Commuting - Lost...not found

Just curious. Have you ever lost anything off of your bike while riding? A couple of months ago I found a really cool Ninja Turtle figurine and proudly placed it on my stem. I had it for about two weeks. I was on a ride to Sedalia and just happen to look down. He's gone! Crap! He was cool! Of course I went back a little ways to see if I could find him. No luck. I also found a really neet scarecrow figure on a ride across Missouri. He lasted about a mile. Fell off somewhere on Hwy 13. Tonight on my commute to work, I noticed my map case was open and my Missouri map was gone! Double crap! Even though I could barely read it, I still liked that map! No idea when that happened. I hate it when I lose cool stuff like that. :mad:

You need to ziptie those things.
Especially the precious things like the ninja turtle figurine.

I lost a full waterbottle on a mountain road a few weeks ago.
Also lost the locknut of a mini tripod on my pannier pocket.
(Any riders in Slovenia, if found Id be grateful...)
The worst is when you are riding along and you hear something fall off, but have no idea what is was and can't find it. Once this happened to me, and I discovered a missing pedal cap when I got home.

"The worst is when you are riding along and you hear something fall off, but have no idea what is was and can't find it"
Had that experience once on a new road bike descending a (fortunately) small hill. Heard a little tinkle & saw something bounce to my left, when I neared the bottom & braked, the front brake caliper flew off instantly & whipped by just under my nose as it wound it's cable sheath around the left side of my bar! Now I check my mechanicals a lot more often. Don

Something fell off my bike this morning. For the life of me, I have no idea what the heck it was... yet. I went back, but it was too dark to see what was going on in the street. :( I got some Pac Man fuzzy dice that I like to loop around my handlebar. I would totally hate it if I lost that too.

Koffee

Something fell off my bike this morning. For the life of me, I have no idea what the heck it was... yet. I went back, but it was too dark to see what was going on in the street. :( I got some Pac Man fuzzy dice that I like to loop around my handlebar. I would totally hate it if I lost that too.

Koffee

*trying to picture Koffee with some yellow fuzzy dice dangling from her Bike Friday*

You sure something fell off or you heard it?
You could've run over something and it could've made a sound. It's not your handle bar, you can be sure of that.

*trying to picture Koffee with some yellow fuzzy dice dangling from her Bike Friday*


Actually, it's fuzzy black dice with Pac Man pics on them that I dangle from my DeRosa. The colors match exactly to my DeRosa, which is cool.

Koffee

You sure something fell off or you heard it?
You could've run over something and it could've made a sound. It's not your handle bar, you can be sure of that.


I am not sure. I heard something metallic, and I was kind of in the zone, so by the time I started focussing and decided to go back, I couldn't find anything. So I figured if I'm missing something, I'll figure it out eventually, right?

Koffee

What's a "Bike Friday"?

I *find* a lot of stuff while riding. So far for the year, I'm up a Craftsman 9/16 combination wrench, a couple of sockets, a C clamp, and about $3.50 worth of returnable cans.

What's a "Bike Friday"?
Company in Eugene Oregon, Making folding bikes that Pack into a suitcase (trailer) for flying. Check them out on Bikefriday.com.

Took a vacation up north in early Sept. I had my cell phone clipped to cable near handle bars. Always let it ride there before with no problem. Anyhow I was riding a 15 mile rail trail (30 mile trip) and when I returned I noticed cell phone was gone. I had to back track the ENTIRE way before I found the phone at the very end where ashpalt turns to limerock at the spot I turned around on ! So that trip was a 60 mile run, had never done 50 miles before that day. I don't take phone anywhere now. Luckily it was a weekday and nobody was seen the entire day on the trail.

I *find* a lot of stuff while riding. So far for the year, I'm up a Craftsman 9/16 combination wrench, a couple of sockets, a C clamp, and about $3.50 worth of returnable cans.
I too find more than I lose, Lots of money too, even pick up the road kill coins. when I get a jar full I will take them to the bank and see if they will replace them.

even pick up the road kill coins
Huh??

I've had my cell phone pop out of the front pouch of my shoulder strap and fly onto the pavement when I bunny hopped a speed bump once.

George

I'd like to find something fun (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/eagle.html), haven't yet though.

I lost my heart rate monitor a few months ago. I went back the next day and walked about two miles looking for it along the side of the road and much to my relief I found it. It's still working!

