On the way howm last night I woundup assisting a young woman who had just bought a second hand bike.
Details:
- She had bought the bike shortly before, second hand with cobwebs included
- She was on her way to work due in around twenty minutes.
- She had received, apparently, no assistance or advice from the ex-owner. I say apparently as she was in too much of hurry for most of what I was offering, maybe that was the story where she bought it
- the seller had jammed the bike through the boot somehow - flat tyres helped
- She expected to ride it tomorrow to work (I dunno why the imperative)
Anyway I came across her trying to pump it up at a garage pump with the bike still jammed in the boot as she could not get it out. She lost what air she may have had in it in the first place.
I took it out after releasing the front wheel (quick release) and hand-pumped it (my pump, she had nix).
She had no idea of the quick release, nor of how to release the brakes. And again she was really in too much of hurry to want to know about either.
I told her it had a broken spoke. I said she could not ride it until it was fixed. I have the distinct impression that she thinks she will anyway.
The seat post had rotated which alarmed her. I suggested it was easy to attend to and that she needed to know how as she would have to adjust it to her liking anyway. Not much interest there either and still not time.
She really wanted me to put the wheel back on in preference to understanding how to take the wheel off and refit.
She had no idea where to get it repaired. I determined that Churchill Cycles would be convenient and suggested that she have them replace the spoke and to then ask them to go thru the removal and refitting of the wheel, adjusting the seat.
So Dumb? Yep. Didn't know what she had bought, didn't know the first thing about anything, didn't see any requirement to change that, thought she would be able to some how ride it "tomorrow" regardless. Will forever happily somehow jam the bike through the boot opening of a perfectly good car in defiance of immovable physical limitations, ...
I have zero expectation that this woman will be riding it ever. I suppose therefore that if she never rides it then she may not qualifiy as a dumb cyclist. Just DUMB. Period.