Cyclists are the most helpful people: Real-life stories
Have you ever been helped by another cyclist when you were in distress?
Cyclists are a helpful bunch. We recently asked Cycling Weekly readers to tell us when they had been helped by a fellow cyclist. We received many replies, and present a selection of them here, in association with B'Twin.
Have you ever been helped by a cyclist? let us know your story in the comment section below.
Cycling through Glasgow in July I suffered a puncture and my repair kit had no patches left. Standing staring at my useless bike, a kindly OAP came sauntering up to the lights on an ancient boneshaker like my granddad had. “Need a wee hand, son?” he asked, smiling. Had me back on the road in 10 minutes. Legend. I felt an idiot with my carbon missile of a bike and rescued by a man on an antique. What a gentleman.
Diarmuid Griffin
Forgot to unclip at the lights, couldn’t un-wedge myself, so a driver with about £4k of bikes on the roof stopped and detangled me.
Dan Travers
>>> What ingenious bike repair has got you home after a mechanical disaster?
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Got hit by a car and snapped my collarbone, the driver sped off but another rider helped walk my bike home. I only remembered two days later what had happened after the concussion had worn off.
Alex Neal
Five weeks ago I was out riding with a group from Cycle 4 Christ club when I had a heart attack. One guy stayed with me and phoned for an ambulance and two ladies cycling with the group, who were nurses, turned back to help. The guy who stayed with me got my bike left at a house then returned that afternoon, picked it up, came and visited me in hospital and then brought the bike back to my home when I was out of hospital. Thanks to Adrian, Deidre and Rosemary.
Rodney Jess
I did the RideLondon 100 in 2015 and making my way back to Canary Wharf, I was looking at Google Maps on my phone when two great people stopped and asked if I was OK. I told them I was trying to get back to my hotel at Canary Wharf so I rode back with them — they went past their home to show me the way back to my hotel. They even put £20 on my Just Giving page.
Mark Robinson
Got a double-puncture hitting a pothole on the descent from Hindhead to Tilford. Got to a small clearing at the side of the road and started to change out both tyres. A large pick-up truck with a fat bike on the back passed by, turned around and came and stopped by me. Bloke jumped out with a track pump and chatted with me while I changed the tubes and pumped them up. Meant I could finish my planned ride instead of limping home.
Rupert Englander
Watch: How to replace a chainring
Got a puncture one evening; feeling a bit stressed due to having a job interview the next day, I managed to put a hole in my new tube. A very kind rider came past, stopped and gave me his spare tube. I managed to hole that one too, ended up walking five miles home with my bike. Wasn’t the best afternoon I’d ever had.
Mike Howells
A cyclist stopped and helped me pick my motorbike up after low-siding it round a roundabout. He couldn’t help me find my dignity though.
Rob Biagioni
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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