Confession: I'm a terrible commuter
 

A few days ago I switched from a trunk rack bag to my backpack/shoulder pack bag (chrome metropolis). In the transition I didn't switch my tools or spare tubes over. I have new Armadillos so I wasn't to worried about it (I know, bad). So on my ride home yesterday I see a guy who is walking his bike on the sidewalk. I will always stop to help a fellow biker, but I didn't have my tools. I had absolutely nothing. So I kept going... just cruised on by. I thought about stopping to tell him I didn't have tools but then I thought that would be stupid. He'd of been like "yeah thanks a-hole" or something like that. But I think I was actually a bigger a-hole just riding on by not saying a damn thing. I feel bad.

A few weeks ago I stopped to help a homeless guy walking his bike with a poorly rigged trailer attached. He was trying to get out of the road, but his trailer was hung up on the curb. I smiled and offered a hand, but he cussed at me with a dirty look. Maybe it's just the thought that counts sometimes.

I rarely see other riders, but the unseasonable near-80*F weather has brought them out lately. Today I thought I'd have a rare chance to help someone when I saw a roadie on the side of the road with a tire off, but he was beyond help; he was running tubulars and the tire had simply exploded. Nothing I could do, he was about to call for a bail-out.

He was on a quite rough gravel road, with probably 23s. Glutton for punishment I guess. Even with the 32s I run, on 36 spoke cyclocross wheels, it's a rough road.

Kudos to you for offering. Don't let the poor response keep you from offering to help somebody else.

It is worse when you stop to offer help, and only then, discover that you forgot your tools.

Oh. I thought this was the confession thread for the not commuting mea culpas. My bad. (And no btw, I'm not anymore. I'm walking my 3km to the office these days.)

lesson learned, huh?

Kudo's for atleast thinkin' of helping out.

On the other hand though, i've seen to many riders (after stopping to help) that have absolutely no means to repair a damn thing..and sometimes wonder if they could if they had the means. I mean come on! you've got a bike worth two grand and can't toss a tool bag on it with the proper tools, tubes.

I'll still lend a helpin' hand but i'm done givin' away tubes or even patchin a tire if you atleast don't have these items. Nothin' like hamstringin' yourself!

I redeemed myself last night on the way home. I followed a biker for maybe a mile and then he stopped on the side of the road. Asked asked if "everything was cool" and he gave me the okie-dokie sign. So yeah, I felt good about that.

Everyone starts somewhere. I've been commuting for a year now, but am still learning to fix/maintain my bike. I've changed a tube on my bike precisely once, and it took 45 minutes, a lot of sweat, some cursing, and a beer ;) Luckily, if I pop a flat I can just fold my bike and flag a cab or catch a bus.

naa, stopping to help and then discovering that you forgot your stuff might have given the other guy a much needed laugh and assurance that he wasn't the only guy in the world with a spot of bad luck. Misery loves company. ;)

i think you are being too hard on yourself. a bad commuter is the girl who passed me on a path last spring and a few hundred yards later ran square into the back of female pedestrian knocking her flat on her face.

karma...

stopped on my commute last week while going up a hill on my route to clean my riding glasses (remember it was cool in the morning...) my eyes were tearing up badly with the wind. a guy pulled up in a pickup truck and offered to help. Of course I didn't need any but I did thank him graciously for the offer. better to be safe than sorry. he gets karma points for that one.

Didja give him a wave and a hearty, "Better you than me! HA HA!" as you rode off into the sunset? :)

I wasn't commuting, but I tried to help a girl last year, who's front brake had come apart. I couldn't tighten the brake cable clamp down, because I didn't have a wrench that would fit it. (wal-junk bikes are made weird) Turned out it wasn't far from her home, and her parents came by. I heard the girl's mother ball her out for "flagging down random strangers."

I hope I didn't get her in trouble. :(

That's sort of a grey area in our society. It's seems sort of taboo to help youngsters out. People might think your intentions aren't good, which totally sucks. A few creeps ruined it for everyone.