Sadness is a Stolen Bike

[reepicheep]

Hi all,

I went outside this morning to find only my front wheel locked to the parking sign instead of my whole bike. My mind immediately (and desperately) reasoned, "Wait! Maybe that's not mine! Maybe I parked mine somewhere else!" But no, that's my lock, and that's my wheel. *sigh*

Sad point #1: This bike was a no-name mountain bike I bought for $10 six months ago. The frame was heavy, the wheels and chain were rusted out, and the brakes were borderline safety hazards. But I loved her. She was the bike that made me fall in love with riding and led me to sites like this one. I was gonna replace her in the spring with either a decent hybrid or a refurbished LBS mountain bike, but dammit if someone else didn't just push the timeline up for me.

Sad point #2: I had brought the LBS gift certificate I got for Christmas with me to work today. I was all excited about finally getting a helmet (been guiltily riding on city sidewalks all this time), tail light, ankle straps, etc.

Thanks for letting me vent, and humoring my self-pity. I thought that if anyone would understand, it'd be y'all. I feel like a little kid without her favorite toy.

*sigh x 2*

[cathleen]

That totally sucks to have someone steal your bike. I'm sorry to hear that.

Bah! Bad Karma on them!

Not that you want to hear it, but in the future, there are safer ways to lock up your bike. (Anyone with a wrench can pop a wheel off.

FYI: call all the LBS's in your area and ask them to keep an eye out for your bike. And call the cops. They come across abandonded bikes all the time. Maybe they will find your bike.

Or, when it's time for a new bike, if you don't have a lot of $$, police departments and universitities frequently auction off bikes that have been recovered and unclaimed.

Good luck!

[reepicheep]

Oooh, good point about the police and university auctions! I forgot about those. I'll look into it. Thank you!

And yeah, I figure once I get my next new (old) bike, I'll do a better job of locking it up. I just naively figured that no one would want to steal something so clunky and rusted, so a u-lock and chain would do the trick. Lesson learned.

[Trek420]

I am so sorry this happened. I've had a bike stollen myself and believe there is a special place in h** reserved for those who'd steal a bike.

You may be able to write it off your taxes as uninsured loss

watch for it, especially if you see a frame that's spray painted or paint/logos otherwise covered.

Check craigslist for similar bikes for sale in your area

[CorsairMac]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{reep}}}}}}}}}} there ain't nothing sadder then having something so special taken away. It didn't matter what she?he? looked like - it was something to you! I'm so very sorry and am sending you all the good wishes that you can either find it or get another one - maybe one even More special! I do have a question tho - why outside? Why not take it inside - they're not very big (some are even smaller then Vietnamese Pigs) and she?he? would LOVE you for it!

[Dirt Girl]

I, too, am a member of the stolen bike club. In the spring it will be two years, and I still remember the awful, gut-wrenching feeling of looking where you thought you left your bike and it's no longer there. My heavy-duty cable was cut clean through allowing the thief to take my bike from the rack of the car, in broad daylight, on a busy street. Oh, I do feel your pain!

To this day, my hope is that someone is actually riding that bike, and it's not sitting around abandoned and sad. Or worse yet, dismantled into parts.

It's my firm belief that all things happen for a reason and often times something good comes from something bad. I've since gotten a bike that I love more than the stolen one (though like all first loves, it will never be forgotten). My wish for you is that your story will have a happy ending, too.

Unfortunately, my experience has made me an untrusting person. I'm so paranoid that I invested in a Kryptonite New York lock. And I'm still uncomfortable letting the bike get out of my sight. The Kryptonite web site has some great tips on locking bikes.

www.kryptonite.com

Best wishes on the search for a new bike. You are not alone, and you are allowed to grieve your loss!

[reepicheep]

Thanks for the sympathy, everyone! God, these forums are so great.

I'm definitely looking into New York locks as well, and I haven't even gotten a new bike yet! As for bringing my next baby inside...it's a tough call because my apartment is on the third floor of my building and it's also very small. Since the bike was so heavy, I didn't want to get discouraged from riding because I'd have to lug it up and down. Also, I was keeping my boyfriend's bike in my apartment for a while, and there really weren't room for two (and truly, his is a nicer bike. I'd have wept of the Cannondale Adventure 400 got stolen instead of mine.).

As luck would have it, there's an unclaimed bike in the office downstairs from mine, and it's a cool-looking Trek mountain bike! More details as this story develops...

[Roadrunner]

Sorry to hear about your bike. I've been there before. It's such a horrid feeling.:( I hope this cloud has a silver lining for you.
I was wondering about your user name. Are you a C.S. Lewis fan?
As that's the name of one of my favourite charachters in the Narnia series.

[reepicheep]

(off-topic)

Margaret, it's so cool that you got the reference! Yes, I'm a big Chronicles of Narnia fan, and Reepicheep is one of my favorite characters as well. I've been meaning to read more of Lewis' other stuff. Can you recommend one to start with?

[Roadrunner]

I haven,t read very many other books of his other than the Narnia books but the 'Screwtape Letters' by C.S Lewis Is a good read. It's very funny. :D

[Trek420]

I think we need to start a "how'd you choose your TE handle" thread, coulda sworn we had one somewhere.....

[Roadrunner]

Originally posted by Trek420
I think we need to start a "how'd you choose your TE handle" thread, coulda sworn we had one somewhere.....

Good idea. I'd have to come up with something better thanmy Christian name though. I guess I'm just really boring or unimaginative.:confused:

[Trek420]

Margaret "I guess I'm just really boring or unimaginative" not hardly, till you said that I just figured you for a Simpsons fan. Great picture of Marge :p

[CorsairMac]

HMMMMM....let me see if I can find that??...on one of the Other forums I belong to - they had a "getting to know you" thread!! It was fun.....
<-----gone looking for a thread!

[Trek420]

thanks for starting this, here we go again!

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2001

:p :rolleyes: :D

[Roadrunner]

Originally posted by Trek420
Margaret "I guess I'm just really boring or unimaginative" not hardly, till you said that I just figured you for a Simpsons fan. Great picture of Marge :p

Actualy I'm not even a fan of the Simpsons (can't stand them!!) :o
My son said that the Marge character was definitely me!!!
and to put that icon in. I still haven't come up with anything on my own (sad or what).:(

[Adventure Girl]

I was also a victim of bike theft. The first bike I bought as an adult was a hard tail mountain bike. It was a good entry-level bike. I learned a lot while riding it! One day I rode it to the gym and left it locked while I took a class. When I came out my bike was gone! What an empty feeling that was!

Trying to find the “silver lining”, I realized that it actually was time for me to get a new bike. I was no longer an entry-level rider. So I researched, shopped and bought my dual suspension bike (Santa Cruz Superlight). It has everything I wanted in a mountain bike!

I filed a police report but I was sure I’d never see my bike again. I wrote the serial number on a card and put it in my husband’s wallet. He’s a general contractor and he drives around our town a lot and he would keep an eye out for my bike. Well 2 years, 9 months and 16 days later, my husband saw some scummy guy riding my little bike down the street! He pulled the guy over, took my bike back and called the police! When the police arrived, my husband showed them the card with the serial number on it so the police let him take it back.

My poor little bike was TRASHED! My LBS guys gave me a bunch of parts. My husband and I put it back together. This was a great experience for me and I learned a lot by rebuilding it. I still ride it once in a while. I know I was extremely lucky to get it back. My LBS guys said they only have one other customer who ever recovered a stolen bike.