Driving to work this morning I saw a touring cyclist...

[pinkshogun]

fixing a flat on his modern skinny tire bike laden with gear at a supermarket. he was on his way from Maine to Pleasant Valley, N.Y. to visit his folks. Young guy in his late 20's early 30's with a big bushy beard and casual attire

His smart phone wasnt giving him a nice route so i advised him to jump on the local bike path a mile away which would take to almost to the Connecticut border from mid-state Rhode Island.

I then gave him my tri-state RI/MA/CT map so he could properly navigate the rest of the trip across CT. and into upstate New York

I had half a mind of going home to grab the touring bike to join him!

[AngryScientist]

that's pretty cool of you to stop and lend a cyclist's hand. i keep a floor pump in my car all the time and have stopped to lend some air to cyclists a few times, and it's always nice chatting with someone on two wheels. wish i were on the road today, it was a beautiful day.

[MattTuck]

Awesome, meeting touring cyclists is so cool. I was out on a recovery ride a few weeks ago and came up on a guy riding a loaded mountain bike. Usually I wouldn't stop and talk, but I was riding pretty slow so struck up a conversation. Really nice guy riding from Saratoga Springs, NY to Hampton Beach, NH.

I rode with him for about 20 miles, at his pace. Looked at his planned route and gave him my advice on a few local roads he could take. Also, gave him some hints on which grocery stores he should hit up.

He said I was the first roadie that had stopped to talk with him. It was one of the best rides I've done this year.

[JAllen]

All of these encounters warm my heart. With all the ugliness we get bombarded with on a daily basis, it's nice to find solace in these simple gestures. Thank you guys.

[Bradford]

I love seeing loaded bikes on the road, although it makes me wish I were out their with them.

When you see one, if at all practical and possible, invite them to a meal or to to camp in your yard. Some of my best memories are being invited to camp in people's yards, getting an unexpected shower and access to a washing machine. I've been on many tours, I've never met a touring cyclist I wouldn't invite home for dinner.

[oliver1850]

I talk to lots of tourists and often end up fixing something. There's quite a range of what people are willing to ride coast to coast on. Last year met a guy that was crossing the country on a GMC Denali bought at Wal-Mart. Also had a guy headed for the Ozark Mtns. on a cheap old Raleigh with loaded rack (milk crate on top) and pulling a heavy trailer. The whole rig must have weighed close to what he did. His low gear was a 42/25. I put a triple on it for him and sent him down the road. I've fixed flats for at least two guys who were carrying nothing at all in the way of tire repair or air source. One of them was dropped off at my place by a friend who found him along the road. The other I found along US6, walking his MTB and wearing a huge mountaineer backpack. He was about 15 miles from any place he could buy a tube or patch kit. I loaded him in the truck and drove him to my place, slimed his flat, and took him back to where I found him. He was so ill-equipped, but I felt like to deal with everything I'd have to adopt him. Always wondered how far he got before his next problem, and how it was dealt with. At the other end of the spectrum was a German woman who had been touring since the mid 1970s. She said she'd been all over Europe on the bike and was bored with Europe so had been touring the US for several summers. She was ready for anything, except the heat that year in Kansas. She was headed for Dodge City but it was 100+ out there, and she emailed me later that she turned around somewhere between KC and Dodge. Most interesting cargo was a guy pulling a trailer with his electric guitar and amp. Apparently never went anywhere without it.

[Shortsocks]

fixing a flat on his modern skinny tire bike laden with gear at a supermarket. he was on his way from Maine to Pleasant Valley, N.Y. to visit his folks. Young guy in his late 20's early 30's with a big bushy beard and casual attire

His smart phone wasnt giving him a nice route so i advised him to jump on the local bike path a mile away which would take to almost to the Connecticut border from mid-state Rhode Island.

I then gave him my tri-state RI/MA/CT map so he could properly navigate the rest of the trip across CT. and into upstate New York

I had half a mind of going home to grab the touring bike to join him!

Good Job man. Thanks for lending a hand and showing kindness. Its what we do best!!

[Louis]

Most interesting cargo was a guy pulling a trailer with his electric guitar and amp. Apparently never went anywhere without it.

That's commitment to your music! You could have told him that if Dylan could go electric in '65 at Newport, he should consider going acoustic...

[buddybikes]

Speaking of touring, I used to work with a guy in 1973 who just went cross country (east to west) road a Raleigh International with front tubular - said it blew about 100 miles from Vancouver. Needless to say, gearing was 42/52 - 14/26 with full load.

Other friends went from 500 miles above last paved road in Alaska to Florida (1981), by time they got near Florida - not exactly friends to each other any longer.

have opened my backyard to passing tourists few times.