileage on it and tubes are mixture of patched and new. They are so the wife can come rescue me if I go through everything in my seat pack or for me to give away to stranded cyclists.
04-08-09, 10:22 PM
#17
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 04-08-09 at 10:25 PM.
04-08-09, 11:07 PM
#18
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Now I know what to do next time I get a flat: stand around, look clueless, and get somebody else to do all the work! 
When I stop to help people, I generally let them do all the work while I coach. I hate changing my own flats, so it's hard for me to get excited about doing it for someone else. And while I'm happy to hand out pre-glued patches to strangers, I generally keep tubes to myself unless absolutely required. If the person seems completely clueless, I'll let them know what tools I carry, where they can buy their own, and how much they cost.
When I stop to help people, I generally let them do all the work while I coach. I hate changing my own flats, so it's hard for me to get excited about doing it for someone else. And while I'm happy to hand out pre-glued patches to strangers, I generally keep tubes to myself unless absolutely required. If the person seems completely clueless, I'll let them know what tools I carry, where they can buy their own, and how much they cost.
04-09-09, 03:28 AM
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I'm in the same boat as sstorkel, I would help/coach and give up a few patches vs. giving up a tube. Main reason is that if I get a flat I need to replace my gear and go so I can get home safe.
You did a good thing by helping the guy but I think you doing all the work was the wrong approach... Though it may have taken more time by having this guy fumble around, he would have learned more by having you walk him through it.
V
You did a good thing by helping the guy but I think you doing all the work was the wrong approach... Though it may have taken more time by having this guy fumble around, he would have learned more by having you walk him through it.
V
04-09-09, 03:42 AM
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If you carry pathes next time patch the tube instead of giving away your spare. That way you have a tube of your own if you need it and the patches cost about 25cents each. Honestly the guy was probably embarassed he didn't know what he was doing, at times we say stupid things when we are embarassed.
04-09-09, 04:33 AM
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You did good. Karma is real in my opinion, but either way you helped someone who at least appeared to be in need.Good On Ya, as our Aussie friends would say.
04-09-09, 05:23 AM
#22
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Do good deeds for the sake of doing good deeds. You helped someone else get home so the warm fuzzies should be plenty enough. Course if his smart remark about you doing all the work and having nothing to offer in return really upset you you should have took your pump off the nozzle, pressed it in and said something like "What, I can't hear you with all this air rushing out of the valve". Or be a real prick and "accidentally" rip the stem out of the tube with your frame pump.
So why didn't you just patch the other guy's tube? I'm always happy to help another cyclist but I'll be darned if I'll give my spare tube unless it is absolutely necessary.
So why didn't you just patch the other guy's tube? I'm always happy to help another cyclist but I'll be darned if I'll give my spare tube unless it is absolutely necessary.
04-09-09, 05:55 AM
#23
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If you carry pathes next time patch the tube instead of giving away your spare. That way you have a tube of your own if you need it and the patches cost about 25cents each. Honestly the guy was probably embarassed he didn't know what he was doing, at times we say stupid things when we are embarassed.
Michael
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 04-09-09 at 06:33 AM.
04-09-09, 06:35 AM
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, you did a good deed. But did you wave?
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
04-09-09, 07:04 AM
#25
aka Phil Jungels
Yep, you did well.
Buttttt, I would have alt least asked if he had a spare.
Then my patch kit would have come out - at the very least he would have gotten a lesson on how to remove and patch correctly. Even if he only watched.
Hey - you running the Easter Bunny down this year?
Buttttt, I would have alt least asked if he had a spare.
Then my patch kit would have come out - at the very least he would have gotten a lesson on how to remove and patch correctly. Even if he only watched.
Hey - you running the Easter Bunny down this year?