Good Deed for the Day

[Gags]

Was on the way home along the Yarra Trail this arvo and I caught up to what
appeared to be a father and teenage son on mountain bikes and going really
slow. As I passed I realised that the son's rear tyre was totally flat. I
asked them how far they had to get home and they said about 5 or 6km to
North Balwyn so I decided to help them out. I took off his rear wheel and
removed the tube to discover that it was a 27 inch tube in a 26 inch tyre
and it had been folded over near the valve to make it fit!!!! I thought
that this was probably what caused the flat but I did a quick check of the
tyre and removed a couple of small bits of glass as well (Used my cut in
half dentists tool that I have in my tool bag and use to remove glass by
poking it out through the tyre). I put in my one and only spare tube (brand
new and cost me about $10) with presta valve and explained that they
probably wouldn't be able to pump it up as all their other valves were the
standard car valve (Schraeder).

The whole thing took about 8 min or so and the guys were pretty happy and
appreciative. I was thinking about the brand new tube down the drain but
decided it was a pretty small price to pay given the circumstance. I
suggested that they might want to buy a replacement tube with a car valve on
it and install it pretty soon so that they could pump up the tyre again if
required. I was about to leave and then I gave the guy one of my business
cards and said that if he went and bought a replacement tube and gives me a
call, I will stop by on my way home from work, fit the new tube and recover
my tube back........."everyone's a winner"

For the rest of the trip home I was waiting for the puncture god's warped
sense of humour to strike but I made it without incident. As soon as I got
in the shed I put two more tubes in my bag before I forgot about it.....one
brand new and one that has been repaired a few times so that if I have to
give one away again I won't be worrying about it being a brand new tube.

I just hope that it will be a case of "what goes around comes around" if I
am ever stuck somewhere.

Ride On,

Gags

 

[God]

Gags wrote:
> Was on the way home along the Yarra Trail this arvo and I caught up to what
> appeared to be a father and teenage son on mountain bikes and going really
> slow. As I passed I realised that the son's rear tyre was totally flat. I
> asked them how far they had to get home and they said about 5 or 6km to
> North Balwyn so I decided to help them out. I took off his rear wheel and
> removed the tube to discover that it was a 27 inch tube in a 26 inch tyre
> and it had been folded over near the valve to make it fit!!!! I thought
> that this was probably what caused the flat but I did a quick check of the
> tyre and removed a couple of small bits of glass as well (Used my cut in
> half dentists tool that I have in my tool bag and use to remove glass by
> poking it out through the tyre). I put in my one and only spare tube (brand
> new and cost me about $10) with presta valve and explained that they
> probably wouldn't be able to pump it up as all their other valves were the
> standard car valve (Schraeder).
>
> The whole thing took about 8 min or so and the guys were pretty happy and
> appreciative. I was thinking about the brand new tube down the drain but
> decided it was a pretty small price to pay given the circumstance. I
> suggested that they might want to buy a replacement tube with a car valve on
> it and install it pretty soon so that they could pump up the tyre again if
> required. I was about to leave and then I gave the guy one of my business
> cards and said that if he went and bought a replacement tube and gives me a
> call, I will stop by on my way home from work, fit the new tube and recover
> my tube back........."everyone's a winner"
>
> For the rest of the trip home I was waiting for the puncture god's warped
> sense of humour to strike but I made it without incident. As soon as I got
> in the shed I put two more tubes in my bag before I forgot about it.....one
> brand new and one that has been repaired a few times so that if I have to
> give one away again I won't be worrying about it being a brand new tube.
>
> I just hope that it will be a case of "what goes around comes around" if I
> am ever stuck somewhere.
>
> Ride On,
>
> Gags
>
>

Don't worry, you'll be rewarded in the after-life.
Have faith!

G

 

[Russell Lang]

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Was on the way home along the Yarra Trail this arvo and I caught up to what
> appeared to be a father and teenage son on mountain bikes and going really
> slow. As I passed I realised that the son's rear tyre was totally flat.
> ...
> I put in my one and only spare tube
> ...
> The whole thing took about 8 min or so and the guys were pretty happy and
> appreciative.

Well done. Cycling is much more social than driving, and you just
reinforced that in a big way. I'd feel good if I were in your
position, and I hope the father and son can repay it by helping
someone else. Reminds of the slogan "practise random kindness
and senseless acts of beauty"

 

[trek-man]

Karma dude karma

 

[Tamyka Bell]

Gags wrote:
<snip>
> For the rest of the trip home I was waiting for the puncture god's warped
> sense of humour to strike but I made it without incident. As soon as I got
> in the shed I put two more tubes in my bag before I forgot about it.....one
> brand new and one that has been repaired a few times so that if I have to
> give one away again I won't be worrying about it being a brand new tube.
<snip>

Two spare tubes is a great backup plan - I use this as well, although
when you think about it, you're actually handing over a tube plus three
patches plus labour... Good work, and it was very nice of the
puncture gods to reward you

Tam

 

[Euan]

>>>>> "Gags" == Gags <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> writes:
Gags> For the rest of the trip home I was waiting for the puncture
Gags> god's warped sense of humour to strike but I made it without
Gags> incident. As soon as I got in the shed I put two more tubes
Gags> in my bag before I forgot about it.....one brand new and one
Gags> that has been repaired a few times so that if I have to give
Gags> one away again I won't be worrying about it being a brand new
Gags> tube.