Oh yeah, I must have blocked that one. I was riding at 5am to O'Hare in the dark last fall. About 5:30am or so, I stopped on the side to adjust a light, and somehow, that stupid watch slipped off my wrist. Darned if I didn't figure it out until about 3 hours later, when I was snug and sound. I didn't even bother to go back. :(

Koffee

Couple of years ago, I was in a store at MetroTown and saw a cool little star shaped flasher. I hemmed and hawed about it but finally decided I couldn't justify it as I already had a flasher. I pulled out of the parking lot and heard "ping! bonk bonk bonk SCRUNCH!" I looked back just in time to see my flasher come out from under the wheels of a rather large truck. My FORMER flasher.

I got the star. :)

I was riding over a bridge and was just over the metal grating when I felt and heard something fall. I couldn't figure out what it was, but I heard a splash, but it was too far by the time I stopped. Everything checked out mechanically so I kept going.

Later, a big dog was coming out of a side yard barking. I reached down to grab my frame pump (self defense ONLY) and it was GONE!

It must have fallen off my top tube and gone through the grate pefectly verticle. Wierd!

L8R

Huh??
coins that have been run over many times by cars, therefore almost worn out

I lost a tire fly once that I later found before I even knew it was missing. I was driving my truck after dark and noticed a small flashing light near the curb that would blink when cars ran over it. I stopped to check it out, and it was a red and blue tire fly, just like mine!! When I got home and checked the bike, yep, mine wasn't there. :rolleyes: It must have been blinking on the side of the road for three days...

I found a Cateye blinky once. The outline perfectly matched my rear fender so I bent an L shaped bracket and mounted it to my fender. I guess the metal fatique was too much as after a ride or two I lost it too!

Also lost my HRM wrist watch. I wasn't using it as a HRM, but had started the timer to track total time to work. When I got there reached down to stop it but it wasn't there. I kept my eyes open on the 11 mile comute route, but never found it :(

I lost a spare tube last week which is a bummer. The only thing I really took notice of next to the road (and didn't I repeat didn't pick up) was a latex butt plug lying next to the road on one of the climbs I train on. Have seen that little purple sucker 3 or 4 times now...still just letting it sit there. :D

this is a neat site about finding stuff
http://www.foundmagazine.com

just found a planet bike blinky on a hike of my local trails sunday...

i debated snagging it but figured if i didn't grab it someone else would... also have found a broken pump and a mini-tool! it pays to look around a little while riding...

my best score ever though was a hundred bucks in cash layin right in the middle of the sidewalk! THAT was a good day. :D

Found a great topeak multi tool on a ride. found an unmentionable toy on a ride (left that one right where it was) and on a scuba dive I ended coming up without my dive watch on my wrist (about $300) and after taking my BC off found that the velcro of the watch had "grabbed" the velcro of the cummerbun. Finding stuff is most of the reason for new routes for me.

Took a vacation up north in early Sept. I had my cell phone clipped to cable near handle bars. Always let it ride there before with no problem. Anyhow I was riding a 15 mile rail trail (30 mile trip) and when I returned I noticed cell phone was gone. I had to back track the ENTIRE way before I found the phone at the very end where ashpalt turns to limerock at the spot I turned around on ! So that trip was a 60 mile run, had never done 50 miles before that day. I don't take phone anywhere now. Luckily it was a weekday and nobody was seen the entire day on the trail.

Get a "Bento" bag, that mounts behind the headset on the top of the top tube. That should hold your phone securely.

A couple weeks ago I was riding along when I hear a noise, like something's hitting my spokes. I looked back and saw the detachable shoulder strap for my rack trunk (which I keep in the top pocket while riding) hanging out of the pocket and trailing behind me.

I managed to get onto the curb just in time -- when I stopped I found the strap tangled in the spokes of my rear wheel, which I imagine would have become very unpleasant in a few more feet.

Everything else in the top pocket was gone -- a map, my supply of tissues (I had a cold and stuffy nose at the time so I really missed those), and my cable lock.

I backtracked a ways and found the map, but no sign of the cable lock. Fortunately it was a cheap one, about $10, that I use as a backup b/c it's small and light.

Couple of weeks ago I found a little green dolphin air freshener, tied him on the bars to match my green bike.

I've had my LED blinker light bounce off the bike 3 times in the last 2 months. Each time it flies to bits... so far I've managed to backtrack & find all the pieces. The thing is amazing... I've only had to glue the lens back together once :) All of the lights are still in tact.

No great finds yet... not worth stopping for the stray running shoes (how do people lose a shoe anyway?)