BikePGH Message Board Archive

Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn

I fucked up, big time. After having cycled through Garfield looking for my stolen bike I went down to Giant Eagle Market District to pick up some soy milk to make me feel better.

I was going down Stratford when I saw what may have been my bike going down Roup towards Baum. Personally, I considered every bike in Pittsburgh to be potentially mine since my bike was stolen Thursday, to the point of chasing after people to make sure it WASN'T my bike.

The guy looped back around and was heading my direction and it WAS MY FUCKING BIKE! So I cut him off and was like "Dude, this is my bike." I forgot what he said right after that, but he was an older guy and didn't act like to he was going to fight me and he told me some guy sold it to him for $50.

I somehow ended up hugging the guy like five times because I was so relieved to have this bike back. I've ridden thousands of miles on it in Pittsburgh, got it in Delaware, my home state, etc.

He offered to take me up to the guy where he bought it, and here is where I started fucking up. Big time. I became sympathetic to this guy. He was very disarming. Not only did I give him the bike I was on, a 1979 Schwinn Super Le Tour, I gave him like a bag of quarters I was carrying.

Did I mention we hugged like five times?

Before I had time to realize what a dumbass I was being, the guy was gone. Said his name was Tony. I could have potentially tracked down the bike thief, which was has no bicycle repair skills.

He ripped off my fenders (so pieces of the fender mounts are still attached), put my front wheel skewer on backwards, and tried to adjust the front derailleur and failed miserably. So I screwed up big time.

I'm out a:

1979 Schwinn Super Le Tour (sister in-law's step father heirloomoriginal owner)

Kyptonite U-Lock

Fenders

2 Light mounts (he left the one on the rack on)

Cable lock

Several hours of fixing up the Le Tour (which besides not having a rear brake cable (I was in the process of replacing) was in great shape IMO

Satisfaction of nailing the goddamn bike thief

I feel like I let down the owners of other stolen bikes too. Typical of myself, I have not allowed myself to enjoy getting the bike back, but am now focusing on the fact that I gave away my Le Tour and the opportunity to catch the bike thief.

sgtjonson

2009-12-01 23:08:55

On the plus side, I found out about a new kind of flat tire: blow outs. One side of the sidewall on the front tire of the Le Tour was fabric and it was coming undone in places so the innertube would come through like somebody blowing bubble gum and then pop really loudly. I remedied the problem by putting those pieces of rubber that go beneath light mounts and stuff between the sidewall and innertube. It was a good short term fix IMO, especially considering I didn't have any other bike at the time.

sgtjonson

2009-12-01 23:16:36

so you got your original bike back, right?

i don't know, but do you think that guy was the bike thief? that's a typical response from someone that they "bought it" from someone else. also, since he took off so fast...

erok

2009-12-02 00:37:44

Yeah, I got my original back. I walked with him for a block and we set the bikes down and talked for a second, but who knows. I'm clearly not street smart enough. Ironically, I think with a bike rack the Le Tour is a better bike, especially since I go outside of the city on a weekly basis. Ah well... I'm now hoping I can build something comparable at FreeRide.

sgtjonson

2009-12-02 03:18:44

"He offered to take me up to the guy where he bought it, and here is where I started fucking up."

He may have taken you to this "other guy", konked you on the head and taken both bikes, you never know. You got your original bike back, no violence, that's more than most people get, so don't beat yourself up. Don't risk yourself by thinking you need to be the catcher of bike thiefs. And if the guy was legit, you did a good thing by giving him the other bike. Go to free ride, it's an opportunity to build something new and cool, that's the most positive thing you can do.

edmonds59

2009-12-02 13:33:04

btw, what kind is your original bike?

edmonds59

2009-12-02 13:36:18

It was a cheap lesson. Next installation: when the scam artist is a hot chick. Good luck with that one...

lyle

2009-12-02 14:31:57

next time just kick the bastard off your ride and take it back. Almost def was the dude who stole it because NO_ONE who needs a roll of quarters would or could pay $50 for a bicycle.

spakbros

2009-12-02 22:01:19

Spak, your wisdom is as good as your curly fries... very good. I was thinking the roll of quarters was more for compensation for the $50 bucks and he also mentioned the bus. The original bike was a Trek SU200... basically crap.

sgtjonson

2009-12-02 22:26:32

you live you learn. maybe he'll think twice now before getting smothered in hugs

erok

2009-12-02 23:02:06

I was kidding about kicking an old broke man off the bike for the record. Although I would have demanded the bike back for free.

plus 1 on the hug lesson though

spakbros

2009-12-03 03:58:41

sorry, guys, but could someone elaborate on this? as a chick i dont get it:

"It was a cheap lesson. Next installation: when the scam artist is a hot chick. Good luck with that one..."

caitlin

2009-12-03 14:46:21

I mean has someone had their bike stolen and scammed by a hot chick? Please tell that story

caitlin

2009-12-03 14:49:46

i didn't get it either

erok

2009-12-03 15:03:44

Have you seen Firefly?

joeframbach

2009-12-03 15:13:57

i didn't get it either

maggie

2009-12-03 15:39:22

I haven't seen it in Pittsburgh, but I've seen plenty of it in foreign clubs. Dumb American guys in their twenties whose blood has all left their brains, getting a sob story from a local siren. She borrows $20 for cab fare home, gives a guy her number, promises to pay him back, etc etc. And what does he say about it afterward? "Yeah, I figured it was probably a scam, but what if it wasn't?"

It's like that line from A Bug's Life. "But it's SOOOO BEAUTIFUL!" zap.

I'm not surprised that they don't try to scam women with that one.

lyle

2009-12-08 03:43:31