fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
The Kindness of strangers
- Thread starter jonny jeez
- Start date
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I have once chased down a rider whose pannier bounced off - it was at the side of the road so speeded off after him. Found him at the side of the road scratching his head.
I said, pant, pant, "your", pant pant, "pannier", pant pant, "is", pant pant, "just", pant pant, "down the road", and breath !
I said, pant, pant, "your", pant pant, "pannier", pant pant, "is", pant pant, "just", pant pant, "down the road", and breath !
carolonabike
Senior Member
- Location
- Boldon
I always stop and check if I see another cyclist by the side of the road. I work on the theory if I do it then it makes it more likely the person I stopped for would do the same for someone else, and one day that maybe me.
A couple of months ago I was driving home along the A19 in the dark when out the corner of my eye I saw a figure pushing a bike along the grass verge
. Luckily there was a layby just up ahead so I stopped and waited for him to catch up. I assumed he had a puncture but the bike was fine. He'd started out in Seaham and I suppose because the easiest way to get to Washington by car is along the A19, that's the way he went on his bike, until it got dark and he had to get off and push because he had no lights. He was obviously inexperienced, and hadn't realised how far it was or what a tough journey it would be. He was pretty exhausted but it still took me a while to persuade him to put his bike in the car and accept a lift. It turned out he had a new job in Seaham so I spent the journey trying to persuade him find another route and not to use the A19 which is horrendous, I wouldn't consider cycling along it although I know someone who did 
but even he said it was a horrible experience.
A couple of months ago I was driving home along the A19 in the dark when out the corner of my eye I saw a figure pushing a bike along the grass verge
. Luckily there was a layby just up ahead so I stopped and waited for him to catch up. I assumed he had a puncture but the bike was fine. He'd started out in Seaham and I suppose because the easiest way to get to Washington by car is along the A19, that's the way he went on his bike, until it got dark and he had to get off and push because he had no lights. He was obviously inexperienced, and hadn't realised how far it was or what a tough journey it would be. He was pretty exhausted but it still took me a while to persuade him to put his bike in the car and accept a lift. It turned out he had a new job in Seaham so I spent the journey trying to persuade him find another route and not to use the A19 which is horrendous, I wouldn't consider cycling along it although I know someone who did but even he said it was a horrible experience.
I was commuting home when a gust of wind blew off my baseball cap.. cyclist drafting me caught it mid air....
When I first started out and got my first puncture a very nice couple from Lisburn saw my cack-handed repair attempts and came to my rescue. (This despite my many practice repairs done indoors). Fellow CCers mentioned that, perhaps, one day I'd be able to 'repay' by helping some other poor bod needing help.
A few weeks back I was able to help someone. Saw a bloke pushing his bike near Carrick. He'd no gear with him. He'd only "nipped out for a quick run". I had all my repair stuff and 2 tubes so I was able to give him a tube. That saved him from a 10-13 mile walk home to Belfast.
The moral is: Even if you're only nipping out for a quick 15-20 miles, always bring your repair kit.
A few weeks back I was able to help someone. Saw a bloke pushing his bike near Carrick. He'd no gear with him. He'd only "nipped out for a quick run". I had all my repair stuff and 2 tubes so I was able to give him a tube. That saved him from a 10-13 mile walk home to Belfast.
The moral is: Even if you're only nipping out for a quick 15-20 miles, always bring your repair kit.
oliglynn
Über Member
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Lol! You do-gooders must be a scary bunch!
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
I'd like others to stop and talk to me if I'm fixing a bike at the side of the road. Even if I know exactly what I'm doing, you might just turn up at the point where I discover I don't have some crucial tool, and maybe you have. Or perhaps it's unfixable, but my phone's just conkedo ut. Or maybe it's all under control but I'm just pissed off and you'll cheer me up....
On Monday night as I rode home, I saw a guy pushing his bike along the road towards me. To begin with I thought it might be Mrs Uncle Phil, who sometimes cycles out to meet me, but it wasn't. He'd cycled from York to Pickering on a horrid Asda-style full suspension mountain bike, to take a look at the Moors steam railway. He was unemployed and hoping to get a job with them, or at least a bit of engineering experience. He'd then spent his return train fare taking a trip on the steam trains, and was planning to cycle all the way back to Huddersfield - before midnight, in order to satisfy his probation conditions! - and a puncture half-way down Terrington Bank wasn't helping. He'd walked from there to Flaxton.
Ten out of ten for determination, zero for planning...
Anway, did I have puncture tools? I had, but not a pump that'd fit his Schrader valves. But since Mrs Uncle Phil was on the way, and she has one of the dual-purpose pumps, we took out the tube. Unable to find the hole in the fading light with my fading eyesight, we gave up and shoved in one of my spare tubes (fortunately I had one for our tandem in my bag). And then the missus showed up and we pumped it up.
It was getting dark by now, and he had no lights, nothing reflective. He was planning to cycle to York and Leeds along the A64, then home to Huddersfield. He wasn't going to make it by midnight, and with no lights, he probably wasn't going to make it at all. In the end we 'lent' him a reflector jacket and £20 for a ticket and sent him towards York station. He promised to post it back when he got paid, but I'm not holding my breath. But at least our consciences were easier knowing that he wasn't setting out on a suicide mission.
On Monday night as I rode home, I saw a guy pushing his bike along the road towards me. To begin with I thought it might be Mrs Uncle Phil, who sometimes cycles out to meet me, but it wasn't. He'd cycled from York to Pickering on a horrid Asda-style full suspension mountain bike, to take a look at the Moors steam railway. He was unemployed and hoping to get a job with them, or at least a bit of engineering experience. He'd then spent his return train fare taking a trip on the steam trains, and was planning to cycle all the way back to Huddersfield - before midnight, in order to satisfy his probation conditions! - and a puncture half-way down Terrington Bank wasn't helping. He'd walked from there to Flaxton.
Ten out of ten for determination, zero for planning...
Anway, did I have puncture tools? I had, but not a pump that'd fit his Schrader valves. But since Mrs Uncle Phil was on the way, and she has one of the dual-purpose pumps, we took out the tube. Unable to find the hole in the fading light with my fading eyesight, we gave up and shoved in one of my spare tubes (fortunately I had one for our tandem in my bag). And then the missus showed up and we pumped it up.
It was getting dark by now, and he had no lights, nothing reflective. He was planning to cycle to York and Leeds along the A64, then home to Huddersfield. He wasn't going to make it by midnight, and with no lights, he probably wasn't going to make it at all. In the end we 'lent' him a reflector jacket and £20 for a ticket and sent him towards York station. He promised to post it back when he got paid, but I'm not holding my breath. But at least our consciences were easier knowing that he wasn't setting out on a suicide mission.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Good on you Sir, and karma will pay you back whether he does or not
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
All without stopping there BM !
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
That would only be extra cool if I'd managed it off an upright, like a Mongolian horse rider. 
Nearly there
Veteran
- Location
- Cumbria
On my ride the other day I was trying to cross a busy road to join the cycle path on the other side when a car pulled over the window came down and this little old lady asked if I had a p*ncture I said no just waiting to cross thanks,things like this make you realise there's still some decent folk about.
Unknown to me, my mobile phone once fell out of my pocket and an elderly couple in a Rover 214 had been coming up behind me, saw it fall, stopped and picked it up and stopped me to give it back to me. It was much appreciated as I suspect the majority would just have driven over it.
Leodis
Veteran
- Location
- Moortown, Leeds
The first thing I thought of was this picture...
Arfcollins
Soft southerner.
- Location
- Fareham
I think I have got a clue, but my bike has always gone upside down for punctures. Why is this clueless?
