Out of the friggin blue. My long lost Tommasini has been located.
 

As I've posted in the past, my favorite road bike - a late 90's Tommasini Tecno that I'd build with Record 10 speed - had gotten "misplaced" in an overseas shipment back in 2001. When my shipment arrived, all I had was the front wheel and the pedals. No bike. I had written it off, and moved on.

Last night I got a PM from the Road Bike Review forum (which I have not been an active member of for a while) saying "I think this is your bike". The note contained a link to the Denver Craigslist, and when I saw the ad, my jaw dropped. It was my bike, with a mis-matched front wheel, and everything else as I had left it - bar tape and all.

I called the number on the ad, and apparently this bike had been purchased by Wheat Ridge Cyclery in the Denver area and had been sitting in their shop for some time (the ad was posted by Wheat Ridge). The guy whose phone number was on the ad is a Wheat Ridge employee, and told me that they bought the bike from a guy who had apparently purchased the bike as part of a "lost item" storage unit lot. So, my bike must have gotten separated from the shipment somehow and put into a giant "lost and found" locker that was auctioned off at a later date.

Pretty wild, huh?

So, I'm working with them now to see what the options are. The guy is really being good about it, as a fellow bike nut, he would love to see the bike come back home to its original owner. I'm not pursuing any form of "stolen property" stuff - too much time has passed, and I no longer have any files with serial numbers, etc, and quite frankly don't want to get into that whole legal mess.
Wheat Ridge got the bike pretty cheap, and is looking into what kind of a deal they might be able to work out for me to get it back relatively cheap.

So, I'll keep you guys posted, but there is a possibility that I might get my dear Tommasini back after 12 years of being MIA. :) :) :)

Wow, cool!

:thumb: Fantastic! Best of luck to you!!!

That's amazing... the world really is getting smaller! After 11 or 12 years do you still have the front wheel?

I like bikes with neat "how found" stories attached to them. You must feel pretty good, right about now!

Very cool. I hope the ride is everything you remember it to be.

Well, I'll be.

Nope. I sold the wheel and pedals on Ebay in 2003.
I couldn't tell from the pics on the CL ad what front wheel someone had put on there, but it's a total mis-match. The rear wheel is a Campagnolo Proton - black hub, black rim with silver brake track, the replacement wheel is all silver.

I'll be taking it step by step. I'm really strapped for cash at the moment, but the guy seems very willing to try to work something out.

Holy crap. That is , nearly, unheard of. VERY good end to that saga. Wonderful about this bike nut community. Someone remembered your post and spotted it when it came up. Amazing.

If only the bikes that have been stolen from me returned....

Pretty amazing if it all works out.

That is amazing!

Wow! It would be amazing enough if you spotted your own bike, but to have someone else spot it for you after over a decade is mind-boggling. :beer:

Neat story , thank you for sharing ! Flippin' unbelievable. ( Pics when it comes home !)

i like happy stories....

Wow.

This is a pretty neat story... I'm happy that the folks at that shop seem willing to work with you on recovering your bicycle.

Yeah, wow. If you were ever paid insurance money or compensation for the lost item you'd be pretty even just buying it off them (except for the minor issue of being cash-strapped). One way or the other, it's a win. :thumb:

I'd love to have someone call me and tell me my lost Eddy Merckx was found.

So, back then it sounds like it made it as far as Denver, but short of finding you in Palisade. Close, but no cigar.

I have done a lot of business with WR cycles over the years. I am glad they are coming through for you!

Agreed.

Classy and the right thing to do.

Good luck, man!

Warms the heart. I had a Vespa stolen years ago. Wrote it off - got a little insurance$$. Two years later a guy brings it to a local shop - says he found it in a ditch. Shop paid him $50, then they notified me "I think we have your p200" I paid 'em $50 for the fairly trashed carcass. The engine was salvaged and is in my current scooter.

I can't believe someone remembered your bike from a decade ago. It almost sounds fishy :)
So which pedals did you have on it originally?

Whoa - incredible that someone on RBR forum picked out your looooooooooongone baby! Good luck working out the details and great that the shop is on the correct wavelength! Must be your year.