Helped a fellow cyclist out today

[liamsymonds]

Was doing my general commute to Tesco (as you do lol) and about 6 miles into it there was a poor guy on the side of the bike path with his seat all the way down and turned about 90 degrees to the right. He looked like he was having a pretty bad day and looked like a nice enough guy so I stopped (was going about 18mph at this point) and had a chat to him.

He said that his seat had become loose at work and was on his way home when it suddenly fell and rotated. Now, if he carried on he'd pretty much be eating his knees so I let him borrow my multi tool that I carry in my bag.

Took him about 5 minutes to do it all (I don't know why, should take about 30 seconds) but he finally did. I got a thank you and a nice comment ("It's not everyday you meet someone willing to stop and help, especially someone around your age (15)") and that made my day.

Do you guys have any stories about helping fellow cyclists out?

 

[ianrauk]

over the years have helped out a good few on my commute. More often then not it's punctures or a thrown chain.

 

[What's that clunking?]

I love being able to help out fellow cyclists, I'm hoping that by doing so I'm building up a nice big bank account of karma! My favourite example was a guy a couple of years back whose chain had snapped and was trudging along a country lane on a cold February day looking for a phone box to call his wife out to pick him up. Fortunately I had a chain tool with me and was able to bodge a repair to get him riding again, he was so full of gratitude he let me sit on his wheel for 10 miles or so until our routes split

 

[liamsymonds]

[QUOTE 1500157"]
I was moving home driving down the main road in a hired transit with all my bike gear in the back. I saw a cyclist by the side of the road pumping up his tyre with a mini pump. Pulled over and lent him my track pump. Got a thanks and went.
[/quote]

Good ole mini pumps. A bit slow but.. mini.

 

[Thompson]

I have a story of someone in my group helping a guy out if that counts?

We were riding along, about 15mph and we saw this guy rolling his bike along on its back wheel. The chain was snapped and dragging along the floor and his front wheel was bent (fully bent). The group leader had some spare chain and so helped the guy attach it and fix his chain. Although they couldnt fix the bent wheel they managed to bend it back into a reasonable circle again (enough for him to be able to roll along a bit) and fix his puncture. The poor guy had been on a long route and had a further 20 mile to go, with no option but to walk it, or roll it since the leader fixed it up a bit.

I don't know how he managed it, but it must have been a big crash as he was chopped up. he set off on his way, on a very bumpy and awkward roll home.

Only 20 mile to go!

 

[liamsymonds]

I have a story of someone in my group helping a guy out if that counts?

We were riding along, about 15mph and we saw this guy rolling his bike along on its back wheel. The chain was snapped and dragging along the floor and his front wheel was bent (fully bent). The group leader had some spare chain and so helped the guy attach it and fix his chain. Although they couldnt fix the bent wheel they managed to bend it back into a reasonable circle again (enough for him to be able to roll along a bit) and fix his puncture. The poor guy had been on a long route and had a further 20 mile to go, with no option but to walk it, or roll it since the leader fixed it up a bit.

I don't know how he managed it, but it must have been a big crash as he was chopped up. he set off on his way, on a very bumpy and awkward roll home.

Only 20 mile to go!

Oh well! At least you helped him!

If he was able to get back on the bike and move at 8-10 mph it's better than walking at 3

 

[gambatte]

Similar. Theres one route i don't tend to cycle. Its my car route.
Theres a guy I usually see cycling, always between certain points. When I've cycled it, I've never seen him. I don't expect to. I'll have got to those points too late.
I don't know him, he's just 'that guy on the white Raleigh hybrid'

Anyway, tonight I did cycle the route. I was a little late leaving work, only a few minutes but I was surprised when I saw the guy, at the usual point but pushing his bike.

Apparantly he's got some great workmates. they think its fun to let half the air out of his tyres. Third time in 2 weeks...

Just a case of switching my pump from presta to schraeder and he was on his way

 

[liamsymonds]

Similar. Theres one route i don't tend to cycle. Its my car route.
Theres a guy I usually see cycling, always between certain points. When I've cycled it, I've never seen him. I don't expect to. I'll have got to those points too late.
I don't know him, he's just 'that guy on the white Raleigh hybrid'

Anyway, tonight I did cycle the route. I was a little late leaving work, only a few minutes but I was surprised when I saw the guy, at the usual point but pushing his bike.

Apparantly he's got some great workmates. they think its fun to let half the air out of his tyres. Third time in 2 weeks...

Just a case of switching my pump from presta to schraeder and he was on his way

Haha nice one!

 

[Matthew_T]

Its good to see cyclists helping each other out, especially if they dont know each other. Noone else cycles as much as I do near me, but when I go on group rides, we always lend and innertube here and there.

 

[liamsymonds]

Its good to see cyclists helping each other out, especially if they dont know each other. Noone else cycles as much as I do near me, but when I go on group rides, we always lend and innertube here and there.

I'm lucky that I live in a pretty busy town with lots of cyclists. I swear a lot of people sterotype teenagers, as I bike with helmet, bag and sunglasses on so they can't see me and I always get a nod. But if it's just me in my T-shirt then I never get one

 

[Matthew_T]

I'm lucky that I live in a pretty busy town with lots of cyclists.

Unfortunately North Wales isnt the most cyclist friendly place, as Rhyl has been quoted as a "Mini Blackpool" a number of times and has been the center of many comical jokes.
The only good point about the area is that there is a coastal cycle path (15 miles) from Rhyl to Llandudno. It is normally littlered with sand and stones but is traffic free all the way.

 

[liamsymonds]

Unfortunately North Wales isnt the most cyclist friendly place, as Rhyl has been quoted as a "Mini Blackpool" a number of times and has been the center of many comical jokes.
The only good point about the area is that there is a coastal cycle path (15 miles) from Rhyl to Llandudno. It is normally littlered with sand and stones but is traffic free all the way.

At least you don't get rammed off of the road by idiot bus drivers.

 

[John90]

I stopped this morning to help someone with a puncture on the Old Kent Road. I couldn't pump their tyre to test it because it had a schraeder (?) valve which my pump didn't fit. I would've given them a spare inner tube but the wheel was bolted on and I didn't have my bone spanner on me. So I had to wish them well and cycle on, somewhat irritated that I couldn't do a 'knight in shining armour' job.

 

[liamsymonds]

I stopped this morning to help someone with a puncture on the Old Kent Road. I couldn't pump their tyre to test it because it had a schraeder (?) valve which my pump didn't fit. I would've given them a spare inner tube but the wheel was bolted on and I didn't have my bone spanner on me. So I had to wish them well and cycle on, somewhat irritated that I couldn't do a 'knight in shining armour' job.

That sucks. I'm sure he appreciated your offer though.

 

[Glow worm]

I stopped to help a cyclist near here last year whose chain had come off and she'd just put it back but had filthy hands and was attempting to wipe them clean on the bark of a tree! I gave her a stack of my wet wipes which she seemed to appreciate!
My inner tubes are presta valves but I carry a shrader (schrader?) attachment thing for my pump too in case I pass anyone with a shrader flat without a pump. Hasn't happened yet though. Around Cambridge, I have found that if you ask cyclists if they need any help, they tend to look at you as if you are mental or something!