Author Topic: Not been helpful today (Read 4662 times)

zigzag · « **on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:34:21 pm »

saw a cyclist walking their bike in the lanes, stopped to ask what's happened - squeezes a flat tyre. i ask if they have a puncture repair kit or at least spare inner tube, the answer is "no... haven't got anything". "how far do you have to walk?" - "about ten miles, but someone is coming to pick me up in a little while". i said "good, at least it's a nice sunny day for a walk!" and suggest that it's a good idea to carry a mini pump, an inner tube and tyre levers.

after setting off i was thinking if i should have given one of my spare inner tubes and risk getting myself in a pickle? i was on a 300k audax with 230k still to go. if i was on a shorter ride nearer my home, i'd have helped them out without a second thought. it might be worth carrying a set of self-adhesive patches for these sort of encounters (a second this year).

have i earned negative karma points for my unhelpfulness? what was the best/correct thing to do?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:55:13 pm »

Somebody was already coming to rescue him, so a clear conscience.

If he wasn’t totally unprepared but unlucky (dead spare tube or dead pump?), I would have given a tube.

Peter · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:58:53 pm »

You were probably influenced by the "but someone is coming to pick me up....." which indicates that the rider regarded the situation as being under control. If there appeared to be a real problem I think I might have helped out - it should be possible to make up the time taken to change a flat with so far to go on your ride. But then, it's a Sunday, so less chance of you getting a replacement tube if you give the other rider one. Sod's law says my benevolence will be rewarded by punishment! What you did was fine.

x-post with LWAB

Jaded · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:05:03 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 30 May, 2021, 10:55:13 pm

Somebody was already coming to rescue him, so a clear conscience.

If he wasn’t totally unprepared but unlucky (dead spare tube or dead pump?), I would have given a tube.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:07:02 pm »

Meh. Playing the odds.

Jaded · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:13:04 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 30 May, 2021, 11:07:02 pm

Meh. Playing the odds.

There's another thread on the forum that might make interesting reading for you. You may already have posted in it...

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:20:12 pm »

Just spit it out and stop the bullshit.

Jaded · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:21:37 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 30 May, 2021, 11:20:12 pm

Just spit it out and stop the bullshit.

Man up!

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:23:07 pm »

Say it plain. You haven’t done that yet.

Jaded · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:47:11 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 30 May, 2021, 11:23:07 pm

Say it plain. You haven’t done that yet.

There’s another woosh.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:56:16 pm »

Say what you actually mean. I just want to make sure I don’t misinterpret your intent.

hellymedic · « **Reply #11 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:06:10 am »

OP does not make clear gender of rider. I am just as guilty of assuming rider was female as you are of assuming 'they' were male.

There's a thread somewhereplace about pronouns and genders.

Peter · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:15:36 am »

Helly, you are a very naughty boy!

zigzag · « **Reply #13 on:** 31 May, 2021, 06:51:36 am »

i was going to act the same if someone wasn't coming to pick them up. ten miles is not that far to walk in trainers (3hr?), also the bike can still be carefully ridden with a flat tyre (i've done this myself on a couple of occasions).

rogerzilla · « **Reply #14 on:** 31 May, 2021, 07:18:24 am »

My last resort is to bury the bike in a hedge and call a taxi. I came close a few months ago when my first puncture repair failed but, unusually, I was carrying two tubes. The problem was that the puncture had no obvious cause so any second repair was equally likely to fail.

iandusud · « **Reply #15 on:** 31 May, 2021, 09:48:54 am »

I always carry the wherewithal to repair a tube as well as a spare tube (who's to say you won't get two or more punctures). I have given my spare tube to help out before now as well as repair punctures for stranded cyclists. However in this instance I would have done as the OP as someone was coming to collect the rider and bike. However I do think it is a bit mad not to be prepared for a puncture when cycling any more than reasonable walking distance from home.

Kim · « **Reply #16 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:20:25 pm »

In this sort of situation I'm usually carrying the wrong sized tubes anyway. I do carry a patch kit.

