samsation7

I've been commuting on a crappy steellie equipped with shimano, campy mix. Today, 4 miles on my commute to my lab, I find another roadie stranded on the road due to mechanicals. I stopped and asked if he needed help and I have all the tools and equipments necessary to fix anything from flats to truing wheels. He looked at my bike and then at my rolled up dockers and T shirt...and reluctantly said "no thanks". Dude has an aluminum Colnago with 06 centaur. Of course, I look as non OCP as it gets so I think he's afraid I may scratch his Colnago. I am almost certain of this because he has a flat and doesn't know how to change/ remove the inner tube. I would have no problem giving him a free tube but he insulted me by the way he looks at my bike. Frankly his bike is worth less than my nicer wheelsets. If someone offers help, does it matter what he looks like? I leave this question for others to comment.

He's my trusty commuter: but now has fenders.

cb400bill

Maybe he already called his wife to come bail him out. Or his mom.

But if you ever see me broken down on the side of the road I will gladly accept any help. I ain't to proud.

ThinLine

You can read alot by ways of a persons eye's, tone of voice and general facial expressions.

I take it you are one whom can read into these things....if so, and you are judging by your own set of standards, then I agree with you.....f$%k him.
But if he seemed perplexed and bashful...perhaps feeling more stupid than helpless...I would have at least said a closing..you sure, I have the tools.

iab

Are you sure it was your bike?

substructure

Don't stop helping. You will be rewarded one day.

2slo2run

There was one day I had a flat on a fairly busy, 2 lane, minimal shoulder, lots of debris, just outside a small country town and was struggling to fix it for about 30 minutes. After I figured out what the problem was, replaced the tube, had the tire remounted and was about to flip the bike over and get going someone finally rolled by offering assistance. Had he been 15 minutes or so earlier I would have loved having extra knowledge to solve my dilemma but since I was done by the time I smiled and said "no thanks"

Karma
I always ask if I see it, hoping if one day I do need help others will ask me. Especially on the MTB because falls are more frequent, often as painful, and may look less severe than they are...

save10

were you wearing a camelbak?

operator

samsation7 - refusing and offer of help because of the bike you ride? That guy deserves a long walk home, or paying a cabbie $50 to get him home. People like that, aren't worth helping.

SteveE

Give me a freakin' break! You have no idea why he turned down your offer of help. And you have no clue if he doesn't know how to change/repair a tube! Just because he was riding a nicer bike than you were riding at the time? Do you have an inferiority complex about the bike you ride and the clothes you wear or something?

samsation7

maybe

BikingGrad80

Just imagine if you were riding a GMC Denali

scotch

were you wearing this?

banerjek

How did you figure out that he didn't know how to change a tube? Few people are this inept. I carry tools and my standard practice is to help anyone who looks like they need it. I've been turned down many times, but I never read anything into it. I once found a guy who'd walked 10 miles in cleats because his pump had failed, but I don't think he wanted me to rob him of telling the story how he had to walk all the way home. Others have called someone to bail them out. Others just choose to solve problems on their own.

I've had people offer me help too, but I turn it down. Not because of their bikes, but because I don't believe in accepting help if you're capable of taking care of things yourself.

BillyD

Strong Bad

Good thing you made all of your preemptive assumptions based on him saying he didn't need help, and his bike. You may have prevented him from having a chance to make stupid assumptions about you and your bike. Brilliant strategy!

dcbikeguy

Lighten up Sam, it most likely had nothing to do with you.

BTW, that is a butt ugly bike though.

TomM

From what population of cyclists are you drawing your sample from?

jim p

Several years ago I was traveling cross county in my RV. I pulled into a gas station on a reservation and filled up. When I tried to start the RV the battery was almost dead and would not start. I took a piece of wire and was putting it from the auxilliary battery to the engine battery and this native walks up with some jumper cables and asks if he can help. I said no. That I am hooking up the aux battery. I never looked up. He stomped off and threw the cables into the back of his truck. I get everything going and as I am pulling out my wife said you really p o ed that guy. I asked her why see thought that and see told me how he stomped off and threw the cables in the back of his truck. I had no intention of causing him any grief. I was so consumed by what I was doing that I guess that I was too short with the guy.

Moral of story is to give everyone the benifit of the doubt if possible.

v1k1ng1001

I think you're on to something when you say that he was too embarrassed to admit he didn't know how to change a tube.

Fixitman

Hey, I need that jersey
I have Skynyrd concert photo's to trade if it'd the right size

DScott

Maybe he was just great, and misunderstood?

rooftest

I never understand this when I see it - If I've got a flat and no way to fix it, (pump broke, forgot the pump, etc.) I ride the damn thing home. Unless you've got carbon wheels, it'll work for you too. For some reason, everytime I see a guy walking, it's after I've already used my spare tube.

On the road, I always offer help - 99.9% of the time the other rider says "no, I'm okay - thanks." I've never thought of being offended by this. I guess I'm just more laid back than some.

urodacus

he was riding an aluminium Colnago... that alone should have made you steer well clear of him.

samsation7

Thanks. Be sure to remind me your name when I see you on the road with double flats. My bike is me. You can't insult one without doing damage to the other.

samsation7

Good point.