The Inevitable

[rebeccmeister]

Guess what?

My bike was stolen last night.

It was only a matter of time.

Yes, I'm furious.

Especially considering that NO, I DON'T own a goddamned car, so NO, I DON'T have any alternate mode of transportation anymore, and NO, I DON'T have money around to replace it. Or my helmet. Or my lights.

There are times when I despise this place.

Comments

[bluepapercup]

aH....that really, really sucks :(

[mopsie2002.livejournal.com]

Sucky. :( You're my second livejournal friend in like a week to get their bike stolen. Maybe I'm bad luck....

[katdawgger.livejournal.com]

I think it's time you open a can of whoop ass. What happened to your bike sucks! Maybe you can steal the bike from the guy who ran me over! Arg on him. And good luck finding a ride!!

[boolean263.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That's terrible! I've been robbed before, but never of something I depended on for my livelihood. That really stinks. I can't blame you for being angry.

What kind of bike was it? Maybe you can go to a bicycle co-op shop or something like that and get a used one for cheap, that'll last you until you can get one that'll do you for the long term.

[jwatriss.livejournal.com]

I'll dig around in the basement tomorrow... it's entirely possible that I have enough parts lying around to scrap something together that would serve. I think I may have an old helmet lying around, too. I'll keep you posted.

Update

[jwatriss.livejournal.com]

OK... since I'm not yet really tired, I went down to inventory what I have. Since friendships are healthiest when folks don't really feel they owe too much to the other person, I made sure that the parts I pulled out were things I'd used, and in some cases used on a few different bikes. They are by no means top of the line, and in most cases have been lounging in my toolbox for more than 2 years. (In other words, they'll never see use on any of my bikes ever again.)

I have:
-A used rear wheel that is good enough.
-A well-used front wheel that's also plenty good enough.
-Combination shifter/brake levers. They have little windows on them to show what gear you're in, but one of them doesn't work. The little indicator needle is broken. That said, last I checked, it shifted and broke.... er, actuated the brake, just fine.
-etc, etc.

The frame is steel, and not the lightest thing in the world, but it worked for me, and it's red. So there you have it. It was a $50 frame when I bought it from a company who had bought a large lot of them from someone else who had discontinued them, so... I'm trying to give the impression that it's not really a big deal, because it's not. I know a guy nearby who has a new frame, same model, he bought it, hates it, it has hung up in his bike shop for years, because noone wants it. The fork was also bought secondhand, and looks like crap. It's a plain, rigid fork.

Basically, I'll need a handlebar, some grips, and one of the pedals is bent, so you'll probably want different pedals, too... though I probably have some old plastic ones in the toolbox, too. Once I have those things, I can assemble a new-to-you bike out of recycled used parts.

You're the Best!

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Awwwww....you're the best! I have a friend here in Tempe who is a competitive mountain biker...I should see if he can find a handlebar and maybe help me put things together...but of course if you have better ideas, let me know. In any case, my current plans, after recovering from yesterday's state of shock and fury, are thus:

1. Clean out the shed in my back yard so bikes can fit in it, and buy a lock for the shed. There's no point in putting out more bait.
2. Get my housemate to put a lock on the back gate, which leads to a dark alley and is probably the escape route of the thieves (otherwise, they go right by my window, and I hear almost everything). Also get my housemate to install better outdoor lighting.
3. Obtain a bike--the above options sound PERFECT. After all, I just used my bike to commute and don't need anything fancy. Oh yeah--and did you end up giving the crazy green bike I gave you to another person? That's fine and all, but it also makes me consider the current exchange to be fair.
4. Spray-paint said bike hot pink to deter future thieves, and coat with more crazy business to do likewise.

As far as helmets go, I have a big head (literally, not figuratively), and there are three bike shops within walking distance of my house, so I think I'll probably end up just getting a new helmet. It was time anyways.

Re: You're the Best!

[jwatriss.livejournal.com]

-the shed sounds like a very good idea. Locking things up outside in a place where bike theft is high is silly... especially at night.

-ditto the back gate
-glad the exchange is fair :)

-Other than that:
Make sure your next U-lock does NOT have a cylinder lock. Cylinder locks were all fine and good until people learned to pick them with a $1 bic pen. Newer kryptonite locks have flat keys that work a little differently than normal ones.

I'll start putting most of it together today/tonite. I'll mount the brake/shifter pods on an old handlebar I don't trust anymore, sans grips. I'll use the bar to get everything aligned as well as I can, and you can swap it for a good one when it gets there.

I say I don't trust it because it's carbon fiber, which has a reputation for catastrophic failure when it gets damaged, and I had it on a bike of mine when I got doored in Davis square a few months back. (def: Doored: v. to Door; to open a car door directly in front of a moving bicyclist.) So I don't know if it's damaged or not, but a handlebar isn't something you want to just break off, which is what happens when CF bars go on you... carbon fiber literally snaps and tears. It's rigid enough for bike assembly and everything, I just wouldn't ride on it if I were you. Swap it for a plan flat handlebar. I found one at cambriabike.com for around $6, so it shouldn't be a really pricey issue. (I think the one I found was a premetec flat bar.)

I don't know how comfortable the seat is, so you may want to swap that out, too, at some point.

Yay!

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Yay! You're my hero!

I remember the madness about Kryptonite locks back in September. This is definitely an ideal opportunity to get a better replacement. And that sounds good for getting the bits and pieces together. Thank you so much!