Road weenie karma

[rob feature]

So I was riding home from work today and experienced my first flat on a tubeless setup. Once I noticed the rear getting squishy, I found a good spot to stop and quickly found a 2-3 mm stick between the center tread and sidewall. That's right - a stick. That's a first. Once I pulled it out, the tire went flat pretty quickly. That's when I discovered I was out of sealant.

Luckily I carry a couple small bottles & was able to dump some right in. I also got (so I thought) lucky as I noticed it near a bike repair station that had a pump. So I leaned the bike on the sidestand & gave the rear tire some spinny action to distribute the Stan's and connected to the big pump at the repair station. Turns out, this one's in bad shape and won't seal on the valve stem.

So I broke out my little Lezyne and started pumping away until I had enough air in it to get it off the rim. Then I went back to the big pump to see if it had a change of heart, but would still not grab onto the stem tightly enough to seal. Back to the hand pump. Somewhere around that time a couple road weenies pedal up to air up a low rear tire.

Instead of asking if they can lend a hand, as I had tools spread out on the ground, they sat there staring impatiently and giggling gleefully that I was dealing with a flat - apparently oblivious to the fact that I was using my hand pump and not the pump they were waiting to use. I assume it's because I'm on an ebike and not a 6 oz carbon torture device. I hate to stereotype, but IME, most road weenies I encounter are the worst. They're arrogant, selfish, and could care less who they injure or scare as long as they don't have to slow down.

After a few minutes I had the tire up to a decent pressure. Spun the tire a few more times and put in a little more air until I was satisfied that it would get me a few more miles. Road weenies are still there staring at me like hurry the &^%$ up and get out of our way. So I did - took a moment to put all my stuff away then started riding on home. About the time I was mounting, this one fella hooks his half flat tire to the pump while it lets out a loud shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and almost immediately goes flat.

He looks up at me with this priceless face of - I really want to ask to use your pump, but I was sitting here the whole time not being very nice and so dammit. I returned his look with a warm smile and rode off into the sunset.

Moral of the story - at least ask if you can help someone and don't be a dick. It might just save your ride.

 

[bobf]

No sympathy for him here. He should have had his own pump. Glad you were self-sufficient.

 

[pete H]

Karma in Action! Unfortunately weenies as you call them are everywhere. Good skills getting yourself going again.

 

[smorgasbord]

I’ve had nothing but friendly chats with analog road bike riders that I’ve encountered. And often waves from those traveling in the opposite direction.

 

[Deacon Blues]

While on a long ride far from home I had my chain break. While waiting for BCAA (an automobile service I'm a member of that also has a bike service) two riders on regular bikes, or to use your term "road weenies" stopped to offer assistance. One rider even offered to ride back to his house and get me a spare quick link.
Categorizing a person by what they ride is a mistake. There's good people on all types of bikes.

 

[rob feature]

While on a long ride far from home I had my chain break. While waiting for BCAA (an automobile service I'm a member of that also has a bike service) two riders on regular bikes, or to use your term "road weenies" stopped to offer assistance. One rider even offered to ride back to his house and get me a spare quick link.
Categorizing a person by what they ride is a mistake. There's good people on all types of bikes.

I usually try to stay away from such generalizations. I get it. I really do. And it's probably more of a local thing. But I ride a lot. I'm out there most days. And that's what I've gathered from 12 years of riding in Colorado - most road weenies are dicks. And the force multiplies when they're in groups. Of course there are some good ones in there, and I know some, but the vast majority make them all look bad.

It is a male thing though. I hardly ever see women riders acting a fool. Figured that was baked into the road weenie terminology, but figured I should clarify

 

[Dmac]

On my first ride on one of my e-bikes I ran over a stick just getting into the trail. The stick got up under my rear fender and punctured the tire. I could hear a clang and got off and saw the stick. Of course as I pulled it out the tire went completely flat. I wheeled the bike back up the hill I had just ridden down to get on the trail and put it back on my bike rack. If you tried to do that with a stick it would be impossible! The trees are fighting back. I’m convinced that when I was riding with a friend who got a sudden flat it was a stick as well.

As for roadies they are a mixed bag. I find if there are a bunch out riding and they are talking to each other they are likely friendly. These guys will ding their bells and wave out. If they aren’t talking to each other they are mean so try to avoid them as they are most likely overly serious.

I did get a flat once on my Electra Townie and a bunch of mountain bike dudes helped me out. I just needed a better pump than my pump and they pumped up my tire for me. I was worried they would mock me for riding an electric bike that is the exact opposite of a mountain bike but they were really nice.

 

[harryS]

The only generalization I will make is that those cursed bike pumps set up in those maintenance centers all use the same no good for nothing universal presta-shrader adapters that leak. And if they don't leak, then the o-rings in the pump will be shot. Never seen one that worked.

