Just want to say thankyou

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jacob_T
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Just want to say thankyou

Postby jacob_T » Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:35 pm

I'm new to cycling, and as such, the cycling community. But today I was blown away by the kindness of another rider.

In the middle of a long (for me) ride, and about 50 kms from home, I got a puncture. Not a huge deal, I just replaced the innertube and kept moving.
Got another few km's down the road and noticed my tire was flat again (forgot to check the tire, and there was a shard of glass still lodged in the tire... lesson learnt).
Anyway, I didn't have another spare tube, so I was tossing up whether to call for help or walk the few km's to the nearest bike shop barefoot.
I went with option b, and had barely walked 50m when a car pulled up, and a smiling man jumped out asking if I was alright.

It turned out he was a fellow cyclist and had noticed me walking near his work. He quickly ducked out to see if everything was okay and very kindly gave me a lift up to the bike shop.

No idea if he uses this forum or not, but if so, thanks heaps!

Hope I can return the favour to another rider in distress some time.
(Also gonna start carrying a few spare tubes from now on).

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find_bruce
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby find_bruce » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:17 pm

What goes around comes around Jacob, one of the things I love about cycling is that if you are stuck on the side of the road a whole heap of cyclists will offer assistance if you need it.

Just keep the karma flowing by helping any other cyclist you can.
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TraceyG
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby TraceyG » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:19 pm

Yep, I had exactly the same experience a couple of months ago, but not just one car stopped, a total of four. One driver had even driven past and his wife insisted they come back to offer me a lift - and on a freeway that was an extra five or 10 km for them. My husband was already on the way back with our car but I was really touched by the kindness offered all round.

jcjordan
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby jcjordan » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:58 pm

I am a firm believer in Karma and that it comes back two fold.

I have over the years stopped to help out a cyclist in need, given up tubes, etc but never needed any help myself.

That was until one day I was visiting Melbourne for work and I sliced open a tire beyond repair. So with 8km walk before me, a storm just starting and meeting to get to I figured that I was up the creek without a paddle.

That's when a fellow cyclist stopped and offered me a lift. Not only that during the conversation and I mentioned that I would not have a chance to pick up a spare tire so no riding for the rest of the week and he offers to pick one up for me (worked next to a bike shop). So we catch up for dinner that night (he would not let me pay either) and offers to show me a couple of good rides over the rest of the week.



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avroncotton
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby avroncotton » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:23 pm

I was stuck with a mechanical problem and was about 15kms from the bike store. So I started walking with my thumb out. Eventually a very small car car pulled over and a young lady asked if she could help. She told me that she would never usually pick up a hitchhiker however she figured that that I didn't have a gun hidden anywhere! I thanked her for stopping however there was no way that my bike would have fitted in her vehicle.

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KenGS
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby KenGS » Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:16 pm

avroncotton wrote:I was stuck with a mechanical problem and was about 15kms from the bike store. So I started walking with my thumb out. Eventually a very small car car pulled over and a young lady asked if she could help. She told me that she would never usually pick up a hitchhiker however she figured that that I didn't have a gun hidden anywhere! I thanked her for stopping however there was no way that my bike would have fitted in her vehicle.
But she could tell you were happy to see her :wink:
--Ken
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Lizzy
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby Lizzy » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:08 pm

Yep, this rings pretty true for me as well - on one of my early attempts to ride to work, I lost my chain on the approach to a set of lights. A guy on a road bike was onto it before my feet even hit the ground. These days I make a point of checking in on breakdowns I pass to keep the karma cycle turning.
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velocopedant
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby velocopedant » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:35 pm

It's funny that I saw this so soon after I had a fairly major mechenical failure on the way to work on Tuesday. It was then that I noticed that there are 3 types of cyclists:

1. Those who stop to see if your're OK and if they can be of any assistance. Salt of the earth.
2. Those who keep on going. That's OK, they had somwhere to get to and my problems aren't neccesarily theirs.
3. (And these are the ones that made me laugh), those who ask if you're OK without slowing down. By the time I'd responded, they were gone.

alex
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby alex » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:47 pm

when i see someone struggling on the side of the road i always ask if they are ok but i dont come to a complete stop to do it

9 times out of 10 they start with some huge story about OH I HIT A ROCK AND THEN A MAGPIE ATTACKED ME AND THEN......... and by that time i am gone

if someone asks you if you are need help, just answer YES or NO
if i get killed while out on my bike i dont want a 'memorial ride' by random punters i have never met.

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JustJames
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby JustJames » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:50 pm

alex wrote:when i see someone struggling on the side of the road i always ask if they are ok but i dont come to a complete stop to do it

9 times out of 10 they start with some huge story about OH I HIT A ROCK AND THEN A MAGPIE ATTACKED ME AND THEN......... and by that time i am gone

if someone asks you if you are need help, just answer YES or NO
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human909
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Re: Just want to say thankyou

Postby human909 » Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:46 pm

Not meaning to be a party pooper but I would hope all people would act similarly. Motorists are often less likely to in city traffic because people are cocooned and because its hard to stop.

I often stop and assist people in need. Be it pushing a disable car, bike or hitch-hikers. The world is a better place with such things.

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