Acknowledging fellow cyclists?

[kj92]

Yes, live backing into a Sustrans route and have given out at least 20 inner tubes to people I see pushing their bikes over the years, in fact likely more. I have had a nice thank you letter once, and despite most promising to return another new one or pop some money back none have.

What is the expectation on the return? Do you give them your details so they can sort you out with cash? I'd rather be totally honest and just be so grateful with an "Are you sure? That's so generous" 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

[roley poley]

You've got me. I'm stumped 😂

an old clarion cycle club call

 

[screenman]

What is the expectation on the return? Do you give them your details so they can sort you out with cash? I'd rather be totally honest and just be so grateful with an "Are you sure? That's so generous" 🤷🏼‍♀️

They always come into my garage, often will have a cuppa and a bit of cake whilst I change the tube, the last one a guy from 10 miles away even got a new spare as well to take with him. I now expect not to get a return but it certainly will not put me off helping when I can. I have most size tubes in stock at all times from 20inch to 29. I am a cyclist through and through and I will never see another one in difficulty without offering help.

 

[kj92]

They always come into my garage, often will have a cuppa and a bit of cake whilst I change the tube, the last one a guy from 10 miles away even got a new spare as well to take with him. I now expect not to get a return but it certainly will not put me off helping when I can. I have most size tubes in stock at all times from 20inch to 29. I am a cyclist through and through and I will never see another one in difficulty without offering help.

Aah you have your own establishment? If that's the case then fair play to you. The surrounding cyclists are very lucky to have you about!

 

[mudsticks]

I'll say hello to all and sundry whether I'm on my bike or walking- though some people do look genuinely surprised. The further you are from civilisation the more likely people are to reply.

it's probably a Northern thing + there's not as many people about, and we dare to look people in the eye up here!

Not just Northern, there's plenty of saying hello down here too.

I think you generally get back what you give out.

But it can happen that some folks are just having a bad day / life, so they won't return a greeting - that's OK too.

Ha Ha, yes I meant offering to help out a lone women whose bicycle has broken/punctured etc.. The local plod (and my wife) may have something to say if I start approaching lone females for no apparent reason who don't even have a bike.

Ive been offered (and accepted) help on multiple* occasions - it's fine so long as the approach isn't creepy, or patronising.
It's nothing to do with 'chivalry' or any of that stuff, it's just offering help to a fellow human being, who may be experiencing difficulty.

I've offered (and given) help to other cyclists, many times too.

It's not that difficult to work out how to proceed really

* although I've gone tubeless now so roadside repairs are less frequent these days.

 

[screenman]

Aah you have your own establishment? If that's the case then fair play to you. The surrounding cyclists are very lucky to have you about!

It is my house, which happens to overlook the Sustrans summer route at Bardney, a few years ago the farmer that owns the land it runs through topped the track up with road chipping which included a lot of broken glass.

 

[Dogtrousers]

But I'd be happy to help if I saw anyone "broken down" as it were!

I always slow down and offer help for mechanicals. It's often been taken up, as I carry quite a lot of crap useful stuff with me. My approach on donating inner tubes or packets of instant patches is to ask the recipient to pop a few quid into a charity box of their choice.

But being waved and shouted at by total strangers gets on my wick. It's always a relief when the rider coming the other way is a fellow minder of their own business.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I want to put a slight twist on this topic by asking, would you always offer assistance to a cyclist in distress or only certain ones

Well, I've had a few very flat "no" replies to my cheery enquiry as to whether someone would like help. Just last week I was riding along a track and there was a man with obvious tyre issues, tube partly out, him staring at it... I called out "do you have everything you need?" and he huffed a very teenager-like "I'm fine" while simultaneously looking at me like I'd urinated on his children.

So I don't know now... I suspect a few riders might take an offer as an affront to their bike mechanic ninja abilities!

 

[JtB]

It's been a long time since we've had one of these threads, a good 3 months or so I think.
@ianrauk time for another 'kerching'.

Just curious, what does kerching mean? Someone always says this when there’s a “Wave to cyclists” type of thread.

 

[vickster]

They always come into my garage, often will have a cuppa and a bit of cake whilst I change the tube, the last one a guy from 10 miles away even got a new spare as well to take with him. I now expect not to get a return but it certainly will not put me off helping when I can. I have most size tubes in stock at all times from 20inch to 29. I am a cyclist through and through and I will never see another one in difficulty without offering help.

And not one of these cyclists has been carrying any cash at all to offer to pay for the tube and help Even if you choose not to accept it

 

[screenman]

And not one of these cyclists has been carrying any cash at all to offer to pay for the tube and help Even if you choose not to accept it

If offered I always refuse to take, the point that gets me is the cyclist who promise to return a tube and never do, this topic has reminded me I need some more 700c tubes as the last one i took off of one of the bike bags. I am certainly not worried about the costs involved more the unreliability of people sticking to their word.

 

[screenman]

Just taking this photo of the Sustrans route seen from my lounge.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Just curious, what does kerching mean? Someone always says this when there’s a “Wave to cyclists” type of thread.

It's basically Cycle Chat bingo, invoked when a common subject comes up. The "kerchinger" is in effect saying "oh here's this all-too-often discussed subject yet again, I can mark it off my bingo card".

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just curious, what does kerching mean? Someone always says this when there’s a “Wave to cyclists” type of thread.

If I had a penny for every time this subject was raised, I'd be a millionaire. It's the sound of another penny going into the jar.

 

[DaveReading]

If I had a penny for every time this subject was raised, I'd be a millionaire. It's the sound of another penny going into the jar.

Originally the sound that an old-style cash register supposedly makes.