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.

[Running Mommy]

Oh nic, that is SO COOL!!
I always seem to have stuff in my car. The other day on the way to the shop I saw a girl I always pass (usually she's riding) walking her bike down the hill. She was 5 miles from the nearest anything, so I pulled over. She had a flat, and the glue in her patch kit had dried up, and she didn't have a spare tube. I gave her a tube, and got helped her change it.
I also believe that it's all about good bike karma!

[latelatebloomer]

yep, paying it forward gets to be one of the most delightful games of life. I once ran out of gas on a country road, and the woman at the first house I made it to - full of rambunctious kids and dogs and I'm sure she had a zillion things to do - acted like she had been waiting & hoping all day for a chance to help someone.

I like the idea of "we cyclists" being the secret support crew for the "invisible riders." My life has been very hardscrabble at times, so I know how big a teeny bit of help can seem.

[OakLeaf]

Ha - we do have a desire to publicly vaunt our random acts of kindness, don't we Me too.

Most recently I helped a car driver - even more fun.

I was waiting behind her in the left turn lane when her trunk lid popped open. I pulled up and asked her for permission to close it. No, she said, she'd been rear-ended recently and it wouldn't close. When the light turned green she proceeded through the turn and pulled over. I stopped with her. She had a kid in the back. She'd tied the trunk with a flimsy piece of twine and it had worn through as the trunk lid bounced in traffic. So I gave her my bungie cord, helped her fasten it and she was on her way.

Vehicular cyclist diplomacy!

[KnottedYet]

Oakleaf, you are a sweetie!

[Trek420]

Vehicular cyclist diplomacy!

"I hereby hand you, a driver the olive branch of peace ... ok, so it's the bungee cord of peace"

[xeney]

When my husband and I used to ride together when I was still in school, he would often do a longer route and I'd sit at a park reading for class while I waited for him. It seemed like I was always seeing people with flat tires when that happened, and I lent out my pump and spare tubes pretty often.

One guy was surprised when I offered him my pump and said, "Women never offer, it's always guys! Thanks!" I am glad to see from this thread that he was wrong.

[bounceswoosh]

Women never offer? Bah! While on my mountain bike, I've stopped to help more guys than I can count. Most recently just a few weeks ago at Heil, I lent a guy my pump, and at my most recent ride on the same trail, he saw me and said hi. Cool to be remembered.

I definitely believe in bike karma, and I also believe in carrying tons of tools. Not that I would necessarily know what to do with them, but *someone* on the trail would.

[ATL Laura]

I am a firm believer in bike karma, but sometimes I am a little wary of stopping to help men when I am on a rural or otherwise little-traveled route. I am a pretty tough chick, but I’m also a street smart chick and I try not to put myself in situations where I could be hurt. I’m sure that most men changing a flat on the side of the road are not serial killers trying to lure their next female victim, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I guess this raises a question…am I ruining my bike karma by not helping stranded men in rural areas?

[Trek420]

I don't think so. And I'm a firm believer in not taking chances.

Sometimes we're helping just by being out there "look, this is how it's done. With traffic, visible".