Shoutout to the guy who helped me out when my chain snapped near Banff

I was about 20 kilometers from the town of Banff on a solo ride last fall, just cruising along the Bow Valley Parkway. Everything was fine until I heard this awful clanking noise and my pedal just dropped. The chain had completely snapped, right at a link. I had a basic multi-tool, but no chain breaker or master link on me. I was starting to think it was going to be a very long walk when another rider pulled over. He had a full kit, including a chain tool and a spare quick link. He showed me how to push the pin out, shorten the chain by one link, and get the new link in. Took us maybe 15 minutes total. I offered him cash but he just said 'pay it forward next time you see someone stuck'. Has anyone else had a trailside repair save their ride?

2 comments

2 Comments

felixw682d ago

That "pay it forward" line gets me. See it a lot in my line of work, but also just at the grocery store or on the road. People help because someone once helped them. It's a quiet rule that keeps things from falling apart.

the_miles2d ago

Ever wonder if that quiet rule is the real social contract? It feels like the basic glue that holds daily life together when bigger systems fail. We just keep passing it along without even talking about it.