I've just seen my bike that was stolen 20 years ago!

Normally I'd suggest let it go after twenty years, but some things can be a bit different. If the sentimental value of this bike is that strong, I'd suggest trying to get it back. As mentioned upthread, the current owner probably has no idea of the bike's history. Just taking it will only perpetuate the cycle of crime and apathy towards cycling, which is shit. However, if you think that you'd be happy to pay to own it again and it would be worth it, make an offer to the owner. I'm generally against the principle of paying to get back stuff that was stolen from you but sometimes there are exceptions and this might be one of them.

Do cops let a murderer/rapeist go just because it took them 20yrs to figure out whodunnit?

^ Fair comment?

Hang him!

put a nice letter on it, explaining the situation, you never know

Do cops let a murderer/rapeist go just because it took them 20yrs to figure out whodunnit?

No, but then nobody's figured out whodunnit have they. The only thing that has been figured out is that the bike is still on the road. Figuring out whodunnit means having a full, consistent and uncorrupted chain of evidence. That simply doesn't exist here. Besides, from studies and expereince we do know that the overwhelming majority of acquisitive crime is non-retentive and primarily carry a combination of financial and narcotic motivations. Therefore an assumption that the current rider of the bike is not the thief is pretty credible. In fact I'd go to far to say that the overwhelming majority of people ridng stolen bike are very unlikely to have had any part in their theft or original brokerage.

So really, saying that seeing the bike out on the road means you know whodunnit doesn't hold a lot of water. Unless of course you knew whodunnit in the first place. In which case shame on you BrickMan for not coming forward with this information sooner. Nerged for what amounts to aiding and abetting a know criminal and probably for punching kittens and shitting on Graham Nortons doorstep (may he rest in peace).

Statute of limitations?

Statute of limitations?

About 4 months

Hah!

well its obvious really isn't it.
Its Dammit is whodunnit, notice how he's already working out the legal gubbins so that he can protect himself ;)

Guess there is plenty of hot property out there, and the old 'handling stolen property' could be put into effect, though after such a length of time there will have been so many technically legit sales, that it would be neigh on impossible to work out where its been and who's to blame etc. End of the day actually getting your bike back through the legal chain of events is massively unlikely.

I'd go with writing a note/ leaving a number to talk to current owner about it if you feel strongly for it. It isn't uncommon for people to buy back what they have had taken for such reasons.

Best thing to do .....

• write the story up
  
• sell it to Hollywood
  
• retire
  
  

Or make the owner an offer using folding notes.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Oh, and can we have a picture?

I love a happy ending.

Either with a fruit pastille or with the current owner suing you for defamation and libel.

If you were a fox you'd smear the bike in your own poo.

Smear the bike in poo and the resultant of your fruit pastel blozza and see if they want to ride it then.

i think 'blozza' is my single most hated word.

that or maybe 'lush'

No, it's 'lish' and 'ream'

http://www.lfgss.com/thread18381-50.html#post2228903

Glad to see it being used. Wouldn''t fit me now anyway.

End of thread, surely?

It's o.k if you're also a minor. She was older anyways. would only give me a blowy with a fruit pastille in her mouth. Bit raw 'til the sugar dissolved.

This post made me go and buy a pack of fruit pastilles. FACT.

i once melted a pack of fruit pastilles and made one giant one out of it. FACT

hey im new to the forum so i need to post 3 times before starting a thread to this may not be the best place to post this. my esb was stolen on friday and i got a call from a friend saying its being sold in brick lane. by the time i got there the bike had been sold but i found the fucking cuntish thief. i called the police and told them to come down but they didnt. it was a raw metal tig welded esb. it had a white 14 bike co concor sadle, white grips, profile cranks and black chucker rims. someone has bought my beloved bike for £250. if anyone hears of anyone buying it please get in contact and i will buy the bike back of them. any information would be amazing as im so desperate to get it back.

I'm in the same boat as mcinnes13. Somebody stole my books saddle over by London Fields a few weeks ago. I know I'm never going to see it again, but if anyone ever comes across a faded black B17 pro with a black 29.4 (or.6?) seatpost and a tiny little luggage lock on the rail, get at me. I have the tiny little key!

PS, the thief cut my saddle leash AND broke open my security quick release, all in daylight while I was in the pub. Strangely, didn't take my pannier bag, which was also secured with the saddle leash.

No, it's 'lish' and 'ream'

Is 'ream' like 'rim' or is that something else?

So, since my original post, there has been no sign of my old bike.

The bike that took me from the dizzy heights of Bealach Na Ba to the dizzy lows of the under carriage of an articulated lorry has once again disappeared.

I thought perhaps the current owner may have taken a week off work. This morning there was another bike in It's place. I'm currently of the thinking that my old bike has been replaced by a fuckin' Dahon folding bike.

Not quite the Hollywood ending I had in mind.

So, since my original post, there has been no sign of my old bike.

The bike that took me from the dizzy heights of Bealach Na Ba to the dizzy lows of the under carriage of an articulated lorry has once again disappeared.

I thought perhaps the current owner may have taken a week off work. This morning there was another bike in It's place. I'm currently of the thinking that my old bike has been replaced by a fuckin' Dahon folding bike.

Not quite the Hollywood ending I had in mind.

Perhaps someone stole it?

perhaps a suspicious forumonger decided to stop riding it until you give up the ghost