Lenton58 

... a young male rectum keyed the anodize on my Vitus:

Usually I take my beater or my wife’s “mama-chari” downtown. But yesterday was an exception as I aborted my 20 Km exercise run due to a threatening snow flurry. On my way to my LBS, I stopped to use the ATM at the main post office. I was preoccupied, befuddled and unfocused as I returned to my bike because the machine had just rejected my PIN number. Nonetheless, I noticed that a young guy and presumably his g-friend on some nonedescript bikes were adjacent to my bike that was tethered to a railing just outside the post office. I was grumpy at their apparent double parking on my bike, but I quickly let this pass as they were making tracks — already leaving.

It was all a non-incident until the mechanic at the LBS came out to look at the Vitus. (His father raced it back in the days, and I have since rebuilt it.) He started running his finger over a three inch gouge on TT — something I had not noticed during my remount. There is no doubt in my mind. This was no accident. And the young male had not double-parked. Anyone who has seen damage inflicted by a brass key would have the same notion as I. You can even see the jitter carved into the aluminum by the teeth of the key. Most of us would feel anger and a sense of violation, but I am trying to overcome it by thinking this way:

Firstly, it forced me to get on-line last night and order the decal-set that I have been stalling on since the rebuild. The “Vitus” will cover some of the gouge

Secondly, while not being a naturally violent person, I cannot say for sure that I would have restrained myself from going reptilian on this creep. That being said, perhaps my fuzzy state of mind combined with being about four seconds too late perhaps saved me from ending up in a Japanese police cell — something to be very much avoided. You might say — a lucky day!

Anyone else had their CV bikes vandalized?

ftwelder

By someone besides myself? No. Someone carved "franklin" in my toptube somehow before I owned the bike (my name is frank)

This is a horror and unrepairable. sorry for your loss man..

RobbieTunes

I'm sure when I was living in Japan that, if I'd had a bike, one of the local youth would have vandalized it.

There is always an element that somehow simplifies world history to the point that they hate the U.S.
I've heard "Yankee go home" so many times I thought it meant hello. There's always a few, wherever you go.

So sorry it happened to you, wish I could fix it for you.

I've been accused of damaging C&V bikes, but only here on the forum.
It was more of a philosophical discussion, however.

Lenton58 

Robbie:
Years ago when my Trek was shinier and newer, it was beaten on a few times, even though it was tethered up on a busy main street. I often wondered if the American flag decal applied at the factory was a factor in the way you suggest. I've always been shy to publicly suggest it. As a Canadian, "Yankee go home" does not rightly apply to me, but privately I was remembering that my great-great grandmother was a Cherokee, and I was damned if I was going to remove it.

I am teaching here, and teachers can earn disgruntlement from wankers who do zero/zilch all year and receive zero/zilch as is any teacher's responsibility to administer. A Mexican friend who teaches Spanish had his new car keyed up and down both sides from such a person/persons. That line of thought was my first conclusion, but your suggestion is a clear possibility.

Frank:
Thanks for the condolences. That's exactly what said to my wife — it's not paint. The damage is final and indelible. Hopefully the new decal will cover a lot of it up, although I may be a cm or two away from the original placement.

norskagent

I am more concerned with unintentional damage to my bikes, people think nothing of leaning their bikes against mine at the coffee shop, or brushing up against it as they walk close to it. I have had to jump up several times to keep it from tipping over. There are limited good bike parking slots at my favorite hang, the morning times. Once a minivan pulled up curbside, my bike was leaning against a sidewalk tree on the side opposite of the van. Woman gets out of the passenger side, backs into my bike, it starts going over but I catch it in time. Husband laughs like " haha that was fun to watch". I wondered if he would laugh if I keyed his minivan?

Lenton58 

I hear ya — ignorance! You know what the reaction would be if you leaned back and rested yer ass in a pair copper riveted jeans on someones Merc or Beemer!

rhm

What a drag.

So... you suspect a current or former student?

In my high school there was an especially hated Spanish teacher who, when he wasn't abusing or tormenting his students, liked to show photos of his vacation home in Santa Fe or some such place (a couple thousand miles from the school). Over spring break one year, when he had publicly lamented that he couldn't go there on account of other obligations, it burned to the ground. He was absolutely convinced one of the studentia had torched it. Sfar as I know, he never did figure it out, though.

Lenton58 

Well, it came to mind, but to be fair it is mere conjecture out of thin air. When I thought about who would stop his bicycle on a busy street in broad daylight — with his g-friend — and take the risk and trouble to vandalize a bicycle it seemed more reasonable than not that it would be a person who knew who I was ... who perhaps saw me in the post office ... who perhaps recognized the distinctive ancient, yellow painted helmet on my drops ... someone with a grudge?