 

[Djangodog]

So I was riding home from work today and experienced my first flat on a tubeless setup. Once I noticed the rear getting squishy, I found a good spot to stop and quickly found a 2-3 mm stick between the center tread and sidewall. That's right - a stick. That's a first. Once I pulled it out, the tire went flat pretty quickly. That's when I discovered I was out of sealant.

Luckily I carry a couple small bottles & was able to dump some right in. I also got (so I thought) lucky as I noticed it near a bike repair station that had a pump. So I leaned the bike on the sidestand & gave the rear tire some spinny action to distribute the Stan's and connected to the big pump at the repair station. Turns out, this one's in bad shape and won't seal on the valve stem.

So I broke out my little Lezyne and started pumping away until I had enough air in it to get it off the rim. Then I went back to the big pump to see if it had a change of heart, but would still not grab onto the stem tightly enough to seal. Back to the hand pump. Somewhere around that time a couple road weenies pedal up to air up a low rear tire.

Instead of asking if they can lend a hand, as I had tools spread out on the ground, they sat there staring impatiently and giggling gleefully that I was dealing with a flat - apparently oblivious to the fact that I was using my hand pump and not the pump they were waiting to use. I assume it's because I'm on an ebike and not a 6 oz carbon torture device. I hate to stereotype, but IME, most road weenies I encounter are the worst. They're arrogant, selfish, and could care less who they injure or scare as long as they don't have to slow down.

After a few minutes I had the tire up to a decent pressure. Spun the tire a few more times and put in a little more air until I was satisfied that it would get me a few more miles. Road weenies are still there staring at me like hurry the &^%$ up and get out of our way. So I did - took a moment to put all my stuff away then started riding on home. About the time I was mounting, this one fella hooks his half flat tire to the pump while it lets out a loud shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and almost immediately goes flat.

He looks up at me with this priceless face of - I really want to ask to use your pump, but I was sitting here the whole time not being very nice and so dammit. I returned his look with a warm smile and rode off into the sunset.

Moral of the story - at least ask if you can help someone and don't be a dick. It might just save your ride.

You could have been a good ambassador for ebikes and offered some assistance the the roadie. An opportunity missed. The roadie probably has a story to tell about the guy on the ebike that offered no help. Perception is reality.

 

[rob feature]

You could have been a good ambassador for ebikes and offered some assistance the the roadie. An opportunity missed. The roadie probably has a story to tell about the guy on the ebike that offered no help. Perception is reality.

Maybe ya missed the part about the guys being jerky from the get-go

I stop & offer assist to almost anyone I see having issues. Almost

 

[Chibbie]

While on a long ride far from home I had my chain break. While waiting for BCAA (an automobile service I'm a member of that also has a bike service) two riders on regular bikes, or to use your term "road weenies" stopped to offer assistance. One rider even offered to ride back to his house and get me a spare quick link.
Categorizing a person by what they ride is a mistake. There's good people on all types of bikes.

I’d like to hear more about that BCAA insurance + roadside assistance for bikes. I wasn’t aware that there were such policies. (I have Velosurance for my bike, but it doesn’t include roadside assistance as far as I’m aware; and I have Progressive for my car, but it doesn’t have roadside assistance for bikes as far as I’m aware). Have you been pleased with BCAA for both car and bike?

 

[Djangodog]

Maybe ya missed the part about the guys being jerky from the get-go

I stop & offer assist to almost anyone I see having issues. Almost

No, I got that part. So a couple guys show up with a problem similar to yours. They can’t get to the air because you are blocking it. It doesn’t appear that you needed help because at this point you are nearly done. They may have been annoyed that you were blocking access to the air pump, but that is just a guess. You don’t let them know that the system is faulty and let the guy make his soft tire into a flat one and then ride off and leave them stranded. Yeah, I get it. Those road weenies are the worst.

Like I said, perception is reality. As a “road weenie”, I get a little tired of the road cyclist bashing. It’s bad enough that we already get so much abuse from drivers. We don’t need e-bikes stiring the pot with anti-roadie tales.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I’d like to hear more about that BCAA insurance + roadside assistance for bikes. I wasn’t aware that there were such policies. (I have Velosurance for my bike, but it doesn’t include roadside assistance as far as I’m aware; and I have Progressive for my car, but it doesn’t have roadside assistance for bikes as far as I’m aware). Have you been pleased with BCAA for both car and bike?

I have BCAA coverage for my car and they added emergency road service for bikes a couple of years ago.
They must not get many calls from stranded bike riders, because they sent a tow truck to pick me up.
The tow truck driver, who had never carried a bike before, wondered if the bike could be situated in the back bed of the truck, but there was no way I was going to put my carbon road bike back there.
Luckily, the tow truck was a 4 door, so with the front wheel off we were able to put the bike in the back seat.

