Commuting - Ever see another cyclist that makes ya go "huh"?

Saw the strangest thing today.. seemed really really out of place, but I let it go. Heck, had no idea what if anything I should do.

Came up on a guy riding that was in totally scruffy clothes.. Almost, but not quite the homeless look. I'd say cross between slovenly construction worker and homeless. Bike was obviously too big, and had SPD-SL's on it that he was using with what looked like beat to death construction boots. He couldn't ride the bike, he was all over the MUP.

The bike was a Pinarello Prince. Imaculate.

I did nothing, but it's nagging me. It was just *wrong*. What would you do in my situation?

drop him

call the cops to report a stolen bike?

call the cops to report a stolen bike?

That was my initial thought... But other than it just felt "wrong" I had nothing to go on. But we're talking $4500 for the frameset on the bike, and the guy looked like a Magna/Huffy/Roadmaster rider

Ten bucks says he stole it. Riding a fancy road bike with clipless pedals, in construction boots? He was riding it to the closest pawn shop.

I suppose I'd call the cops and say, "Look, this isn't an emergency. It might not even be a crime. But I thought you ought to know...." and then give them the story.

Maybe he was a thief. Maybe he had quit taking his meds and was going out of his mind. Maybe all was legitimate and he's "eccentric". But I sure wouldn't put any money on that.

Punch him and take the bike.

;)

If it was really bothering me all that much I would call the cops and give his description. I would say that you had a run in with him and he smelled like whiskey and was threatening to beat you up for whatever reason. If the cops happen to find him and match the description they would have probable cause to get his ID and check him out. If everything came back clean then he was on the up and up, no harm no foul. On the other hand maybe he was riding a stolen bike and you helped catch him.

Saw the strangest thing today.. seemed really really out of place, but I let it go. Heck, had no idea what if anything I should do.

Came up on a guy riding that was in totally scruffy clothes.. Almost, but not quite the homeless look. I'd say cross between slovenly construction worker and homeless. Bike was obviously too big, and had SPD-SL's on it that he was using with what looked like beat to death construction boots. He couldn't ride the bike, he was all over the MUP.

The bike was a Pinarello Prince. Imaculate.

I did nothing, but it's nagging me. It was just *wrong*. What would you do in my situation?

At best this sounds a little fishy, if it's true and you don't call the authorities find him again and offer him $200 for the bike.

That was my initial thought... But other than it just felt "wrong" I had nothing to go on. But we're talking $4500 for the frameset on the bike, and the guy looked like a Magna/Huffy/Roadmaster rider

Yeah. It's like a black guy in a mercedes. way to jump to conclusions!

Odds are, he was in the act of stealing it.

But knowing it and proving it are two different things. If you had a camera, it might have been good to take a picture, just in case you heard about someone's Pinarello being stolen.

Your description almost fit the guy I saw pedaling off on my Bianchi Eros.

Saw the strangest thing today.. seemed really really out of place, but I let it go. Heck, had no idea what if anything I should do.

Came up on a guy riding that was in totally scruffy clothes.. Almost, but not quite the homeless look. I'd say cross between slovenly construction worker and homeless. Bike was obviously too big, and had SPD-SL's on it that he was using with what looked like beat to death construction boots. He couldn't ride the bike, he was all over the MUP.

The bike was a Pinarello Prince. Imaculate.

I did nothing, but it's nagging me. It was just *wrong*. What would you do in my situation?

If he didn't look athletic, I'd say it was a stolen bike. It doesn't sound like he matches the bike.

If it was really bothering me all that much I would call the cops and give his description. I would say that you had a run in with him and he smelled like whiskey and was threatening to beat you up for whatever reason. If the cops happen to find him and match the description they would have probable cause to get his ID and check him out. If everything came back clean then he was on the up and up, no harm no foul. On the other hand maybe he was riding a stolen bike and you helped catch him.
Good plan; call the cops and fabricate a story about a stranger and accuse him of committing a crime, and if he's otherwise "clean" maybe he will be allowed to go on his way. :rolleyes:

D-Bag Suggestion of the Year!

call the cops to report a stolen bike?

Yeah, Yeah, call the cops. Maybe it's a Harvard Professor doing his thing, and we can all have a barrel of laffs; again!

He was probably Canadian.... ;) Kidding of course.

