Joearch

Out for a ride this morning and 5 miles into the ride my rear tire went flat. Pulled off to the side of the Ballona Channel bike path and got started on the repair. I had the rear wheel off and had the first Pedro lever in place ams was struggling a bit with the second. Another road cyclist stops to see how I am doing. He ask if he can help and next thing I know he finishes getting the tire bead off the rim, pulls out the tube, grabs my spare tube, pops it onto the wheel and puts the tire back into place. Much more skilled than me. We ended up riding to the Manhattan Beach pier and back. Super nice guy and gave me a chance to ride with a fellow roadie for a while. Thx Dennis, hope to see you around soon.

dmanthree

I've never been "saved" by a GS, but I've played the part a couple of times. Last time was when I was shooting some surfing along the NH (USA) coast, and a guy was walking his bike down Rt 1a. I asked how far he had to go, and he replied "about 11 miles." I said no, opened the liftgate, loaded the bike, and gave him a ride back to his car. It was a cold and breezy day, and, well, in addition to being broken down he looked pretty cold.

Most other times I usually "teach" someone how to fix a flat. ;-)

Barry2 

I have people offer me money after I fixed their flat. I decline and tell them "go buy a pump and patch kit, so you can help the next guy"

Barry

Troul 

when i had a persistent donator that wouldn't just accept my free help, I accepted the cash, but then dropped them my repair kit, & inexpensive pump. It gave me a chance to refresh my inventory & upgrade to a different pump I've wanted to give a try.

unterhausen

I have offered to help many times, but everyone always tells me they already made the call of shame.

I have helped a couple of people I was riding with that should know how to fix a flat. One of them uses worn out 650b tires, so I have no idea how they can't know how to fix a flat. Hopefully I taught him some things even though it took a little longer than just changing the tube.

The other one was late at night, drizzling, and he popped two spare tubes before I insisted he let me fix his flat with his last tube. As it turned out, the other guy we were riding with also had a flat, but he knew how to fix them.

OPC

On a ride a couple of years ago, I helped a rider whose crank arm had actually come off. She didn't have an allen key with her, so I lined it up, snugged it down, and advised her to limp it home (she said it was about 10miles) so she could get a proper torque wrench on it and replace the missing end-cap.

Erzulis Boat 

I was about 10 miles from home and got a front flat. No big deal. I pull off to the side of the bike path (lucky I was on one!) and reach into my jersey pocket for my tool kit. The ONE day I forget it in over 35 years.

Calling somebody is bad form as it's not their fault I have a flat that I cannot address due to my negligence, so I remove my shoes, and start walking.

This is post Covid, and I don't have a mask. Many cyclists ride by, but after about 10 minutes of walking, a guy stops and asks if I am "good". I told him my situation to include my unbelievable tale about this being the ONE time..........................

Long story short, he provided the lever/patch/pump to get me back on the road. Thanks!!!!!!!!!

zandoval 

I am one of those slow riders that carries tools and patches when riding the country roads around Bastrop Texas. Many times I have stopped to help riders without patches, tools or skills on these lonely roads. I am always surprised that they are surprised of me stopping to help them...

RandomDesign

I've always been pleasantly surprised by how many people ask if you're ok/need help if they see you stopped on the side of the road/path.

Riveting

Recently I was a pre-emptive Good Samaritan. Last week I gave my 28 yr old son and his girlfriend nice bikes that my wife and I were willing to part with. He's moving to Portland, OR, and I had to make sure they had good well maintained bikes before getting there, and not get screwed buying off the used market. Neither had ever changed a flat in their lives, though he's gone on 2 centuries with me, and has watched me change a flat on both occasions. So I spent well over an hour training both of them ALL of the nuances and gotchas of the repair, the types of flats that are possible and how to avoid them in the future, new tire selection, knowing when a tire is in need of replacement based on tread wear or gash size, tube/valve size selection, CO2 cartridge selection, CO2 nozzle usage, tire removal and remounting, etc... by actually changing a flat I had on one of my other bikes. I also gifted them a saddle bag full of the exact same tried and trusted tools and bits I have in mine. 8 yrs on BF made for a lot of information to pass down. If only 25% of it stuck, they'll be OK. The next training course will be chain maintenance and lubing of friction points.

