In Memoriam: The bikes we have lost

[Trek420]

No worries. It's all part of what got me here. But if you see a purple to green fade 47 cm Trek 420 out there, tackle the guy, hold him down and PM me. I'll be right over to get her back.

[7rider]

I had my first "real" bike stolen.
It was a 1992 Miyata Triplecross hybrid. The first bike I ever bought at a shop after doing research and test-riding, and not a hand-me-down from my sister. That bike really launched me as a rider. Still, when it was stolen, I used the insurance money to buy a Bianchi Eros road bike, which really expanded my range as a cyclist. So, in hindsight, it was actually a really good thing that my bike was stolen.
BTW...the Bianchi was subsequently sold on Craigslist to a college kid from Baltimore. Some days, I still miss that bike, too....

[tulip]

My 1983 Univega Gran Turismo--that was A Bike! It took me on my first tour through France when I was only 15 years old. Stolen (by former boyfriend) when I was in college. bummer.

1983 Vitus. '83 was a good year for classic bikes. I got this one in 1989. It was too big, but I rode it for 15 years anyways. I liked it because it was light and French. I went down in a bad crash, and the frame cracked at the dropouts. I shoulda kept it, though, but I left it behind when I moved on in 2006.


1987 Centurion something. It was bright yellow. Aluminum. snazzy. I sold it. I don't miss this one.

1985 Fuji road bike. My first racing bike. Stolen a year later. It was red and pretty.

Oh, and the kicker! 1989 Bridgestone MB-2 mountain bike. Oh so classic 80s mountain bike! I had to leave it in France when I moved back to the states in 2000. I always thought I would retrieve it, but things didn't work out that way. another bummer.

[Zen]

1973(?) Raleigh Record put on layaway at High's Cycle center.
It probably cost no more than $200 but I worked for it and bought it myself. I rode it 9 miles to school and to my job at McDonalds.
It was a hot July day when I picked it up, rode home, guzzled root beer then puked

Sold it to a friend when i joined the army.

[Groundhog]

I posted my introduction and bike loss story here... http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=31188

Here's a photo of my bike on our Port Townsend to Sequim family ride.

I always called it "my dorky women's bike." Now after reading this forum I find it's a trendy mixte. Sigh. I'll have to post a pic of my new bike.

[Zen]

Oh Groundhog, I hate to be the bearer of this news but what you have(had?) is a standard womens bike.

This is a mixte

[Groundhog]

Oh Groundhog, I hate to be the bearer of this news but what you have(had?) is a standard womens bike.

This is a mixte

OK, learning a lot here. I guess it was just me...don't know why I liked it so much but I did...

[Groundhog]

Thanks, Zen.

[Zen]

No worries. It's all part of what got me here. But if you see a purple to green fade 47 cm Trek 420 out there, tackle the guy, hold him down and PM me. I'll be right over to get her back.

Idunno...that's my size

[sgtiger]

Idunno...that's my size

You know she'll put a hurtin' on ya for it.

[NbyNW]

My 42 cm Kandy Apple Red Rodriguez was the most beautiful 2nd-hand bike a girl could hope for . . . it was originally custom-built for a lovely woman named Dot who had to stop riding for health reasons. I felt so lucky to find it!

Riding that bike was the first non-PT exercise I was able to do, post sacrum-fracture. Those first few rides, while short, felt so liberating. I had it for one season, and was looking forward to building up to longer rides, when it was stolen from my garage.

I've never really stopped looking for that bike.

[Trek420]

You know she'll put a hurtin' on ya for it.

Me? Naaaaaah, I wouldn't hurt a fly. I wouldn't want to damage the bike

This brings up an interesting subject. How often do we see people riding and think "that's not your bike!"

This is a difficult question to express because I'm not talking class or wealth. For example recently on BART I saw a rider, dressed to the 9's in business garb with a Bianchi cross bike leaning on her knee. The bike had a lot of love and upgrades, didn't take much of an eye to see "these are not stock parts". But the frame and upkeep showed signs of recent neglect. A person who wrapped leather bar tape and a Brooks on a cross would not leave it leaning on poles and let it get scratched ... I don't think this is your bike!

I would never say anything to the rider but if that bike could speak she's saying "take me HOME, please!"

[redrhodie]

I left my 1980s Puch MTB in the basement of my last apartment. It was a gift from a now deceased ex-bf, and it was a too sad reminder of his tragic end, and things not working out. It was time to let it go.

[IvonaDestroi]

Me? Naaaaaah, I wouldn't hurt a fly. I wouldn't want to damage the bike

This brings up an interesting subject. How often do we see people riding and think "that's not your bike!"

This is a difficult question to express because I'm not talking class or wealth. For example recently on BART I saw a rider, dressed to the 9's in business garb with a Bianchi cross bike leaning on her knee. The bike had a lot of love and upgrades, didn't take much of an eye to see "these are not stock parts". But the frame and upkeep showed signs of recent neglect. A person who wrapped leather bar tape and a Brooks on a cross would not leave it leaning on poles and let it get scratched ... I don't think this is your bike!

I would never say anything to the rider but if that bike could speak she's saying "take me HOME, please!"

Wow, that's so funny you should mention that. I just took BART today and saw a homeless guy on a really nice Jamis. I have a friend that bought one recently for $600 but this one was waaaay nicer then the one she got.

It was funny because I thought you know, that bike was probably stolen at some point but this guy really seems to appreciate it. I don't know why, but he was this dirty old guy wit a bike that he kept pretty pristine. You could see where he had wrapped this dirty old tape around it to hide the name, and he had a patched up magna frame pouch to attach to it.

The rest looked really well kept, just the tape/pouch as one of those "make it look crappy so no one steals it" kinds of moves. I wondered if he appreciated that bike more then the original owner. I got the feeling that he seemed to.