Stories of commuting in the bay, having too many bikes, and other velo shenanigans.
20121020
The Story of James
At the request of those involved, this story has been removed.
For those worried about the possibility that this was a stolen bike - I was able to get purchase history and to verify that it was legitimately purchased!
I'm not entirely sure yet! I was meaning to build up a foul weather commuter/something I wouldn't be afraid to take on the train, so I'm leaning towards keeping it. It is a 54 cm frame, which is my size, and I just put a decent amount of work into it, so...
If I do decide to hang onto it for a while, I will probably swap the wheelset for a fixed gear and switch the belt system to Centertrack :]
James is obviously a bike thief. You are obviously the owner of a stolen bike. The right thing to do is post on craigslist and return this stolen bike, that you got for free, to its rightful owner. Just ask the owner to show photos of the bike in its original condition to prove ownership.
Turning James in to the police would be a public service, but returning the bike is your moral duty. If you don't, then don't complain next time one of yours gets stolen.
Hey BobLoblaw, Stolen bike was my first thought too, but man what a great cover story if it was...and why bother having someone fix it up. From what little I know just flipping the bike makes more sense than having someone swap components before selling it.
Also, I would suggest verifying the bike was stollen before turning James over to the police...currently just speculation, no proof, that the bike was stolen.
Truth be told, this was my first thought too. After I got the bike I went home and searched every missing/stolen bike post I could find, and continued to do so for about a week after, with no matches.
That said, I'd be confused as to why he would go through the trouble of dealing with me as the middleman, if he was a thief. I know where he works, what train he rides, and have his contact information. I also know that he has since moved out of his apartment. The bike isn't his size, and as it was it could have been sold just fine.
It is certainly a possibility though, I won't deny that, and the bike isn't going anywhere right now. If it does turn out to be stolen, justice will be served and I'll see to it that the owner gets the bike back. I have the entire e-mail exchange saved, if needed.
You are correct though, and I will contact the local authorities and see if there was a police report filed with the bike's description, which I didn't do before in case it ended up being confiscated and it turns out he wasn't a thief.
cool story! thanks for sharing... what a wacky incident, and now you've scored a bike... just curious; will you keep it or sell it?
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure yet! I was meaning to build up a foul weather commuter/something I wouldn't be afraid to take on the train, so I'm leaning towards keeping it. It is a 54 cm frame, which is my size, and I just put a decent amount of work into it, so...
DeleteIf I do decide to hang onto it for a while, I will probably swap the wheelset for a fixed gear and switch the belt system to Centertrack :]
Ahh -
ReplyDeleteNow what you need is a girlfriend to go with that bike!
Haha, not sure if I've mentioned this on here or not, but I'm a girl :P. That's really the only reason I can ride this, since it's a shorter frame!
DeleteJames is obviously a bike thief. You are obviously the owner of a stolen bike. The right thing to do is post on craigslist and return this stolen bike, that you got for free, to its rightful owner. Just ask the owner to show photos of the bike in its original condition to prove ownership.
ReplyDeleteTurning James in to the police would be a public service, but returning the bike is your moral duty. If you don't, then don't complain next time one of yours gets stolen.
Hey BobLoblaw,
DeleteStolen bike was my first thought too, but man what a great cover story if it was...and why bother having someone fix it up. From what little I know just flipping the bike makes more sense than having someone swap components before selling it.
Also, I would suggest verifying the bike was stollen before turning James over to the police...currently just speculation, no proof, that the bike was stolen.
For not having an ounce of proof, you sure like to throw the word "obviously" around quite a bit.
DeleteBy the way, ordering parts and doing labor is not "free."
Truth be told, this was my first thought too. After I got the bike I went home and searched every missing/stolen bike post I could find, and continued to do so for about a week after, with no matches.
DeleteThat said, I'd be confused as to why he would go through the trouble of dealing with me as the middleman, if he was a thief. I know where he works, what train he rides, and have his contact information. I also know that he has since moved out of his apartment. The bike isn't his size, and as it was it could have been sold just fine.
It is certainly a possibility though, I won't deny that, and the bike isn't going anywhere right now. If it does turn out to be stolen, justice will be served and I'll see to it that the owner gets the bike back. I have the entire e-mail exchange saved, if needed.
You are correct though, and I will contact the local authorities and see if there was a police report filed with the bike's description, which I didn't do before in case it ended up being confiscated and it turns out he wasn't a thief.