Teaching has it's rewards, but when all is said and done, the only reason why my Mexican friend and I can heave ourselves out of bed in the morning is that we genuinely like being with these young people. I know that I am not a hated teacher, and neither is my friend.

As Robbie suggests, there are people out there who are just malicious (as we all know too well). So maybe my first conclusion is utterly wrong.

In my youth I hated one teacher in particular. He was a tormentor of sorts One day he decided to get in the ruk during rugby practice. When he was passed the ball, I tackled him just below the knees as hard as I could. It was if I had crashed into an oak tree, and he proceeded to drag me while holding onto his feet as he crossed the touch line. The next day my body felt like I had been hit by an Oldsmobile. I learned later that this huge man played for Scotland international.

jgedwa

A couple of years ago I locked up my grocery hauler in front of the grocery store. (Much worn and loved Stumpjumper with 1x9 gearing and pulling a homemade trailler.)

In the time I was in the store, someone punctured both tires with something like a screwdriver through the sidewalls. This was broad day light within full sight of a busy front door and the parking lot. In fact, even if no one saw it happen, its hard to imagine no one heard it happen. Big beautiful Big Apples turned to instant junk. Big ugly me turned sour on the humans for some time.

Sometimes its really hard to keep liking us.

jim

noglider 

I guess there are cretins all over the planet.

rat fink

Sorry to hear about the Vitus, Lenton. That's messed up.

auchencrow

It's impossible to know whether it was an angry, jealous, deranged or politically-motivated act of vandalism.

Whatever his motivation, try to think of it as a badge of honor.
I.e., -If you were so hated by such an A.H. as THAT, you should wear it proudly.

PS - I agree though, it's best you didn't catch him in the act, since whatever you would have done to him would likely have been ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE worse than what he did to your bike. (Nice thing to ponder though )

himespau 

Sorry to here that man. Every day I leave my little beater at the locks, I'm in fear of it getting vandalized. The worst for me was when I left my bike on the racks in our underground parking garage at my apartment and came back to find some construction workers had moved the racks without any warning and done so in such a way that my wheels were all bent up. Oh and they cut a fair bit of concrete right next to them so I had to clean the concrete dust out of my chain. I complained to management, but about 6 months later they moved the racks back to their original spot (again without warning). Fortunately, my bike wasn't in them at the time, but I just couldn't get them to understand that dragging the racks around so the bikes are pulled this way and that isn't good for them.

fsc

Sorry to hear that. It is one of my phobias that something like that will happen to me. I almost wish it would so I could get this over with... almost.

But if I had seen them, I would definitely be in jail. I once, in my younger years (around 12yo), tacoed both wheels on this kids bike that decided to mess with mine. He lived just up the block from me so him, his mom, and the bike all came down to have a chat with my parents. Thankfully both of them were at work. Now that I am older I can control my temper a lot better, but when I lose it I do WAY more damage than I could have then.

lol, I had a similar experience with a player on my college team. He was old, crippled, never made it through even a full 40 minutes, but he used to play for the marine corps rugby team. Essentially lots of skill (as far as americans go with rugby) but a seemingly infinite pain threshold with no regard for his own body. He was a regular horror to take down during practice.

zandoval 

Its the personal - That key - Why???

For some reason you, the bike, its manufacturer, the temperature of the day, don't leave out an angry girl, centered on your bike that day at that time...

Just hold on to all those people who have admired and will admire still your Vitus scratch or not - After all its not the scratch itself but the fact someone did it to you.

KonAaron Snake 

That really stinks and I'm sorry. I remember when I was an idiot kid and went around once with another idiot kid breaking lights around an apartment complex. I knew it was wrong, but it was a total peer pressure/group mentality situation. I remember another time we threw mud at a neighbor's windows...who we didn't like. I accidentally broke the window. He caught us...and didn't tell our parents. He paid to have it fixed himself. I'd like to track him down today and tell him what a great guy he was. I guess what I'm saying is...while it sucks, it's kid crap.

I had a Zefal HP pump stolen off a bike (the only theft I've suffered in Philly) which I considered vandalism, likely from a drunk, more than theft. Another time I was cycling through a rougher area called Kensington. I stopped in a local divey shop and some kids, maybe 14ish, came in behind me. They proceeded to make fart noises and then one kicked the back of my Raleigh International's honjo fenders. I turned, furious, and went into a rant. There were several of the little buggers, and it was clearly a group mentality thing. I suddenly had a flash back to when I was their age. I cooled off...left quietly...and inwardly hoped they'd grow up. Fortunately no damage to the fenders.

Robofunc

That is awful. Hopefully the decal covers it and years down the road a repaint will all but abolish it from memory.

