Lost Bike

Well this is embarrassing.

After a works party at LVPO on Dean St last night, I walked back up to Rathbone Place and unlocked my bike. Sadly, sometime later on I found myself stumbling around W1 very worse for wear with bike nowhere to be seen. Don't think I'd made any attempt to ride it since SPDs, lights, gloves etc were all still in my bag. I also still have both locks, so am unfortunately not guilty of locking it up and forgetting where.

Had it marked a couple of months ago so I'll let the fuzz know it's absent in the vain hope that someone took it off me out of concern for my own safety and handed it in. I do have a vague recollection of people being concerned for my well being, so that might not be as stupid a suggestion as it sounds.

In the meantime, if anyone spots it a heads-up would be very much appreciated. Feeling quite hungover and very ashamed of myself at the moment.

oh dear.

that really is embarrassing.

I felt that shame and embarassment when I got hammered and missed a flight a few weeks ago.

Hope you find it!

I have lost a bike. Thankfully it was locked up and was eventually found. It happens.
The lack of lockage is worrying however. I hope it turns up :(

I too have lost a bike.

I tell a lie, I lost myself, the bike found me eventually.

Oh my god.

Brings haunting memories of when I left my bike at Jung's house and walked all the way to Camberwell in spd shoes. Thought I left bike on doorstep and it was robbed.

Maybe it will turn up

I left my girlfriends bike out when I was pissed one night. Was terrified that I had lost it forever - a short walk through camden later and I had leant it up against a sheffield stand unlocked and no-one had bothered to take it. It was a shit bike though but hopefully yours will be returned to you.

I had The Fear yesterday when I went to unlock the bike for a quick lunchtime lap of the park and it wasn't there.

Then I remembered I'd locked it up on the stand around the corner.

Your story beats mine though. Well done! (and commiserations, of course).

Oh Ian...

I'm still confused how this really happened...

Now I've locked mine up, not been able to find it, reported it stolen, and then found it. I didn't even have the excuse of being pissed. Good luck with finding it mate.

hahaha nice one... I'll ride home with that in mind

This has been resolved!

What are the chances of me leaving work to go meet some North Drinkers for a lunchtime pint, and while unlocking the temporarily borrowed bike, seeing someone ride past on mine? Fucking remote, I'd guess.

More details to follow when I've caught up on some work...

Odds on that are very slim indeed! Now I really want to hear what has happened.

awesome news!

Brilliant! What happened next?

The suspense is killing me.

Ok, enough with the suspense.

So after a massive double-take before I realised it was mine, I quickly hopped onto the bike to give chase. I'd hardly turned the cranks when the guy stopped, got off the bike and propped it up outside the video games shop next door to work - if I'd have been sixty seconds later out the door I might've almost literally walked into it.

Politely said "Excuse me, that's my bike", but my attempts to explain the situation weren't helped much by the fact that he was Spanish and didn't really understand what I was talking about. Told me that his uncle had bought it for him 'from a market' and owned a restaurant up the road. By this point a mate had come out of work, so the three of us walked up to what turned out to be Navarro's on Charlotte St. The uncle wasn't around but his daughter came outside and I explained the whole thing, her telling me that it had been bought from Whitechapel Market (which is Brick Lane, right?) Anyway, I'd pointed out the police marking on the frame, and she asked what I wanted to do next. Said I wasn't going anywhere without it and was prepared to phone the police, and she just shrugged and told me I could take it. I did point out that her dad was pretty naive to be buying a bike like that, and hoped she doesn't get in the shit from letting me take it back so easily.

My mate did point out that considering it was so close to where I lost it, and their lack of resistance in letting me have it back suggested that the buying it from a market might've been bullshit. I thought they seemed honest enough but all things considered, I couldn't really give a shit.

Bike is in pretty much exactly the same condition as when I lost it. No components swapped at all, he was riding on the SPDs with trainers. Someone has had a proper go at shifting the completely stuck seatpost, which looks like it's been on the receiving end of some vice jaws, and tilted the saddle down when they couldn't shift it. Pity they didn't replace the headset, which I suspect is a bit fucked.

I am one lucky bastard.

lucky's one word for it I suppose - you muppet!

Glad you're reunited. I once had to search london for my bike which I knew I'd locked up somewhere but was too drunk to remember where. Hell, I was too drunk to catch the right bus home! Found it eventually but it was damaged and had to carry it from TCR to liverpool st

You're like Shane and Simone Warne.
Meant to be.

Awesome news. Reminds me of when my bike got nicked around Spitalfields Market. A friend advised to go straight to Brick Lane where we saw two guys pushing my bike towards me. I went up took it and shouted 'thief' as loud as I could. He let go but was thinking of taking it back. Further very loud verbal accusations made him back up, but still he was thinking of making a move for the bike. This went on for a while, him retreating further, then coming a step back towards me. With the crowd meanwhile getting on my side they finally disappeared. Scary, lucky escape. I am looking forward to bump into you again some place in North London on the way home and you didn't forget the bike ;-)

Nice one Ian.

Politely said "Excuse me, that's my bike",

I admire your restraint.

You're like Shane and Simone Warne.
Meant to be.

Have a look at the state of him!

I blame the English

lucky SOAB you ;)