Stolen bikes

This is my first post on the forum and hopefully it will bring a little happiness to this thread. It starts on a bad note, on monday night whilst out for drinks my bike was stolen from Hoxton Square, totally gutting. Never had a bike stolen before and this was my first fixed build, nothing expensive but just my absolute pride and joy. It maybe wasn't the actual losing of the bike that felt the worst, it was feeling like someone had violated something very personal to me.When you spend so much of your time setting something up exactly how you want it to be, it becomes part of you.

After looking on various forums including this one and talking to friends, family and colleagues, the overall consensus was to head to Brick Lane market on sunday morning and hope for the best. Last night I worked a night shift in Battersea and finished at 4.00am. I live in Surrey, and thought that heading home straight after work then getting back up to East London would be too much of a mission at that time in the morning only using public transport. So I got on a bus straight from Clapham to Liverpool Street, getting there for about 5.00am. I hung about, saw the last of the drunks head home, and waited until the market started up. At about 8.00am the market was in full action and I started to see the dodgy fucks selling the stolen bikes on the street corner. I definitley saw I guy trying to sell the Dave Marsh from the above post, stunning bike, smallish red frame, risers, brakeless. But still no sign of mine.

I carried on waiting for another 2 and a half hours, and sure enough at about 10.30am a pasty, skinny white guy strolled around the corner pushing my bike. My heart started racing and adrenline pumping, but thought I should try and do this properly and call the police. I had earlier in the week reported that the bike had been stolen and gave a full description. Whilst on the phone to the police I was very conscious of the fact that this guy could leave or sell my bike at any moment, I didn't let him out of my sight. As usual the police didn't seem to understand the urgency of the call or the situation. The end result of a 7 minute conversation was "we'll try and get someone sent to you but I can't gurantee anything, there could be something more important etc etc.....". CUNTS.

Well it was down to me alone now. Where the guy was standing there were about 8 or 9 of them all gathered around along with bikes they were trying to sell. These were not the kind of people I wanted to stroll up to and politely ask for my bicycle back, so again I waited. Not long after, the guy started walking off with my bike on his own, I followed him for a little while then stopped him. I acted interested in the bike and asked if it was for sale. Only £120, a bargain I thought. Continued to ask about it and generally acted like I wanted to buy the bike. Then he slipped up, "FANCY A TEST RIDE MATE?". Why yes indeed. And that was the last he saw of me. Cycling away like I never have done before, absolute full pelt, adrenaline pumping, it felt fucking awesome.

Unfortunately I don't really know the roads around that part of London too well. but I didn't stop pedaling. Got fairly lost and stopped to catch my breath, I was far enough away now not to worry about being caught up with. Then I get a phonecall, its the police, they may have someone who can come and assist me. Too fucking late. Then they try to get me to give them my exact location so that a "unit" can come and find me and find out what happened. No chance, I was getting out of London as soon as I could. I found my bearings, headed over Tower Bridge and on to Waterloo station and home. JOB DONE.

For me this whole saga has been the absolute best and worst feelings i've had associated with cycling. The adrenline is still going as I write this and the hands are still shaking a bit, but it was amazing.

I hope this can bring a ray of hope to those people who have had their bikes stolen recently, it certainly makes me smile.

And big celebratory drinks tonight with a mate.

Cheers