But if they've got the matter in hand via the 'phone a friend' option, then they've got the matter in hand. My sympathy is limited if they're simply unprepared rather than inexperienced or unlucky.

And of course I reserve the right not to be helpful as my personal risk assessment dictates.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:43:00 pm »

It's always possible to berate yourself for not being helpful enough. Several years ago I was hailed out of the darkness on the A38 by a cyclist with minimal lights, no food and water and not a huge idea of where he was other than he wanted to get to Gloucester (about 15-20 miles at that point). He was visiting his sister so I suggested he call her but his phone was dead. I gave him some water, as he was incredibly hot and thirsty (despite it being a cold evening) and directions to the nearest train station. And afterwards I thought I should really have given him all my water (I was confident I wouldn't need it). But hey, it's hardly the Sahara.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #18 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:48:59 pm »

On the positive side you stopped and enquired and established that there was a rescue plan happening. However, I don't think that you should judge and suggest that they should carry certain items. Some people simply do not have the physical capability to remove and replace a tyre for perfectly legitimate reasons and thus often have a rescue plan in place because of this.

In my cycling days I would stop and check and offer assistance and simply accept their position regardless.

toontra · « **Reply #19 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:55:18 pm »

My reaction varies from not stopping to gifting a spare tube and fitting it myself, dependent on various factors including mood, the sort of ride I'm on, the level of distress of the recipient, etc. There's no blanket right or wrong.

In this particular case I'd probably have offered to fix the puncture but not gift a tube, dependent on the above.

Kim · « **Reply #20 on:** 31 May, 2021, 12:58:04 pm »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 31 May, 2021, 12:48:59 pm

On the positive side you stopped and enquired and established that there was a rescue plan happening. However, I don't think that you should judge and suggest that they should carry certain items. Some people simply do not have the physical capability to remove and replace a tyre for perfectly legitimate reasons and thus often have a rescue plan in place because of this.

Back when barakta first got her trike, we made sure that she had the basic tools and the knowledge of how to use them, even though she wouldn't be physically capable of mending a puncture (at least not without injury). I always recommend that people carry the relevant spares and basic tools for their cycle, even if they aren't able/confident to use them themselves. It's always going to be a lot easier to find a helpful person with strong thumbs than, say, a 406 inner tube or a pump with a Presta head.

The notable exception is when the bail out option involves a taxi. Phone-a-friend is a legitimate option for some people, and Bromptoneers don't need to carry toolkits (at least not in their natural public-transport-rich environment).

Polar Bear · « **Reply #21 on:** 31 May, 2021, 01:10:59 pm »

Agreed Kim and I would always recommend the same though I know individuals who would be very uncomfortable and feel vulnerable asking for help from a stranger.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #22 on:** 31 May, 2021, 01:25:42 pm »

I often have a patch kit, so if I wasn't in a hurry I'd rather let them use that than give them a tube (assuming the hole is patchable).

zigzag · « **Reply #23 on:** 31 May, 2021, 02:12:42 pm »

Quote from: toontra on 31 May, 2021, 12:55:18 pm

My reaction varies from not stopping to gifting a spare tube and fitting it myself, dependent on various factors including mood, the sort of ride I'm on, the level of distress of the recipient, etc. There's no blanket right or wrong.

In this particular case I'd probably have offered to fix the puncture but not gift a tube, dependent on the above.

i did have a patch kit, but wasn't sure if the glue was still runny after several years in the tool kit. checked at home, and indeed it wasn't fit for purpose. i did not want to start a repairing, then fail. i'll be getting a few glueless patch kits, for my own benefit and maybe others i meet.

Paul H · « **Reply #24 on:** 31 May, 2021, 02:44:26 pm »

I wouldn't have given them a tube I might need later on, it'd be the same as me not taking one, why would I do that?
I might have offered other assistance, depending on my own ride, but more often than not I'll have plans of my own that I don't wish to change to accommodate someone else's lack of planning.
I have done the long walk home, through the dawn after a night shift - new tube with a manufacturers fault and dried out glue... six miles into ten I was being shouted at by a bloke with a can of cider, ignored him till he came running after me, only to discover the shouting was the offer of a puncture repair kit.