In Memoriam: The bikes we have lost

[IvonaDestroi]

I was thinking about my old bike this morning, In fact, I realized that not a day goes by that I don't miss her. She was old and rusty, but she was literally made for me. I could sit perfectly straight up on her, and she even had a cup holder for my coffee. $12 out the door at goodwill. She was my fist 3 speed, and I don't think I can ever replace her.

1977 Columbia Sports 3


About 6 months ago I went out to a party. There was a large collection of bikes in the front yard, behind a large ramp that led to the porch, mostly unlocked. Since I hadn't felt like lugging my big heavy chain lock that night, I brought a little wire wrap around master lock instead that I usually used for quick release seats. I locked her up in the bike pile and figured she was safe.

A bit later, I went out front and noticed 2 gang banger-ly dressed young children. One was about 12 years old, sitting on a mountain bike, the other maybe 8, sitting on his handlebars. They were eyeballing the bikes. I even said something to them, I don't remember what. Something about riding on handlebars. I figured she was safe, there was a multitude of party goers out front, they couldn't possibly steal something with so many people there. so I went in the back.

5 minutes later the announcement was made that a bike had been stolen. They had cut her lock and taken her. We rode around a bit looking for her, but she was gone

I miss you Columbia Sports 3!

[Trek420]

1997 Trek 420 memorialized here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=711

[OakLeaf]

My first ten-speed, a green Peugeot UO-8. I was 13 years old and I saved up all year from my part-time jobs to buy her used from a colleague of my mom's. I'd made a piggy bank from a laundry detergent jug and my bike money went in there a couple of dollars at a time.

I rode her all through high school and college and about a year after I graduated. Commuting, day riding, just tooling around surveying my domain. I don't even remember what service she needed, but a friend of mine was supposed to work on her for me. She was stolen out of his shed.

Fast forward 25 years. I'm walking around town one day and there's one of my riding buddies. I only knew his newer road bike. But he's riding a green Peugeot UO-8! Not mine, one size larger frame - that would've been too much of a coincidence. But oh, seeing that bike made my heart hurt and brought back great memories all at once.

[Trek420]

Nice bike

http://www.geocities.com/randyjawa/P...iteUO8Half.jpg

[grey]

1993(92?) Fuji Monterey hybrid bike.
I was 15 - I saved up all summer for a bike - mowing lawns, babysitting, etc. Paid $350 for her from the local bike shop. I tried out just a few bikes, but once I tried her, I knew she was it. She was silver-grey (like me!) and had accents and lettering in that same bright green all the businesses are using for their logos now. The bike owner tried to talk me out of it, because it was a "boy's bike" and here he had another bike that "rode like a Cadillac."

Dear Heavens.... I'm 15 and I live in South Florida. Cadillac is synonymous with blue hair!

I named her Greyfell - I had just been reading Sigfried, and that was his steed.

I rode her everywhere. She was pretty fast, she could go off the roads... She was my companion throughout college - we'd take 10miles each way to school in Gainesville, FL, and then braved the early morning rush hour traffic in Tampa.

For a while, I let her be stored in my parent's garage. One day I came looking for her and... my dad thought I no longer wanted her, and had thrown her away!



I still miss her -nowadays I would have fitted her with baskets or saddlebags and she'd be my grocery-getter.

I can't even find a photo. If ANYBODY has one sitting around...

[wackyjacky1]

How I miss my 1985 Peugeot Orient Express! I bought that bike when I was still in college using my tax refund and the proceeds from selling my sturdy ol' Nishiki Sport (which I also miss, but not as much as that Peugeot). I rode that thing everywhere and loved every second.

A few years later, I let my boyfriend at the time use the bike one night. He locked it to a pole outside a bar, got drunk and forgot about it, and it was left there overnight. When he went back the next day to get it, naturally it had been stolen. I was heartbroken!

I've never had a bike I loved as much as that one, although the way I feel about my current bike is awfully close.

[kathybiker]

Hey Grey,

Oldtenspeedgallery.com has a grey Fuji Monterey with some green in the trim, though it doesn't look like a hybrid. See:
http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-...fuji-monterey/

Also, jaxed.com offers a way to easily search for a bike on both ebay and craigslist in multiple cities. Here are curent listings for Fuji Monterey:
http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cg...nterey&ys=&ye=

I hope that at least a picture of your bike turns up.

It sounds as though your Dad tried to evade responsibility for throwing away something that was yours.

I have a friend who sometimes says "I thought you would want..." and I've come to realize she doesn't just ask me whatever it is I might want because she wants to control the situation.

There are many positive aspects of my friend, while this trait is a bit of a snag, though sometimes laughable.

On another note, I recently met a man in his late 60's who had fought in Viet Nam, only to return home and find that his father had thrown away his Raleigh 10-speed bike.

