madpogue 

^^^^ Campus bikes are definitely a major presence here. I'm stereotyping here, but I think most students see their bikes as utilities, like the cheap appliances in their dorms or student apartments. Just something they need to have around 'til they've slogged through their four years. Graduation means that phase of life is over, and there's no point in hanging on to any baggage associated with that past phase. Not even worth the trouble of donating it to the co-op or thrift, or even taking the lock off and putting a "Free" sign on it. The d@mn key is packed away in a box going back home anyway. Fah, just leave it.

Easy to spot an abandoned campus bike; typical examples are a once-great (and potentially great again) old HardRock or Trek 800 series, hanging off a rack at a 45-degree angle.

The Golden Boy 

We were picking up our little boy after his senior year, he was the RA at the dorm, so he was the last out. There was literally a 6 foot high PILE of bikes outside his dorm- mostly department store ****- but all over the U of M campus there were NICE bikes still locked to stands, missing wheels, rusting like they'd been there for a while... They probably got dad's old bike or a cheap bike off CL- if it just so happened it was a Trek 760 or whatever... it was old and whatever...

When we were leaving the dorm, he unlocked his bike (a 90-ish Schwinn Sprint that I gave him) and we started to drive away... he then decided to bequeath his bike unto some friends that were staying there- so we went back, dropped him off, he rode and we drove to his friends' house. I like to think that $25 investment is still riding around Minneapolis.

alo

Go there during the night, and see if it is left there overnight.

Do something to see if it gets moved. For example, put a rock on top of a tire. If it gets moved the rock will fall off. If the rock stays there for several days, the bike has been there for several days.

Manny66 

None of YOUR business, leave it alone.

Marci

Since its at a school its not a bad idea to tell themat the office. It may be a stolen bike, or just an abandoned bike or ? Better than watching it rust.

jetboy 

I will pass by it later today on the way to the deans office-

I see quite a few bikes rust away on those racks but this one is actually a nice one.. someone could sure put it to good use rather than let it die a slow death. Ill probably leave a note, or at least cehck the tires and see if they have air!

julius rensch

Proceed with caution...it could be the Police Dept. waiting for someone to pinch it....
you are probably on camera and being noticed for eyeing it up...
If you must return..wear a diguise...many use Balls & Balls Disguises and Costumng products (as preferred by French Chief Inspectors)
Leaving a note would most assuredly place you at the top of the Suspect List, should the bike disappear!

madpogue 

^^^^^^^^ +1; a fake moustache and a beret should make you completely anonymous. Best to use a three-wheeled Citroen micro-panel-van as the getaway vehicle.

jetboy 

when I was younger and actually needed a bike (i have 5 now.. do not need this one): I had just had my bicycle stolen and had seen a bicycle on a rack near the clinic at UH Manoa, where I attended at the time. It had been there for at least 6 months and was in terrible disrepair, missing wheels etc and it was within easy sight of the security booth at the entrance to the campus. Needing to get to work and replace my stolen bike, I got the cordless grinder from the theater shop and walked down there.. in full view during the day- and cut the lock with sparks and shrieking metal that could be heard for a mile, slung the bike over my shoulder, and walked off.

Security did not say a word, and they definitely saw and heard it. fixed it up and rode it! then put a free sign when I left the island.

so yeah, I "stole" the bike, and some may condemn, but I do not regret it. I think the statute of limitations is up by now anyway!

I will now duck-

squirtdad

you need a minkey on your shoulder to act as a distraction

xiaoman1 

Jetboy,
Most universities/colleges will not let you let you identify a bike as being abandoned an simply let you purchase it. There are procedures in place that they will take make certain it's status.
The U.C's follow this:
1.Tag the bike as abandoned
2.Leave bike in place for a length of time checking back on it to be certain that it is clearly abandoned.
3. If it is determined to be "left" they will place the bike in a holding compound for either a auction or scrap.
The gesture of "saving " a bike from further neglect by taking it is still theft (not what you are implying), if abandoned getting there early for the auction may be your best bet.
Good Luck, Best, Ben
P.S. I see some really nice "steel" at UCLA that has not moved in years.

Belg-Ital Steel 

40+ years ago while at college I locked my yellow Motobecane Nomade outside the forestry bldg with my cheap 3 digit combination lock. Must have rained that day or winter snow started, anyhow I didn't go back for my bike for a few days/weeks. When I did my bike was missing. Fast forward to the next semester or year-not sure which?, anyhow, as I walk past the same bike rack and voila..my trusty yellow Nomade is parked back in the same bike rack where it disappeared many months earlier and locked with my 3 digit combination lock, so... I put my 3 digit code back in and then rode my bike home. Subsequently, I found a different place to park the bike whenever I took it back to campus.

SurferRosa

Reminds me of the film, Z.

I've seen that classic, too.

TheLizard

I spotted a CL ad for a "free" bike. It seems Dad was tired of storing Jr.'s bike in his little condo garage when Jr. went off to college (the ad made it sound like he was pretty upset the bike had been left). So he offered it for free for anyone that would come and pick it up.

I contacted him thinking I wouldn't hear back, but within an hour he replied with an address and said it would be outside waiting for me.

Turned out to be a 2001 Trek 8000. Great find. All it needed was a tune-up and cleaning.

I call it my spite bike because I'm pretty sure Dad gave it away out of spite.