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Something kinda funny happened today on my ride to work. I saw a kid riding a familiar bike. Three years ago I built a bike for a friend and weeks later it was stolen. I kinda always keep an eye out for it as it is rather unique, and today was my lucky day. I made a quick U -turn as I shouted to my wife to keep going to work and let people know I would be running late (we work together). This dude was riding on the side walk so I hopped up on the curb as I asked rather aggresivly where he got the bike. I stopped right in front of him so he had to stop. He said "my cousin gave it to me" and I replied " your cousin must have got it from someone that stole it". He looked at me kinda strange as I said "this bike was stolen right off my firend's porch" (it was locked to the railing and the thief stomped the railing until it was free). So he came back with "my cousin had it in his back yard and he said I could have it" So then I explained that I built it and said "I'll give you 10 bucks for it or I can call the Police" since I figured it would take forever for the Police to get there (non emergency) and I was in a hurry. Also I really had no proof that it was stolen, all I had was a few pics of the build in my Photobucket album. So then his face kinda changed to worried/ guilty and he said "I'll take the 10 bucks" I really wasn't about to fight this kid (he was about 17-19 years old )for it and I did feel kinda weird just taking a bike from him. So then I rode the rest of the way to work, about a mile with one hand on my handle bars and one hand on the chopper handlebars. I was still less than 10 minutes late.
IMG_20120830_125808.jpg

there are few things that changed on this bike. Rear brake was added, but the cable and lever were not there. The bottle cage is crudely bolted to the frame. It is repainted gloss black and there are bullet valve stem caps. Most importantly the seat is different. The seat was bolted down at the nose and tube was holding up the rear of the pan. the tube was cut from a head tube of a fork with the top nut filled to make a cap. so there was a nice "stash" spot under the seat for keys, change, whatever. I will have to recreated this in the rebuild.

how it looked when I "finished' it
Picture004.jpg

Picture007.jpg


paint detail on the gusset
Picture005.jpg


from the build
Picture001.jpg

Picture002.jpg



I think i'm going to tear it down and re do the chain path (it never really worked out as I though it might)
most likely i'll get a coaster brake hub, wheel for it and ditch the caliper brakes. The seat I think I'll the to put back like it was.

should I give it back to the guy that allowed it to get stolen? he did lock it to a rather questionable spot
or should I keep it?
 
Keep it, most definitely. And I'm glad you got it back. I despise thieves and its nice to hear that a theft story actually has a happy ending. :D

Also, good move on the 10 buck offer....it would have been difficult to prove that it was originally your bike after so many years.
 
Glad you got it back! I also despise theives. I once caught someone messing with my shed after hours and grabbed my compound bow and put 9 arrows through the side of the shed zinging one about 3 inches from his ear (I'm a bit of a marksman) haven't had a problem since so I think word got around. I now have two crossbows as well as the compound bow. :mrgreen:
 
glad you got it back. that's one thing i'm liking about the internet and photobucket. i have a pic of most of my bikes, even some from beginning to end (not to mention some so unusual that no one's going to be able to claim to have ended up with one just like it). someone else would have a hard time claiming it if i came across one that had been stolen.
 
I like stories like this.

A friend saw his daughter's stolen bike being ridden once while he was on a training ride with a bunch of guys. He bailed out of the training ride, caught up to the kid, stopped him and took the bike. The kid was not going to argue, my friend is huge. He did what you did, rode all the way home pushing his daughter's bike by the handlebars.
 
I would give it back to your friend and not do anything to it yet. He could still get you for receiving stolen goods until it is returned to him. It wouldn't seem right anyway to keep it unless your friend said you could have it.
 
Tell him you repossessed his stolen bike and you're interested in it, he'd probably either sell or give it to you.
 
BlackJack said:
I would give it back to your friend and not do anything to it yet. He could still get you for receiving stolen goods until it is returned to him.

with friends like that...

did you give it to him, or did he buy it from you. that would factor in some for me. in any event, i think i'd tell him you have it before you do anything to it. just to have it on the table. i don't know y'all's relationship to know how awkward it could be if he finds out later you got it back and didn't tell him. if you gave (sold? ) it to him, it was his bike afterall.
 
i gave him the bike, he knows i found it. i doubt he wants it now, he is recovering from a broken neck.

i think it'll be getting a 2 speed kickback/ coaster hub
 
outskirtscustoms said:
Glad you got it back! I also despise theives. I once caught someone messing with my shed after hours and grabbed my compound bow and put 9 arrows through the side of the shed zinging one about 3 inches from his ear (I'm a bit of a marksman) haven't had a problem since so I think word got around. I now have two crossbows as well as the compound bow. :mrgreen:
it was closer than 3 inchs.. I got a wind burn on my ear... why would anyone take a bike that odd or different looking and think
they could ride it...
 
Henry morgan said:
outskirtscustoms said:
Glad you got it back! I also despise theives. I once caught someone messing with my shed after hours and grabbed my compound bow and put 9 arrows through the side of the shed zinging one about 3 inches from his ear (I'm a bit of a marksman) haven't had a problem since so I think word got around. I now have two crossbows as well as the compound bow. :mrgreen:
it was closer than 3 inchs.. I got a wind burn on my ear... why would anyone take a bike that odd or different looking and think
they could ride it...

And why would anyone think they could get a bike out of my shed without causing an avalanche and getting buried alive. :mrgreen: :lol:
 

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