The closest thing to an attack I've experienced is after being at a bar downtown, coming out to unlock my bike and finding a small, single puddle of human saliva on the seat (someone was upset with me). Thankfully people around here are more likely to compliment your bike than attack it.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Think of it this way. Since everyone in Japan is a black belt in some form of Martial Arts ...or possibily Ninjas....you probably would have ended up folded into a Pretzel with a 5 foot tall man laughing over top of you and your bike would still be gouged up.


as the Black Knight once said "'Tis But a Scratch!"

cudak888 

I don't take good bikes on commuting runs; doesn't matter how convenient any shop may be along the way (unless I'm not riding solo, in which case, vandals can tangle with them). I keep a beater in the stable (case in point, Sheldon's Robin Hood) and I won't use anything else.

-Kurt

dck

That's a real shame about the Lenton. Hope you get it repaired to your satisfaction.

I own several cherished vintage bikes, and they all wear their badges of glory inflicted by the tribulations of hard, strenuous rides, accidents, careless handling, stupidity, inconsiderate or malicious actions of others, etc. etc. While some of these scars bothered me for a while after I discovered them, I soon realized that they are part of the "patina" that can only come with age and use. They each have their story, and I can still remember inflicting some of this damage myself over 40 years ago. I don't believe the perpetrators were targeting you. Maybe they were indeed double parking and accidentally scratched your bike in the process.

that_guy_zach

So sad to hear. This thread makes me reconsider using my Voyageur to make grocery runs

Glennfordx4

That sucks Lorne, I always get worried when I have to leave one of my bikes locked up even if it is only for a few minutes ( and I live in a low crime area) simply because I just don't trust people will keep their hands off it.

Glenn

Velognome 

Really sorry it happened but now the scratch has become part of the bike's history; lean to embrace it, the second one doesn't hurt as much. Plus look on the bright side, at least you didn't scratch it, so you don't have walk around for the next few days repeating "idiot, how could I be so stupid!"

Lenton58 

Thanks all of you for the articulate and neighbourly response. I can't say that I expected it — partly out of what cuda saidExpect anything at the hands of a few morons. I put myself... er... the Vitus in harm's way. But, since my leg injury, I had not ridden this gem for nearly four months. Grrrrr! I love this bike! (More on another thread someday.)

Please indulge me with a little philosophizing:

All of you have expressed kindness, intelligence, and rare temperance in response to my story. This has inspired me to think more deeply about a number of things. Please let me share this with you.

In the end, I feel that such a thing as a vandalized bicycle is not really important. This is reflected in some of your sympathetic comments. I mean to say that it does not register a blip on the Richter scale of life.

Many of you on BF are Americans. I expect that many of you have, in the course of the conflicts that your nation is now embroiled, know someone or have someone in your own family who has either been lost or damaged in someway. The world seethes in conflict, tradgedy and danger. Many grim things are said to be on the horizon.

Nonetheless, even as we are conscious of such stuff, small things can upset us according to where our passions reside. No one on CV participates in preserving, restoring and caring for the relics we all cherish out of indifference or casualness. It is natural for us to experience all sorts of passionate behaviour when these treasures are involved in accident, theft or abuse. And some of you are recalling same. But, as I get to know you all by your language and conviviality, my sense is that you share with me a sense of proportion. Your posts positively reflect this. A scratch is a scratch — a gouge ... yes an offense and a sort of violation ... but it is hardly serious. Again, your comments reflect this.

I would only report and inquire about such vandalism on these pages, but for the fact that all of you have either experienced my reaction or empathize with it in a collegial way. You too could have or have had such a moment. Such preemptive transgressions are challenging to our sensibilities. One really has to get a grip. As one you said: This was my immediate emotion with which I was challenged. I am confident that in the end our colleague converted to feeling differently, and I am in the process of following suite.

I read this today in Anthony Beevor’s book, The Fall of Berlin 1945. The city is in chaos, and there is endemic panic as the Soviet army is poised to ravage the city of Berlin. An anonymous woman writes in her diary:

"These are strange times. One experiences history in the making, things which one day will fill history books. But while living through it, everything dissolves into petty worries and fears. History is very tiresome."

If one’s family is healthy, safe and well-fed, our passionate preoccupations with arcane machinary and sport seem reasonable and healthy — to a point. Simply this: a bicycle is not a family, a child, a friend, a nation, a people, a right, or a freedom. No matter how old or precious, it is finally only an artifact and a tool for sport, competition or fitness. Museums are filled with artifacts, but when catastrophe merges into an everyday struggle to care for our loved ones, their importances fade as fast as the sunset.

Lest anyone thing my ‘disappointment’ is looney ....

Mina sama arigato gozaimasu honto ni — Truly, thanks so very much everyone!

treebound 

If you're a teacher I wonder if you could bring the bike into the classroom and turn the incident into a lesson on integrity and honor.

But then that would let everyone know it is your bike and sometimes there is value in anonymity.

Sorry to hear about the damage.