Stopping and helping a fellow cyclist.

[Fab Foodie]

On the way home from a late shift in an unlit rural part of the commute, I came across a cyclist who'd come off his bike and the chain had jammed 'twixt the inner chainwheel and the bottom bracket. He was having major issues trying to free it so I gave a hand. Interesting that he was thoroughly impressed with the amount of tools etc. that I carry as a matter of course ( shades of the 'What do you carry' thread here - ! ). Managed to pry enough free with a spanner to be able to pull it clear with my hands, but ruined a pair of gloves in the process - ! Before you ask, poly gloves would have torn in the process, the chain was that badly wedged. He was even more surprised when I produced a pack of travel wipes for him to get the worst of the grease off his hands - !

View: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2howud

 

[nickyboy]

Like pretty well everyone else who has replied, I always give a shout to a solo cyclist stopped by the road. I don't usually bother if there is a group

I've only ever been taken up twice on my offer. One was a group (I know I said I don't offer help to groups but there was a reason). They were on the Snake Pass, about 10 miles from Glossop. Punctured with no tubes, pump etc. I get that people like the idea of just hopping on a bike and setting off. But the Snake is really remote and prone to changeable weather, no phone signal etc. They were faced with a long walk.. I changed the tube for them and pumped it up and left them to it.

The gods were not smiling on me that day. I only had one tube with me and I proceeded to puncture a mile from home so had to walk the last bit

 

[mustang1]

On the way home from a late shift in an unlit rural part of the commute, I came across a cyclist who'd come off his bike and the chain had jammed 'twixt the inner chainwheel and the bottom bracket. He was having major issues trying to free it so I gave a hand. Interesting that he was thoroughly impressed with the amount of tools etc. that I carry as a matter of course ( shades of the 'What do you carry' thread here - ! ). Managed to pry enough free with a spanner to be able to pull it clear with my hands, but ruined a pair of gloves in the process - ! Before you ask, poly gloves would have torn in the process, the chain was that badly wedged. He was even more surprised when I produced a pack of travel wipes for him to get the worst of the grease off his hands - !

Does you bike have a flashing yellow light and do you wear hi-viz with RAC written on the back?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYiDcnrM0Mo

You defo don’t want that type stopping.

You would start out with a puncture and end up with all the spokes falling out of your wheels.

 

[Salad Dodger]

I've posted this before, but it bears repetition...

A few years ago I was driving home from work, and happened upon a guy in full lycra, bent double over his bike, by the side of the road out in the countryside, a bit of a way from anywhere.
I stopped and ran back to him to see if he needed help.
"No" he gasped, "I've just done the climb out of Minster to Manston (which is a pretty unrelenting hill) and set my best time on Strava. Just need a minute to recover"......
But he was grateful that I had stopped, and I was happy to think that he wasn't having a health problem or a mechanical one.

 

[T4tomo]

I helped one as a pedestrian, i think he'd been sent to recover his wife's bike from the pilates studio behind our work unit, where for some reason the rear wheel was removed (maybe he'd fixed a puncture or summat), I was strolling past having a walk out at lunchtime and overheard him taking instructions from her on how to replace the rear wheel (he was struggling with the derailleur). A quick "allow me" as i fished tissue out of my pocket and he was on his way with a suitably tighten quick release, quicker than he could say "don't worry dear, there is chap just stopped to sort it out for me"

 

[Punkawallah]

Virtue is its own reward.

'Let no good deed go unpunished' :-)

 

[a.twiddler]

I usually stop and ask if someone needs help. The only time I actually was asked to help was about a year last January when the owner of a new hybrid was trying to stop the brakes binding. A quick adjustment and we were both on our way.

Later that year I came across an older cyclist pushing his bike along in a flat, traffic free lane. I asked if he needed to borrow any tools. He said "No, I'm just going for a walk". He didn't sound sarcastic. Perhaps he was just going for a walk, and when he'd gone far enough he was going to jump on his bike and pedal home.

Earlier this year after my rear derailleur decided that it was tired of the company of the lower pulley, and spat it out in the road, I was in the process of shortening the chain so I could ride it home while more cyclists whizzed by than I had seen in a long time. One mountain biker finally stopped to ask if I was OK and I told him I was nearly finished and thanked him for stopping.

Perhaps stopping to assist is less common than we assume? Maybe the pull of the Strava segment is more powerful than the urge to help? I was riding my recumbent at the time so maybe they thought it was using strange technology that no mere human could comprehend? Who can tell? Maybe I've used up today's allocated quota of question marks?

Any how, I got back on the road and got home. Racking my brain (what's left of it) I can't remember an occasion when I didn't get home under my own steam somehow , even if it took some bodge or other, after a mechanical hiccup.

 

[icowden]

Same here.

I was on a cycle ride (before lockdowns and Covid, so 2 years ago now) with my kids on the downs link and saw a mum looking tired, pushing her bike and two kids on bikes behind.
I asked if she was OK (it seemed odd that she was pushing the bike), and she said yes she was walking back so her boyfriend could pick her up as the handlebars had gone loose on her bike.

A few quick turns of bike tool on the handlebar nut later and she was able to resume cycling with some much happier children behind her.

That was my good deed for the day.

 

[biking_fox]

The most assistance I've had to provide was when the guy in front of me faceplanted into the road, and needed and ambulance - his brake block had suddenly wedged in the wheel. He was ok just badly shaken.

I usually (although I'll admit not every single time) slow and ask 'are you ok', nearly everyone seems to be managing.

What's the best phrase - single short sentence, to ask if they need assistance?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

'Let no good deed go unpunished' :-)

Let no good deed go unnoticed is the modern version 😁

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What's the best phrase - single short sentence, to ask if they need assistance?

OK?

It is short, understood in many parts of the world (where English not first language) and can be easily absorbed and responded to before you’ve passed.

 

[simongt]

The GLW and I were out for a ride a few years back and we came across a family cyling on what might kindly be referred to as 'budget bikes'. One of said bikes had a wobbling front wheel. The bearing cones hadn't been properly adjused by the dealer form who they'd bough the bikes a few days earlier and as we don't carry cone spanners as part of our 'usual' kit', we weren't able to help apart from advising them to go back to the dealer and throw the bikes back at him / her for a crummy pre-delivery check.

 

[bikingdad90]

I was passing a lad on his way into work and he was struggling to get his gatorskins off and luckily for him I had my repair kit with good levers and my track pump in the car boot as I was dropping them off at work.

Had the lad on his way in 10mins, he was very grateful!

 

[simongt]

Flippin' 'eck - ! On the way home today, saw a lad looking woefully at his saddle, so I stopped and asked if all was well. No, his saddle bolt had come loose. Out with the trusty multi tool, hex key selected, job done in a jiffy, happy lad on his way - !