I did what someone suggested above once ... saw the same thing with some other circumstances that made it pretty obvious what the situation was. I engaged the dude in conversation at a stop and he asked me for money. I offered to buy the bike and he sold me the freakin' thing for $100! I unzipped the tool bag and whipped out the money. Next thing you know, I was riding down the road one-handed towing a bike with the other. I GOT STOPPED AND ASKED!! It wasn't quite as nice as the one described but, it was a spotless 2005 Lemond Tourmalet. I did the research and found that it was stolen and a cooperative police department put me in touch with the rightful owner and all was good. The guy gave me the 100.00 back that I spent to buy it and was overwhelmed at happiness at getting his bike back. Reward (wouldn't take his) for me was seeing his face and being able to set up the reunion with bike. Hope someone does the same for me one day if I need it. Know what I mean?

Maybe see if he will talk to you? Ask some technical questions about the bike?

I once saw a guy riding a new Trek Madone that was two sizes too small down the sidewalk in a "not so great" part of town. He had a t-shirt, shorts, and baseball cap on and he was about fifty pounds overweight. Same deal. He was riding in tennis shoes on clipless pedals. I did exactly what you did. Nothing. Every fiber of my being told me that the bike was stolen. The guy was African American too so some part of me was accusing myself of being racist. Ugh!

Yeah. It's like a black guy in a mercedes. way to jump to conclusions!

Sometimes if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it is indeed a duck.

I saw a guy like that once. I asked him how he was liking the new bike. He said something like "uh, good" and I went on my way (I was late for work). You have to be careful here, though, because of the school. It's not uncommon to see raggy looking kids riding expensive bikes on campus.

Yeah. It's like a black guy in a mercedes. way to jump to conclusions!

wait, what?

You're going to condemn someone for stereotyping by throwing out another one? :rolleyes:

difficult sitaution indeed....4,500 buck bike with working boots? big RED FLAG...i guess reporting a suspect to the police would be a good idea...most have been hard to pedal....

wait, what?

You're going to condemn someone for stereotyping by throwing out another one? :rolleyes:

I was being facetious!

Sometimes if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it is indeed a duck.

Sometimes its just an eccentric goose though

Sometimes its just an eccentric goose though

Did he look like this eccentric goose? Call the cops, he MUST be up to no good, just listen to him honk.

At least he's riding =D

The combination of clothing which doesn't match the bike (boots + expensive bike = ?) and the fact that it was an expensive bike that was <i>ill-sized</i> would lead me to call the cops.

My 2c. Classism is everywhere in our society, I know, but what if he's some dude with early-onset Alzheimer's or some other mental illness? There's a lot of hinkiness there. I know we should be careful not to be racist and classist jerks, but we should also look out for one another, too.

Yeah. It's like a black guy in a mercedes. way to jump to conclusions!

mmmm, bad comparison IMO. In this case, it seems that the guy clearly had no sense of riding skill, which would normally be expected of a person on an $8k bicycle. I think it is reasonable to be suspicious.

You might want to check your local Craigslist and/or other local resources to see if anyone has reported a stolen "Prince". I know if it were my bike I'd be screaming from the mountain tops...... everyone would know.

In this case, it seems that the guy clearly had no sense of riding skill, which would normally be expected of a person on an $8k bicycle.

I see people all the time with zero riding skill on an 8k bicycle. They've usually got a 2G outfit to go with though...

Maybe he's not stealing it, may be he's a drug dealer and someone traded him in leiu of money or he's a loan shark and that was collateral, etc..


I see people all the time with zero riding skill on an 8k bicycle. They've usually got a 2G outfit to go with though...

Oh that's just so cruel...honest and accurate to an extent, but cruel.

Bike was obviously too big, and had SPD-SL's on it that he was using with what looked like beat to death construction boots. He couldn't ride the bike, he was all over the MUP.

The bike was a Pinarello Prince. Imaculate.

I did nothing, but it's nagging me. It was just *wrong*. What would you do in my situation?

Turned around, strike up a conversation and offered to assist. Even trade bikes! Offer $50. If he took either option it was not his.

Still alerting authorities would be best option and most likely the reward would net you more than your would be out, (maybe not on the bike trade:cry:).

I see people all the time with zero riding skill on an 8k bicycle. They've usually got a 2G outfit to go with though...

Yep, me too - but as you so keenly noted, they have the whole shibang - top end shoes, shorts, jersey and helmet -------- and their knees are 1' away from the top tube as they pedal....:rolleyes:

You might want to check your local Craigslist and/or other local resources to see if anyone has reported a stolen "Prince". I know if it were my bike I'd be screaming from the mountain tops...... everyone would know.

