Would you have helped this guy?
 

Yesterday, I'm on a fairly tough climb. About 3 miles from the top, I run into a guy walking his bike. I ask if he has what he needs. He has a flat and is totally unprepared. However, there are people waiting for him at the top. It was over 100 degrees, but it would have been less at our elevation. Still quite hot.

I carry 2 tubes and 3 CO2, so I could have helped him. Nonetheless, I decided to let him hike. My logic was:

1. This hike won't kill him, and he'll learn a lesson at a time that it's not dangerous
2. With a little bad luck, I might actually need the tube I give him
3. I'm much further from home and have no one waiting for me. I do not want to hike in that heat if there's a risk of running out of water

I would probably do the same thing as a solo rider - nothing wrong with tough love in this situation.

Certainly if the victim was part of my group I would help - but really his group should be looking out for him and he should be prepared with the basics. I'm pretty sure this guy will be carrying a spare tube from now on, which may save him from a tougher situation in the future.

Help him then ask one of his friends to replace whatever you supplied to help him. Maybe his friends will
give him enough grief so that he will not ride unprepared next time. ;)

Or just help him and go on your way knowing good karma will come back your way.

What goes around, comes around. Hopefully, one day you will be trapped with a broken down vehicle and someone will teach you a lesson!! You are a real WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bread upon the waters. . .

Helping is a good default choice* and relieves anyone the mental ambiguity issues resulting from NOT having helped.

* - Note to self.

Hey genius, the guy said he had friends just up the road waiting for him. Now, if he was alone, no phone, etc....and the OP said "**** 'em", that would be one thing. But, sometimes people need to learn things the hard way.

Yeah, I would have helped.

how did you know there were people waiting for him at the top? did the guy mention that?

This is what I would have done and have done before.

+1

On flat, level ground the average human walks 4 mph, making for a 45 minute walk over 3 miles. Pushing his bike uphill, in extreme heat I would bet it'd take him an hour to reach his pack. On a bike he could cut that down to 15-20 min.

Are they really going to wait for him? If they actually are completely aware he's gearless then they MIGHT send someone back with a tube and pump. If not they might move on assuming he's fixing it and on his way.

Nonthless, it's no skin off my back to help him. Mighta met the president of some Fortune 500 who wants to give you a bomb-ass job.

I stopped and helped a guy, turned out he worked for a competing investment firm and possibly had a 6 figure job for me. I didn't end up having enough experience and licensure, but that was dang close, all from giving a guy a tube and a pump!

i say yes because i was in that exact situation today, except i had no one waiting for me at the top.

-1 for not reading the original posty

I would have. I have acquired lots of good karma.

If the people waiting for him were out of sight, I would have helped with the condition that if they had the tube etc. they would replace what I used. If they were watching, I would say-get new riding buddies.

My general policy is to help -- in fact on that same climb I helped some people in a disabled vehicle (practically no one is out in the heat, and they all need help. Go figure). That's why I asked the question. In the end, I didn't because I figured that even in a worst case scenario, he would be fine in an hour.

Had there been no one waiting for him, there's no way I'd leave him in that kind of heat. I was also worried about getting a bit of bad luck for myself, since my wife is out of town and I was more than 40 miles from home.

For me, wide range of options all acceptable. Only one I would most likely have chosen is not on your list. That is: alert the guy's group at the top one of their's has a problem below.

Look at it this way, BJ . . . . . . if it was a hottie you would have helped her regardless. So why not help the dude?

Always do the right thing. :)






















Well, most of the time anyway. :o

Yes -- he volunteered that information without me asking. I would have asked anyway since the road dead ends and I would wonder why someone would take a disabled bike up the mountain rather than down back to the highway where they could get help.

I would have helped. No sense asking if the guy has what he needs if you don't help.

If his friends have to come back down the mountain, then why is he hiking to the top...maybe I wouldn't have helped, but I would have let his friends know he is waiting.

+1

BTW, I did see the same guy later. He was riding with two other guys who had probably dropped him before he started experiencing troubles. I met his buddies before I met him and didn't realize there was any connection.

I did not mention that in the original post because I was unaware they were together and I thought it clouded the issue of if I should have helped.

If I had 2 tubes and 3 CO2, I'd surely help him. Specially if he had road cleats. Have you ever walked 3 miles in road shoes or barefooted? :eek:

Now this.....is an excellent point....

You're obviously feeling guilty for not helping. Maybe next time you will, or at least offer. :)

In your defense, his buddies should have gone back down for him. You never leave anyone behind.

I went through something similar yesterday where I stayed with the back-end of a group of 40 because i was worried about leaving a specific rider behind. That person had a heart the size of a watermelon (metaphorically speaking) and he absolutely wanted to finish so I stuck with him pretty much all the way.

And he did finish. You never leave anyone behind.

In all fairness, I think 75% of the folks that answered yes here would not have helped.
It's too easy to say yes when you're typing from the comfort of your house.
I had a flat a few weeks ago and about 60 riders went past me and not one even asked if i had all that i needed. And yes, i had all my tools, but thats not the point here, its about ASKING and OFFERING.