7bmwm3gtr

Not a big deal really.

For the last day of the month, i rode about 58 Miles, the last 28 with a friend. But before I met up with my friend, i was "camping" around the first few thousand feets of a long stretch of about 5-7 Miles. This stretch of road is open to cyclists and pedestrians and skaters and as long as you are not on a motorcycle or car then you're free to come. It is called Bicycle Sunday, hence the name.

So I saw a man who was on the side of the road changing his tire. He looked fine the first 3-5 Laps i was riding.

After numerous laps I was taking he was making phone calls. Then it was about 40 Minutes later when i realized something had to be wrong. A few minutes later, he started walking in the bike lane.

I asked him if anything was wrong, and just like I expected, he needed a spare tube.

Luckily, I had one, and since i've never got a flat tire I just gave him it, and he was thankful.

The man was a little old to me. Maybe early 50's to early sixties. I didn't want him to walk 3-5 Miles to his car in cleats. So i felt really good about that =)

But i couldn't believe I was the first to offer a tube, and there are hundreds of cyclists who pass by on the same road. This makes me concerned about if I got a flat, would anyone on the same road help me out if i popped my spare tube already, or forgot to bring one?

RedWhiteandRed

The indomitable strength of the human spirit.

Element GT

lol. hey that guy probably need help...

(45 minutes later)

"Hey! Do you need help?"

Hartlin

You're on your own if you get a flat. Nature is cruel!

joeld0710

good for you more people like you keeps society healthy

RacerOne

Probably everybody else thought the same thing you did, then passed along. Good for you, have a cookie.

operator

I usually make it a point to at least slow down and ask if they're o.k/need help if they're on the side of the road.

ls0725

I read your post and noted that you had free time, 'camping around', doing laps. The variable here is - would you have stopped to offer help if you were running late to meet your friend? or on a schedule with a chore/task to do after your ride? With that in mind, you may understand why other people did not offer to help.

kudude

ditto

pop out the earphone, 'got everything?' and keep going. never had anyone ask for help, but I'd stop if they seemed like they needed it

Caad 8

This. On my weekday morning rides, I have to be back by an hour or so, so I can get ready for my class.

ls0725

EXACTLY what I was mentioning.

ckelly49

Nice to help the guy out, but you could have saved him 39 minutes of wondering what to do had you asked when you first noticed him.

nahh

Good for you! Every time I ask a cyclist if they need help they always act weirded out and standoffish. I still do it though... and I'm friendly about it. I just don't think they expect it.

I've considered stopping when I see a cyclist on the side of the road when I'm driving, but I'm thinking they might freak out. They've have to be really observant to see the Park Tool and Bike the US for MS stickers on my truck.

...perhaps I should put a SAG sticker on it...

RacerOne

Frankly where I live I've never passed anyone on the side of the road with a bike, I might be too flustered to say anything at all.

7bmwm3gtr

I understand that, but there were hundreds of cyclists on the road, i would've expected at least 10 to ask him if anything's wrong. And it took less than a minute to give him the tube. And if I was in a hurry, I would've still gave him the tube and tell him I was in a hurry. He knows how to change a flat tire, he has all the necessary tubes, so it was okay.

FR4NCH1SE

Nice Job, now buy another tube, reminds me I need to buy one myself for long distance riding.

ls0725

Well I was trying to avoid saying it but I guess 'most' people don't care and cyclist know this. If you look at the reaction posts above and from experience the cyclist-in-trouble's first reaction on many instances is to be defensive, suspicious, freaked out, etc.

But what the heck, you did a good deed and may it multiply.

DRietz

I too ask people I see on the side of the road if they need help. Especially on one of the more popular mountain biking trails around. Lots of people on their walmart bikes have issues, and I'm glad to help. On the road, most people I encounter have such serious issues (i.e. so big neither them nor I could fix it right there) that they just need to borrow the phone.

rollin

20 something years ago I was stranded on the side of a road with the third puncture of the ride. Not too many options except a very long walk.

A guy in a (very nice) car pulls up, tells me he's in a hurry, doesn't have a spare tube but does have his racing wheels in the back of his car.

Gets out a tubular wheel, which was worth considerably more than my bike, swaps out the wheels, writes down his address and tells me to get it back to him before the following weekend as he has a race.

Then drives off.

I still have that wheel....
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.
.
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No I'm kidding. I went over the next day to return the wheel, he gives me my wheel back, having fixed the puncture and trued it for me!

As a teenager this all made quite an impression on me.

Pay it forward.

Fixitman

Good grief ... I would not want anyone to have to walk 3-5 miles in their cleats, but what has being over 50 got to do with it.

Cactuskid

You fool, I bet he sold the Tube for beer money!








Kidding, around my area you cant stop and fart without someone asking if you need help.

mzeffex 

Wow, that's crazy. He just gives you a really nice wheel and expects you to return it! That would never happen today. At least not here.

awesomejack

holy cow, that is one of the nicest things I've ever heard. Even if he had enough money to replace it without worrying, it would take alot of kindness to get out and give a stranger a wheel.

ls0725

Over 50 and in cleats can walk only 1-2 miles, wont reach their destination.

kudude

wow.