Protocol for visits from the Fairy

[martint235]

Hi,

What's the protocol if you see a fellow cyclist who has been paid a visit? I know that if I offer one of my spare tubes I'll get a double visit a few minutes later but do you offer to help? Say hello? or just grin in a smug way?

M

 

[NigC]

I guess it would depend on my priorities at the time. When I leave work, I have to go and collect my daughter from school and there's not a lot of time for me to spare, so I'd probably keep going and then later think to myself that I should have stopped. It's the same with the journey in to work obviously - I'm just not a very nice person

 

[summerdays]

I've been known to stop briefly and ask if they are OK ... so far to my relief they have always said yes. But it can be very dependent on how rushed I am...

 

[TheDoctor]

I generally ask if they've OK / got all they need.
This has gone dramatically wrong occasionally.
I passed a bloke who'd stopped, bike up on the verge. and cheerily called out 'You got everything you need?'
He looked confused and a shade alarmed, and said 'Yes, I've got a hedge...'
I moved on. Swiftly

 

[661-Pete]

He looked confused and a shade alarmed, and said 'Yes, I've got a hedge...'
I moved on. Swiftly

Ah yes - the dreaded 'comfort stop'. Often enough (and at my age they become more frequent) there's a useful hedge or bush but nowhere to lean the bike up against, so I just lie it down on the verge. This alarms passing motorists who stop to see if I've had a HORRIBLE ACCIDENT or whatever.

As regards carrying spares etc. - on the short rides I mostly do now, I carry only a single inner and no patch kit. Tempting providence, yes I know it is! And yes I've had to walk - on occasions. But this does mean, I can be of little help to other cyclists after the 'visit'...

 

[mark i]

I agree with the second post. Normally commuting I am on a tight schedule. On the way to work around half the time I am time trialling to the station. I reckon Bradley Wiggins should come along for training when I am really late! If I stop for a broken down cyclist I am late for work. Most evenings I am racing to get back to see my Son before his bedtime, so I am ill placed to stop then as well. If I am out on my other bike at the weekend I would and do stop and help. Best thank you I have had was in the peak district around Derwent Water. Chap had a broken chain around 7 miles from the car park. Two of them were stood around the bike trying to work out the best way of getting back. Asked what the problem was, popped out a chain tool and fixed said chain. Rarely have I seen someone so gratefull for such a simple thing!

 

[brokenbetty]

People always offer to help me, so I feel kind of obliged to offer to help others.

There are advantages to being a little old lady with flowery panniers

 

[Jaguar]

I always offer to help, however rushed I am. I hope somebody would do the same for me

 

[cyberknight]

I always offer to help as well.
Luckily this morning the guy was only 1/2 mile from work and had a kit and i had been up most of the night with an ill 3 year old so i really did not feel like getting greasy ,was hard enough just to pedal the bike .I did not even put the computer on as i know it would depress me at the speed i was not going

 

[ufkacbln]

I tend to glance and assess whether it is minor or major.

Punctures - OK

Things like Chains - not bad, but more than that I tend to avoid.

The best thing though is the "Have you got all you need?"

 

[Norm]

The best thing though is the "Have you got all you need?"

I asked a couple of chaps that last year in Swinley Forest. They said "Everything apart from intelligence" Because I have too little of that to spare, there was nothing I could offer them.

I stopped last week for a couple of chaps who were having problems and didn't seem to have any tools. They were very grateful that I stopped, as they were meant to be supporting a run and one guy's chain had gone.

I managed to get the broken link off the chain but couldn't figure out how to rivet the chain back together so walked him the 1/2 mile to the LBS. Hope that he got it sorted.

Must figure out how to use the bloody tools! I can, and have, done just about everything else but that one beat me.