The Glade 4.0

So I had a bike stolen right after I moved to New Orleans. 2003 Trek 1000. Good rider, lots of sentimental value. I had very little hope of getting it back.

Then yesterday, a bike that fits the description exactly pops up on craigslist- down to the dings on the frame, rips in the seat, and a rather unusual bottle cage/rack combo. It's at a used bike shop.

So I call the guy, pick up my police report, and go over- the headset #s match. Not exactly airtight, but I didn't have the frame S/N.He said it was fine, though, and that everything else matched my description to the T.

So I paid him cost for what he put into it, and got it back!

He found it from a junk dealer who found it doing yard work- it had gotten "vined" to a fence behind a shed, in a yard not too far from where it got stolen. Sounds like someone used it and dumped it when they saw it was registered with the city, I guess. Needs some TLC, but still in good riding shape overall.

I'm very happy it all worked out. I've got better bikes now, but this is one I rode on an 800 mile tour with my dad, just a year or so before he died. You can't replace that kind of sentimental value.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Awesome!

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Holy shitsnacks!

Freakin' fantastic! Very nice story.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Glad you got it back.

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"

Thanks for sharing - you made me smile

Nice!

Whee!

Really fun riding it again.

The rear derailleur is shot, and the brakes/STIs aren't in good shape, but I've got a line on a complete group set for cheap to replace what's on there now.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Now this...

This is a cool story.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

You can register your bicycle with the city?

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I'm assuming this was part of the process of reporting it stolen.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Depending on the city, yes.

I had it registered with both the University and the City.

Except now, since all they had on file was the headset # (not a true serial number), and there's a bike with the headset number as a serial reported stolen in CO, the city is now refusing to say that it's mine.

So I'm trying to find the original papers on it.

And there's a chance it might not be mine... Slim, but a chance. Same year, color, unusual water bottle cage, non-stock rims, and back rack, found in the same area of town mine was stolen in.... Makes it very likely mine however.

I took in pictures of me with the bike from 2003 and 2009 before it got stolen today.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

There is zero chance it isnt yours. There is a chance, in the intervening years, that it has been somebody elses, and has been stolen a second time, however.

It's possible... But someone else in Colorado, when I'm in Louisiana?

I wouldn't say there's zero chance it isn't mine, but I'd say it's a very small chance.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Many cities require you to register a bike. I think LA is one of them, although of course no one does it. We did it when I was a kid, back in the 60s; they had these nifty metallic decals, etc., if I remember correctly.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge