Have you ever helped an invisible cyclist?

[Trek420]

Yesterday I rode to the USPO. As I was unlocking an elderly gent on a battered Huffy rode up. He actually had an interesting front rack he'd made of a milk crate. It looked better than the usual plastic bags on the handlebars I see 'round here.

As he wrapped the chain around a pillar I asked him "can I give you a tip?" not sure if he spoke English. He nodded yes.

I showed him it's not secure. Mimed and said that all someone needs to do is lift the bike upright and voila, it's off the pole. Pointed to my bike and showed the lock round secure post, then front wheel, and frame.

He gave me a big smile, his bike is important to him, maybe more so than mine to me.

I should have gone on about helmets, I had not seen him ride so I dunno if it's on the sidewalk but figured one thing at a time. Maybe the next time he sees someone kitted up in lycra he'll think "they're not so bad"

[dingster1]

Good job! He probably can't afford to get another bike if that one gets stolen, so you helped save his job too!

[mimitabby]

Raleighdon has given freely of his road morph pump.

[malkin]

Nice!

[Fredwina]

Actually,
I did the opposite today
I was doing a brevet, and was about 60 miles from Home. I had a flat , and my first attempt to repair it resulted in a exploding tube I got successfully fixed on my second attempt. But then I didn't have any spare tubes.
Later on, riding thru Hemet, I ran across a sidewalk cyclist. I noticed that had fairly new Raleigh. so I asked where the LBS was and made a detour to pick up some more tubes.

[nic840]

He will remember you Trek.
I helped a guy out on Mother's Day. He was on a very popular MUT Trail here, sitting on a bench studing his tube. He was looking for the hole...but had no repair kit.
He was a heavier fellow with a hybrid bike that was running 700s. I asked him if he needed some help fixing his flat. He did. No spare, no repair kit. I offered him a tube. He took it but looked at it with some confusion.
He then continued to tell me his stor. Bought the new bike yesterday, on disability for a bad back and looking to get some excercise. He couldn't walk the 3 miles to his car so he was just waiting...for what I am not sure.

I took his rim and realized that the wheel/tube was set up for a schrader valve and the tire was a tad wider than my 700/19-25 tube. I helped him change it, the presta fit into the oversized valve hole and pumped it up.

Every time he said something negative (every other word) I threw something positive back at him. I told him he should be proud of being out here and that this was a minor set back in his new cycling venture. I hope he is still riding and that too small tube got him to his car...

I told my husband about it when I got home and he asked me if he the guy offered to repay me for the tube. I told him that the $3 tube was the least of his problems and that it didn't even cross my mind. Its all about the Karma.