This happened almost 40 years ago and the sadness and resentment he felt about it was still apparent when he told me about it. I felt his pain. What his Dad did was wrong.

My mother and sister threw away my baseball card collection when I was about 12 years old. I guess they thought it was no longer appropriate for me to have an interest in baseball.

I consider their action stealing; it was wrong and disrespectful. Even so, the richness of experiences I had with my mom and sister certainly outbalance this one negative incident. I love and like them both.

But I would still like to have my baseball cards back, two shoeboxes full of them -- Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Luis Aparicio, Ernie Banks, Nellie Fox, Roger Maris, a vintage Ty Cobb card, a vintage Babe Ruth card, Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer and many more.

I'm thinking there's a special corner in heaven, call it Cloud 9 Lost and Found, where all the thrown away and stolen bikes and baseball cards and other long gone, lost items will all appear once more.

Then the owners can own what's rightfully theirs once again.

[kathybiker]

Ivona,

I'm sorry your bike was stolen. I don't suppose there's any hope of returning to the area where the party was and hunting down the young gangbangerly kids, maybe buying your bike back from them?

Old bikes from the Goodwill, flea markets and garbage pickings are sometimes the best loved -- $12 was a great price.

I like the way you put your coffee cup holder on the Columbia Sports 3, a modern touch on an old gal of a bike.

Sometimes older Columbia bikes are advertised on craigslist and elsewhere, if perchance you're interested in another of the same model.

A woman in Jamaica Plain, MA offered a Columbia 3 speed for free in an ad last January -- a long shot, I know:
http://www.neighborsforneighbors.org...a-free-beat-up

[Trek420]

1993(92?) I still miss her -nowadays I would have fitted her with baskets or saddlebags and she'd be my grocery-getter.

I can't even find a photo. If ANYBODY has one sitting around...

Like this?

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/bik/1135101342.html

[IvonaDestroi]

Ivona,

I'm sorry your bike was stolen. I don't suppose there's any hope of returning to the area where the party was and hunting down the young gangbangerly kids, maybe buying your bike back from them?

Old bikes from the Goodwill, flea markets and garbage pickings are sometimes the best loved -- $12 was a great price.

I like the way you put your coffee cup holder on the Columbia Sports 3, a modern touch on an old gal of a bike.

Sometimes older Columbia bikes are advertised on craigslist and elsewhere, if perchance you're interested in another of the same model.

A woman in Jamaica Plain, MA offered a Columbia 3 speed for free in an ad last January -- a long shot, I know:
http://www.neighborsforneighbors.org...a-free-beat-up

Yea you know a few of my friends live around that neighborhood and I always keep a hopeful eye out.

The bike theft problem here is huge (we're kinda in a ghetto)- I see a crackhead on an obviously stolen bike at least 3 or 4 times a day. I always stare them down! Yesterday I saw two of em tryin to steal a schwinn as I rode by. I gave them a dirty look but they're like creepy old crackheads that were hitting on me so I didn't exactly want to stop and deal with it.

The swap meets here are always full of stolen bikes as well, it's pretty depressing. If I see one that stands out I post an ad on craigslist thinking maybe the original owner will see it. I have a feeling I just might see my columbia riding around here one day... I actually always do a double take when I see some crackhead on a step through frame!

[IvonaDestroi]

1997 Trek 420 memorialized here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=711

Wow someone just let themselves in to your house while you were home???

so creepy...

[ShubieGA]

It was my red Motobecane 10-speed that I saved up for, to take to college. (yep, it was the '70's). It tipped over in the garage and Mom's car turned it into modern art, as she did not see it when she pulled in. I'm not sure which was worse: seeing the bike or watching Mom try to explain it to me!

[Trek420]

Wow someone just let themselves in to your house while you were home???

so creepy...

Someone? It's never been proven but the jerk was probably my ex'es good for nothing addict prison tat'ed brother. She'd had him do work on the yard at the time something I never approved of. Did I mention she'd just dumped me and I was in the process of moving out? Did I mention that my Dad was dying at the time?

One day with all this I felt I just needed a ride, went downstairs and

If she's lurking brphhhhhphtttphhht!! she should see me now, I have a much hotter ........ bike

But I still miss my Trek. When I'm on a hard climb I still habitually reach down for my ol' down tube shifters.

[IvonaDestroi]

Someone? It's never been proven but the jerk was probably my ex'es good for nothing addict prison tat'ed brother. She'd had him do work on the yard at the time something I never approved of. Did I mention she'd just dumped me and I was in the process of moving out? Did I mention that my Dad was dying at the time?

One day with all this I felt I just needed a ride, went downstairs and

If she's lurking brphhhhhphtttphhht!! she should see me now, I have a much hotter ........ bike

But I still miss my Trek. When I'm on a hard climb I still habitually reach down for my ol' down tube shifters.

what is wrong with people???

[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.