 

[rob feature]

No, I got that part. So a couple guys show up with a problem similar to yours. They can’t get to the air because you are blocking it. It doesn’t appear that you needed help because at this point you are nearly done. They may have been annoyed that you were blocking access to the air pump, but that is just a guess. You don’t let them know that the system is faulty and let the guy make his soft tire into a flat one and then ride off and leave them stranded. Yeah, I get it. Those road weenies are the worst.

Like I said, perception is reality. As a “road weenie”, I get a little tired of the road cyclist bashing. It’s bad enough that we already get so much abuse from drivers. We don’t need e-bikes stiring the pot with anti-roadie tales.

I left them stranded? No, they left themselves stranded by not being prepared. I don't exist to rescue road weenies.

And I wasn't blocking the pump. It's accessible from both sides. I can't help it that folks don't communicate.

 

[Djangodog]

After a few minutes I had the tire up to a decent pressure. Spun the tire a few more times and put in a little more air until I was satisfied that it would get me a few more miles. Road weenies are still there staring at me like hurry the &^%$ up and get out of our way.

Sorry, but it sounds like you were in their way, (your own words)

“Road weenies are still there staring at me like hurry the &^%$ up and get out of our way.”

Then there was your response to me;

“I don't exist to rescue road weenies.”

So why are you upset that they didn’t offer to help you????? They don’t exist to rescue you either.

You start a thread with derogatory terms aimed at road cyclists and go on with a fairytale that seems to say more about you than it does about them. There are no bike repair stations where I live, and I have never known roadies that were not self sufficient. Your story reads more like a fantasy designed to bolster your disdain for roadies than an actual encounter. You even claim to know what they were thinking.

There seems to be a belief by some that roadies are somehow different than mountain bikers. News flash, they are often the same person riding their other bike. Until the early 1990s, I raced mountain bikes. Like many other mountain bikers, I cross trained by running and riding my road bike. A jerk is a jerk whether they are on their road bike, mountain bike or ebike.

I can understand how a roadie is annoyed by the guy blocking access to the public pump, (by your own words). You don’t want your muscles to cool down when you are putting in a big effort and it doesn’t sound like you were being considerate right from the start. You could have moved out of the way and allowed these guys to use the pump, but by your own telling, you were tying up the repair station.

I could post a derogatory and inflammatory tale in regard to nearly every type or road or trail user. The worst encounters that I have seen were people on ebikes in Acadia National Park. I could have gone on and on about their clueless behavior, but what would that accomplish. It would be furthering a perception that ebike riders are clueless and rude, but I know that most of those encounters were probably just tourists on rental ebikes and that their ignorance was just due to their lack of experience, so I just let it go and enjoyed my rides.

Starting a thread that negatively targets and degrades a category of cyclist should receive pushback. We should all know better.

 

[6zfshdb]

I’d like to hear more about that BCAA insurance + roadside assistance for bikes. I wasn’t aware that there were such policies. (I have Velosurance for my bike, but it doesn’t include roadside assistance as far as I’m aware; and I have Progressive for my car, but it doesn’t have roadside assistance for bikes as far as I’m aware). Have you been pleased with BCAA for both car and bike?

In some areas, AAA's premium plan covers roadside assistance for bicycles. I have AAA but thankfully, I've never had to use it

 

[PedalUma]

We have many infrastructure improvements budgeted and about to be built. We know that there will be NIMBY objections such as where do I put my trash can now, or about parking. That is why we are leading with Cargo Moms and not the MAMILs, Middle Aged Men in Lycra. No one can hold a grudge against a mom taking happy kids to school safely.

 

[PedalUma]

On a MUP about nine months ago a public workstand was installed. It was budgeted at $10,000 over a five-year period by the Chamber of Commerce to purchase, pour the pad, install, and maintain. It has had chain-link around it ever since because everyone knows it will be raided and vandalized within hours of it opening. There must have been some tax break loop hole incentive or something such as a requirement for a development permit. It sure isn't doing anything.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

A few weeks ago I rode up to the grocery store with my trailer. I hadn't used the trailer for a while and neglected to check the tires before leaving. I didn't notice a problem until I loaded up 4 gallons of milk, a water melon and two cantaloupes and some canned goods. Both tires on the trailer were flat. Not having my pump on me, and knowing there wasn't any pumps nearby I made for a business not far from the store that I saw was having an apparent "road weenie" event. I pulled at a tent in the front manned by guys that I recognize as running one of the local bike shops. Asked if I could use their pump. The both jumped right up and took over filling the tires for me. Even checked the tires on my evil Ebike. I thanked them and made for home.

We has a people need to top dehumanizing those that don't live similar lives.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'd only say we shall not reciprocate "dicks" by being "dicks". I agree with @Djangodog.