This is more of a rant than anything else, so if you don't like it, just ignore me.

Yesterday I was coming back from the store (was on my fixed gear/beater/crap bike) wearing street clothes and halfway up a climb I got a flat tire. Annoying, but not a big deal, right? I pull over to the side, get out the patch kit and start fixing it. While I have the rear wheel off the bike, lying on the ground two people pass me, a few minutes apart. One is a roadie in a full team kit (riding slowly, solo), the other looks like a student riding home from class. The roadie completely ignores me while the student slows down and asks if I need help. Now, I know it is just a flat tire and I didn't need any help, but one of the things that drew me into cycling in the first place was the sense of community amongst the random cyclist you meet out on the street. I know there are exceptions, but why is it anyone you see wearing a team kit won't stop to give you the time of day? (note: I am not talking about a group ride, or team training ride, but a SINGLE rider) You weren't even going that fast, how hard is it to shout out 'need some help?' I wonder if I was wearing my cycling gear and had another of my bikes if the roadie would have asked if he could help...

I mean, how hard is it to wave (or even just nod) at a fellow cyclist you pass? Is it that big of a deal to stop and try to help someone who has broken down? If you are on a training ride that is different, but this guy was going all of 10mph and did not look like he was in training mode...Cycling should be a community, shouldn't it?

Riding both, I notice the friendly attitude is much more prevalent with motorcyclists than bicyclists. Most bicyclists I run across won't even give a look of acknowledgement.

Oh freaking get over it. Do you complain when you get a flat in your car and only 1 out of every hundred cars driving by stop to see if you need a hand? People are people, whether they ride a bike or not.

The guy probably figured you had it well in hand and cycling isn't a community or a social club...it's riding a bike. If you want a community, you found it here at BF, but one should not expect every one on a bike to be your buddy, hold your hand and sing kumbuya out on the street.

You've got the patch kit out, the wheel off, and and are fixing the flat. Did the roadie not see you, or did he see that you were well on your way towards fixing it yourself.

Either way, you probably should have finished up, gotten back on, caught up to him, and put your pump in his spokes.

That'd learn him for being so aloof.

Then again, 10mph in full team kit? Perhaps he was experiencing difficulties of his own.

Maybe he was in a hurry.

It's a Pittsburgh thing, never happens here in Cleveland.

I'm pretty good about offering help-even in full race kit (hell even once during a race)- but if you've got the job halfway done it's quite reasonable to assume you've got the task well in hand. So, the question is: did you need any help? If not, the roadie may have enough experience to properly assess the situation.

Unless someone was hurt I wouldn't offer any help nor would I expect any. I think cyclist should ride with some basic tools and knowledge to take care of minor issues.

This is exactly the attitude that annoys me. I personally can fix anything that goes wrong on the road, but what is the big deal with being friendly?

Where did this cold, superior attitude come from that if you break down and don't know how to fix it yourself you are SOL?

Silly me...when I go out for a ride on my bike I thought I was either going someplace or just out for a ride...now I find out that I am supposed to act like some kind of rolling chatter box and try to make friends with everyone I see.

GROW UP, JUNIOR.

Turn down the sensitivity.

Carry one one these.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...&ct=image&cd=1

So being a decent person means I need to grow up? Sorry for being friendly. Maybe when I 'grow up' I can ignore anyone that needs help too. This annoys me as much as people who just drive by someone on a highway with smoke pouring out of their hood...

I try my best to wave, or at least nod to other riders in memphis, or out on the trail. But you never know his side of the story, Everybody's got that day where its just not in the cards to give a ****. Hell if he was on a road bike in full gear and only doing 10 mph there most have been something up. I know if I'm in full gear I'm busting my butt, If I'm just going for a loaf of bread I'll ride in my blue jeans. So I guess what I'm saying is maybe you should let the ocasional ass whole slide, maybe his girl just cheated on him with a big black man or something.......

It's coming from you. YOU are seeing this in a bad way.

Isn't it precisely during times like a flat where the 'One' would extol us to sacrifice, put naked self-interest aside and pull together? Gee, I feel better already.

You being friendly isn't the problem, it's expecting the world to be all Ned Flanders just so you can feel good about yourself, then whining about it when the big bad world ain't the utopia you wanted. So someone didn't drop everything to help you...big freakin deal, welcome to the real world.

Yeah, you need help alright, but it ain't about fixing a flat.

Does anyone else see the irony in getting mad/annoyed at people not being friendly? Make no assumptions and you won't be disappointed.

So the 'real world' means you have to be an a**? I will remember this before I stop to help next time someone else has a problem!

Thanks for the education

My self I would stop and ask, for some esp on a hill might have a hard time stopping and or starting again on a hill, maybe the kit guy cant do hills well.

I pay ahead and help all I can, when I can. if I make a friend good if I dont oh well.

Well, last time I had a flat on a popular bike trail, about 8 people on bikes asked if I needed anything. Last few times I've had bike flats beside the road, nobody in cars has asked. Ever. It happens.

If the guy wasn't carrying flat-fixing stuff with him, there may not have been anything he COULD do to help.

Sometimes I offer assistance and sometimes I dont. It all depends on if I'm in a hurry or not. Maybe the roadie was simply in a hurry and couldn't afford the time to stop.

No, cycling shouldn't be a community. It is sometimes, but it isn't sometimes too. The kitted rider owes you nothing. When shopping in the store to you say hi to everyone you pass in the aisle?

Most motorcyclists aren't grunting to get up that hill.

+1

Yeah, even if he wasn't going fast, maybe he had his reasons. Maybe he was riding a solo century and had a ways to go before dark. It's not like he owes you anything.

Absolutely. The OP? Not so much. It's almost funny.

Read the first line of my first post and tell me what it says. I will say it again, if you don't like what I said, just ignore me. Obviously the point I was trying to make flew right past you...