Sweet! This is what life's supposed to be about, helping each other.
Good on you.
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\<,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

 

[Bean Long]

That is soooo sweet! I hope you're riding past next time I have a flat.

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying
"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A wonderful story about self-sacrifice and kindness

 

[flyingdutch]

I just hope that it will be a case of "what goes around comes around" if I
am ever stuck somewhere.

Ride On,

Gags

hehe. noice one laddy

as i says to the ones i have stopped for...
"No big deal. Next time you see someone see if they need help too. After all, it may be me!"

 

[Resound]

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Was on the way home along the Yarra Trail this arvo and I caught up to
> what
> appeared to be a father and teenage son on mountain bikes and going really
> slow. As I passed I realised that the son's rear tyre was totally flat.
> I
> asked them how far they had to get home and they said about 5 or 6km to
> North Balwyn so I decided to help them out. I took off his rear wheel and
> removed the tube to discover that it was a 27 inch tube in a 26 inch tyre
> and it had been folded over near the valve to make it fit!!!! I thought
> that this was probably what caused the flat but I did a quick check of the
> tyre and removed a couple of small bits of glass as well (Used my cut in
> half dentists tool that I have in my tool bag and use to remove glass by
> poking it out through the tyre). I put in my one and only spare tube
> (brand
> new and cost me about $10) with presta valve and explained that they
> probably wouldn't be able to pump it up as all their other valves were the
> standard car valve (Schraeder).
>
> The whole thing took about 8 min or so and the guys were pretty happy and
> appreciative. I was thinking about the brand new tube down the drain but
> decided it was a pretty small price to pay given the circumstance. I
> suggested that they might want to buy a replacement tube with a car valve
> on
> it and install it pretty soon so that they could pump up the tyre again if
> required. I was about to leave and then I gave the guy one of my business
> cards and said that if he went and bought a replacement tube and gives me
> a
> call, I will stop by on my way home from work, fit the new tube and
> recover
> my tube back........."everyone's a winner"
>
> For the rest of the trip home I was waiting for the puncture god's warped
> sense of humour to strike but I made it without incident. As soon as I
> got
> in the shed I put two more tubes in my bag before I forgot about
> it.....one
> brand new and one that has been repaired a few times so that if I have to
> give one away again I won't be worrying about it being a brand new tube.
>
> I just hope that it will be a case of "what goes around comes around" if I
> am ever stuck somewhere.
>
> Ride On,
>
> Gags
>
>

Bravo That kid just learnt that cyclists=nice people. And watching you
ride off, he probably also learnt that bikes are faster than he thought they
were. I know you weren't consciously doing cycling PR, just "bein'
neighbourly" but it's good all 'round.

 

[SteveA]

I put in my one and only spare tube (brand
new and cost me about $10) with presta valve and explained that they
probably wouldn't be able to pump it up as all their other valves were the
standard car valve (Schraeder).

Ride On,

Gags

Blessed are the helpers

Good on ya.

Do you reckon they watched and learned.

"give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for life"

"give a man a fire and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his days"

"change a tube for a cyclist and he will be able to cycle home, show a cyclist how to change a tube and he ............."

SteveA

 

[cfsmtb]

I just hope that it will be a case of "what goes around comes around" if I
am ever stuck somewhere.

Ride On,

Gags

You Rock.

 

[DJ]

>>resound wrote:
>
> Bravo That kid just learnt that cyclists=nice people. And watching you
> ride off, he probably also learnt that bikes are faster than he thought
> they were. I know you weren't consciously doing cycling PR, just "bein'
> neighbourly" but it's good all 'round.
>
"Dad, who was that masked man"?

"Son, that was the LONE CYCLIST" !!

Good Onya Gags

DJ

 

[DaveB]

I was off on a short training ride last week and was considering not
bothering with pump/spare tube but decided not to taunt th puncture
gods. Just as well. A couple of km's along th ebike track I came across
a guy changing a tube. i asked if he was right, but he definitely
wasn't. He has one of those compressed air canisters and due to the bad
connection had lost all his air. He got the tyre pumped up with my pump
and was on his way. That's the second time I've come across that. Got me
beat why you would not carry a pump on a training ride (racing maybe).

DaveB