Lost and found

[Manotea]

So I went into the garage to collect my bike and... the cupboard was bare. There was a hole where my bike should have been. Maybe I was being absent minded and I'd already fetched it and it was in the hall. Nope, not there. I went back to the garage to see if it had rematerialised? Nope, still not there. Bugger. Then I realised. I knew. For I often ride at night and when I come home park the bike underneath the front bay windows, where it would be out of sight from inside the house, whilst I open the front door. I must have have left it there, forgetting to bring it in. I looked outside but I knew it wouldn't be there, and it wasn't. It was gone, stolen, my PBP tuned Pearson Touche, complete with SON dynahub, B&M Luxos U, Goldtec wheel, Brooks Team Pro, Carradice SQR Tour and other stuff, all gone. About 1500squid all found. Gone. Gone forever. I had my No.2 bike but it would need work and money to bring it up to snuff and really my heart wasn't in it. That was it. It was all over. My cycling days were done. I would never ride again.

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Then something caught my eye and I fetched my bike out of the car. And all the people rejoiced and said Manotea will ride again!

[clarion]

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Phew!

[Pingu]

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There but for the grace of $DEITY...

[drossall]

I did that last week, except that it was just my old fixed-wheel hack bike, and it was the shed that it wasn't in, if you see what I mean

[jsabine]

I had a heart-stopping moment a little while ago.

Invitation to a whisky tasting, in a posher bit of London than I live in. Marvellous. Invited a friend. Rode over there, parked my bike, went to the pub over the road, had a pint with my friend.

Went to the whisky tasting, and tasted whisky. Pressed another friend, whose abode was conveniently round the corner, to attend. Tasted more whisky. Decided that riding home would be foolish when friend no.2 had a conveniently-around-the-corner spare room.

Chat. Bed. Breakfast.

Began to sort out my bag to go to work, and lo, what did I discover in my pannier?

A D-lock.

I swallowed hard; I accepted that I had lost. I tried very, very hard not to run as I went back around the corner to where I had parked my bike the night before, knowing that speed was futile for it had surely gone many, many hours before.

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Yeah, you guessed it.

Either parking in the middle of three or four Sheffield stands is a very effective disguise, or the bike thieves of Parsons Green aren't terribly observant. Either way, I'd been just a little bit lucky, and felt good as I rode to work.

[Basil]

Twice, I've left my unlocked bike outside the front of my house in Brum overnight.  One of my sons has done it too.
Another time, I needed to leave my bike in the city center for a couple of hours, so I decided it would be better to remove and secure the front wheel.   On my return, I could see from some distance the wheel just leaning against the frame and not attached or secured in any way.

Many years ago, I spent ages searching the house for my car keys.  Eventualy, I glanced out of the window at the car parked in the street outside.  There they were, in the door, on the side next to the footpath.  They'd been there at least 12 hours.

[fuzzy]

Muppet

[drossall]

On my return, I could see from some distance the wheel just leaning against the frame and not attached or secured in any way.

You mean your bike was so naff that they'd stolen the lock and left the bike?

[Basil]

Likewise the car.  It was an old volvo estate.
Seems nobody wanted it.

[Sergeant Pluck]

So I went into the garage to collect my bike and... the cupboard was bare. There was a hole where my bike should have been. Maybe I was being absent minded and I'd already fetched it and it was in the hall. Nope, not there. I went back to the garage to see if it had rematerialised? Nope, still not there. Bugger. Then I realised. I knew. For I often ride at night and when I come home park the bike underneath the front bay windows, where it would be out of sight from inside the house, whilst I open the front door. I must have have left it there, forgetting to bring it in. I looked outside but I knew it wouldn't be there, and it wasn't. It was gone, stolen, my PBP tuned Pearson Touche, complete with SON dynahub, B&M Luxos U, Goldtec wheel, Brooks Team Pro, Carradice SQR Tour and other stuff, all gone. About 1500squid all found. Gone. Gone forever. I had my No.2 bike but it would need work and money to bring it up to snuff and really my heart wasn't in it. That was it. It was all over. My cycling days were done. I would never ride again.

(click to show/hide)

Then something caught my eye and I fetched my bike out of the car. And all the people rejoiced and said Manotea will ride again!

Nicely told