I have been today. Nothing so far. Dunno that I'd really have a lot to tell the person though other than I saw it and where...

Turned around, strike up a conversation and offered to assist. Even trade bikes! Offer $50. If he took either option it was not his.

Tried. No Habla. :(

I see people riding bikes w/ drop bars... except they've rotated the bars so that the drop part is on the top (the brake levers and hoods are on top). They ride while holding the flat bit... I've also seen someone riding an old mountain bike w/ really long bar-ends (maybe 6 inches long?) that were almost vertical, and he was riding and steering with the bar-ends. Quite odd.

I think I would have called the police and alert them to what I observed. It would have been an inconvenience for the person if it did turn out to be his bike. Maybe he would get angry also, but sorry, stuff happens.

Police are trained to spot things out of the ordinary. It seems criminals get caught not for the crimes they committed, but for the most routine of circumstances (failure to stop at stop sign, expired plates, hanging around in the back of a building, etc.).

I was in a situation at my job a while ago where a kid left the house w/ one bike but returned later that afternoon w/ a different bike (I work at a group home). A kid riding a bike is not out of the ordinary, a kid riding a different bike then the one he stared out with is.

The problem is that police are also trained to spot brown people and poor people, so I understand why the OP is in a weird place.

Offer to buy it from him for $50.

Saw the strangest thing today.. seemed really really out of place, but I let it go. Heck, had no idea what if anything I should do.

Came up on a guy riding that was in totally scruffy clothes.. Almost, but not quite the homeless look. I'd say cross between slovenly construction worker and homeless. Bike was obviously too big, and had SPD-SL's on it that he was using with what looked like beat to death construction boots. He couldn't ride the bike, he was all over the MUP.

The bike was a Pinarello Prince. Imaculate.

I did nothing, but it's nagging me. It was just *wrong*. What would you do in my situation?

Well maybe the guy was out riding his Pinarello one evening to train for a Century. While riding along a rural area, he was abducted by aliens and subjected to " full body inspections". When it was over, he was dumped at a construction site together with what the alien thought was a crude self-propelled contraption. Disheveled guy quickly gathered scraps of clothes and a boot nearby. Then rode the Pinarello home. Maybe he was all wobbly due to the "inspections"? ;)

Sure are a lot of people on this list ready to drop a dime on a stranger for the crime of not looking like themselves or fitting an "approved" bicycling profile.

Maybe he's not stealing it, may be he's a drug dealer and someone traded him in leiu of money or he's a loan shark and that was collateral, etc..

Oh that's just so cruel...honest and accurate to an extent, but cruel.

Or he is a drug dealer transporting his goods by packing the frame tubes full of weasel dust.:thumb:

Anybody that does not wear spandex and clipless shoes when riding a bike is a criminal.

Oh come on, this isn't profiling. A person who drops $5000 on a bicycle should know how to ride a bike.

Sure are a lot of people on this list ready to drop a dime on a stranger for the crime of not looking like themselves or fitting an "approved" bicycling profile.

Despite news stories, the profiling police officers do tends to be economic rather then racial. A person wearing construction worker clothing and riding an eight thousand dollar bicycle that doesn't fit him would be a good stop for a cop. Unfortunately, unless the officer was a knowledgeable bicyclist he would have to be told how good of a stop it was. They would stop the guy and run his identification and the description of the bicycle through dispatch or their computer, if he had no warrants for his arrest and the bicycle wasn't stolen they let him go. A ten minute delay for the construction worker looking guy unless he had been up to no good.

call the cops to report a stolen bike?

+1

Anybody that does not wear spandex and clipless shoes when riding a $1,000 dollar bike is a criminal.

Fixed... and anything over 1k.

Tried. No Habla. :(

Oh ... I get it now.... construction worker on a bike and don't speak english... That must have been one of the guys that work in the Dry Wall crew. Ans I bet he didn't had a helmet.

Id call the local Non Emergency # and explain to them your observation and thoughts..Ask if they would take the time to look and see if there had been any bikes reported stolen in that area that day..If it was indeed stolen Id almost wager $$ that it's in a close by pawn shop or lying next to a bed made of cardboard and a grill made from a shopping cart..

Oh ... I get it now.... construction worker on a bike and don't speak english... That must have been one of the guys that work in the Dry Wall crew. Ans I bet he didn't had a helmet.

No, no helmet. But that said, I don't really care if he was green, purple or from an alien planet. He and the bike just went together like ... Paris Hilton and Intelligence.

Fixed... and anything over 1k.

whatever.