You can repair a flat for someone, and they'll ride for the rest of the day. Or you can teach them how to repair a flat, and they'll ride for the rest of their life.

Kabuki12

Every time I have stopped to either fix a flat or just to take a break and stretch, I have had someone stop and ask if I'm ok unless there just isn't anyone else on the road. One time I was sitting on the ground just a few miles from home fixing a flat and a young lady in a Subaru pulled over to see if I was OK . She thought I had fallen , I said my knees don't like to be knelt on so I prefer to sit. As she pulled away she had the typical stickers , soccer mom, save the whales , coexist , and my favorite..." I like long walks on the beach, soft music by candle light , and poking dead things with a stick!" I laughed so hard not only kind but a good sense of humor .

Wildwood 

I carry a bunch of stuff for potential problems when well away from home.
Have helped a few others, but most - even in obvious need of something - wave me by.

Everybody's got a cell phone.

As for a spare? I'm much more tubular than clincher these days.
I would not give away ~~$60+USD tubular.
Maybe a Vittoria Rally for the right person, not the others.
Heck, even a decent 700c presta clincher tube is a ten-ner.!
What if I'm carrying a $25 latex tube? Oh the dilemma!

dmanthree

Funny, the #1 thing a flatted rider will ask for is my pump. I carry a small pump that's nice and light instead of a CO2 unit. And the number one reason flatted riders want the pump? They screwed the pooch with their CO2 pump and didn't have a spare cartridge.

:-)

Erzulis Boat 

Yep. Rode with a CO2 system until my first flat with said inflator. Pretty far from home and hit a construction staple. Fixed it, but the first cartridge had a "malfunction", so I had to expend both to get back underway.

A few miles later...................................PFFFFFFT. Another flat.

Had to call a buddy, and inconvenience him on a Saturday because of my ridiculous purchase.

After I got back home, I looked at the 2 expended cylinders before I discarded them. What a total waste of resources. I had just added to the intergalactic landfill because I thought of convenience (laziness) over a reusable product. The CO2 thing is lame on a lot of levels.

Back to the mini pump!

jon c. 

I live in a rural area that attracts cyclists and over the years have picked up a couple with broken chains and given them a ride back to their vehicles. And once picked up a rider to ferry him through a flooded intersection.

But oddly I've never seen a rider fixing a flat, either when I'm driving or when I'm riding. And I've never had another rider come past when I was fixing one myself. Although I usually have a car or two stop and ask if I need help.

dmanthree

I never thought of the environmental angle, but, well, yeah, that's the ticket. I think the only reason to carry a CO2 is speed. You can get the tire up faster than a mini-pump. IF you have a good cartridge.

Barry2 

I don't think AAA makes it really obvious, but if you dig a little you'll find AAA covers you when on your bike.

I keep a photo of the membership card on my phone.

Barry

Troul 

I can see it now
New Thread-
--Got hit by a tow truck--
---So had to make the shame call to the AAA agent, ran over a tortoise & taco'd the wheel. Driver nearly hit my mirror! But seriously, can this be fixed? {insert a picture of a severely mangled wheel}

GlennR

Agreed...

You just need the member number. AAA towing is an independent franchise. They only get paid if they provide a service. So they will never deny you services.

rsbob 

My wife saw a woman pushing her road bike up a busy road and stopped and asked if she needed help, since my wife can patch tubes, etc. Thewoman said ‘no’ she was only a mile from home and didn’’t feel like doing a roadside repair. My wife them said, how about if I give you and your bike a ride home in my Outback. She agreed and loaded her and her bike and we have been good friends for over 20 years with her and her cycle fanatic husband.

I have offered many people help, since a guy helped me out repair a flat 3 5 years ago when I knew nothing about carrying repair tools. Last summer a guy actually said ‘yes’ and that he had run out of patches and was 20 miles from home after his second flat that ride. I gave him a brand new patch kit and told him to keep it with best wishes for no more flats.

BCDrums

I had no idea. I am fortunate, and flat very infrequently, but I am happy to know this. Thank you, Barry, for alerting me.