Helping fellow cyclists?? Roadies v MTB'ers

[Cycleops]

I know @Smokin Joe always stops and offers them a fag!

 

[Smokin Joe]

I know @Smokin Joe always stops and offers them a fag!

Or ponces one off them if they've got any.

 

[Road_Runner]

I think it reflects how elitist a lot of road cyclists are. I always like to say hi to fellow 2 wheeled lovers. I generally always get a hi off mountain bikers unless they're trying to power it up a steep hill or something - which is understandable. Road cyclists on the other hand, i think i only get a hi from about 50% of them. A lot of them, won't even look over even whilst on an easy section where they look like they're cruising.

Yesterday i saw a family where the father was trying to fix his daughters three wheeled scooter. I extended the helping hand to them and pulled over to see if he wanted to borrow any tools off me.

 

[TheDoctor]

I dunno - I got a few waves and hellos from roadies today. I was on a Brommie...

 

[User33236]

I slowed down on my way home from work one days last week and asked the elderly gentleman with his bike upside down at the roadside if he needed any assistance. His reply of f#€k off meant I removed my grip on the brake levers and went on my way wondering what the heck his problem was.

 

[cubegame]

When it comes down to.....as a committed roadie I don't see why I should stop for an MTB rider. After all, they will almost certainly be within 10 to 15 minutes of their house or car and probably would be ashamed if they waste the time of a rider engaged in the senior discipline.

 

[steveindenmark]

I actually stopped for a car and caravan on the way home in the summer. They were in Genner, Denmark, out of the car and looking at a map. I pointed them in the right direction and had a chat. It turns out they were from 8 miles away from my hometown in the UK.

Its nice to talk.

Steve

 

[400bhp]

Cant say I *always* stop. It depends whether I have my foot down, whether the rider looks a little in need of help and/ or if its at a junction when its a bit easier ti naturally stop.

I recall having a puncture on a well used canal path. Circa 20 non roadies went past an not one offered to help.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I recall having a puncture on a well used canal path. Circa 20 non roadies went past an not one offered to help.

Quite possible that few of them would have been any help anyway. The number of cyclists who have to go to a shop to get a puncture repaired is ever increasing, many have to phone the other half to come and pick them up should they get one on the road.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I saw a woman pushing a mountain bike up my road a week or two back. As it was a dangerous spot to stop and the bike looked fine I didn't stop, but as I was taking the Synapse out of the car I saw her pushing towards me so asked if she was OK or if she needed help. She said she'd only been riding for two weeks and was pushing up the hill. I considered telling her the road had been flat for the last 300 metres but figured against it. A week later I saw her pushing up the hill beyond my place, I have a horrible suspicion she is trying to get fit on a bike by freewheeling down to the river and pushing it back up again...

 

[G3CWI]

A lot of them, won't even look over even whilst on an easy section where they look like they're cruising.

Ahh; you don't really understand the psyche of the roadie. "Looking like we are cruising" is the pose we adopt when in view of any other cyclist - especially folks on mtbs and the like. The reason you don't get acknowledged is that the reality is we are probably maxed out with barely enough energy left to stay upright no mind give you a cheery wave.

Actually I almost always acknowledge other cyclists except when I'm sprinting (or what passes for sprinting in my case). Also if I am really concentrating on my cycling, I sometimes don't notice other cyclists until too late to say hi. Equally I almost always ask if cyclists stopped by the side of the road, or pushing, need any help.

 

[ufkacbln]

As to stopping for other cyclists I always slow and offer assistance, and have had the offer taken up a few times too. Riding a recumbent trike means I am easily recognised and who knows I may need help myself one day.

I have posted this before, but...in brief

Rare puncture, and have tube out to repair, when lissome young female roadie stops to offer her hepl, and we start chatting

Suitably inflated ego...

Then she mentions that you can put tyres on without the tyre lever that I have just grapsed.

Before I can explain Marathon Plus, she spoilt it with:

" .., but I suppose at your age the arthritis must be an issue!"

Suitably deflated ego

 

[Bryony]

I was out on a ride with a lady I met in the cycling club I've joined and she got a puncture which we did manage to fix between us, and all the people that stopped to ask if we were ok were roadies. At the time we were managing so we thanked them for offering their help and let them get on their way. My friend then had another flat (new tube ended up being faulty) and the man that stopped to help us then was an older gentleman who used to race in his younger days. He said he only stopped because we were ladies, if we were a couple of blokes he'd have kept going!

 

[Davos87]

I suffered a puncture on Wednesday so I pull over on the country lane and begin my usual ham fisted attempt to rectify the problem.
Anyway after about five minutes of faffing about this largeish group of riders come around the corner, It was a mixed group of ages and bikes and the two lead riders on road bikes pull over and ask very politely if I was ok and did I need any assistance? I put my pretending to know what I was doing demeanour on ( my default position when other cyclists are around) and said thanks but I was ok and nearly done fixing the puncture( trying to give them the distinct impression I could do it with my eyes shut, stood on one leg with my arm tied behind my back) For one dreadful moment I thought they were all going to have a breather and watch my pathetic attempts to complete a simple repair. Phew!!!
We got chatting as you do (when really I would have preferred for them to get on their way so I could struggle on alone) and I found out that they were a group of cyclists from East Yorkshire doing the final day of their CTC for bowel cancer research and what a lovely bunch of people they were too.
So if any of you are Cycle Chatters and read this I hope the last leg of your journey went well had you raised enough money to choke a donkey for what is a wonderful cause. Well done the lot of you!

 

[VJOCK]

I stop or slow down for all to see if I can offer assistance who ever it is or what ever they cycle ( well I take a view how slow in the depths of dodgy areas)
Be that when I am on roadie, mtb, tandem, folder or recumbent. Why should it matter what type of bike you or person in potential trouble is riding.

I do acknowledge I get more nods waves etc from people on same type of bike as I am on at the time so I guess there may well be bike snobbery . No different to other hobbies or sports or preferences to one thing over another. Shame but each to their own.
Vjock