What have you found on the ground while riding?
01-08-21 | 02:50 PM
#1351
Early-onset OldFartitis
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 748
From: USA
Bikes: 1996 Trek 970 ZX Single Track 2x11
What have you found on the ground while riding?
Some years ago, while riding along a street I'd been on many thousands of times, a strange smell floated past. A familiar smell. One that took me back 50yrs to my childhood when I used to root around grandpa's garage area. A short length of rope. Nasty, probably in that gutter for years. But it smelled identical to grandpa's garage. That old, awful, somehow comforting mix of oil, dirt, sweat, general crud, weathering, and whatever any number of animals chose to do with the thing. The old memories flashed through my head as I passed it. Took me minutes to find the thing, coming back to search for it. Weird, how certain smells can unleash a cascade of old memories like that.
01-08-21 | 11:30 PM
#1352
Happy With My Bikes
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 2,788
Likes: 3,302
From: Oklahoma
Bikes: Hi-Ten bike boomers, a Trek Domane and some projects
Also when I was a teen, my girlfriend worked at a burger joint. When she got off in the evening, I would take her in my car to "the slopes" outside of town. Pickles and onions bring on memories too.
01-09-21 | 02:23 AM
#1353
Early-onset OldFartitis
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 748
From: USA
Bikes: 1996 Trek 970 ZX Single Track 2x11
Years ago at work, the coffee makers were in the smoking break room. When the coffee grounds and ashtrays were dumped in the trash, it smelled like my grandmother's kitchen trash and always invoked memories of my grandmother.
Also when I was a teen, my girlfriend worked at a burger joint. When she got off in the evening, I would take her in my car to "the slopes" outside of town. Pickles and onions bring on memories too.
Also when I was a teen, my girlfriend worked at a burger joint. When she got off in the evening, I would take her in my car to "the slopes" outside of town. Pickles and onions bring on memories too.
01-09-21 | 07:12 AM
#1354
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,198
Likes: 4,123
From: Phx, AZ
Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike
A piece of rope.
Some years ago, while riding along a street I'd been on many thousands of times, a strange smell floated past. A familiar smell. One that took me back 50yrs to my childhood when I used to root around grandpa's garage area. A short length of rope. Nasty, probably in that gutter for years. But it smelled identical to grandpa's garage. That old, awful, somehow comforting mix of oil, dirt, sweat, general crud, weathering, and whatever any number of animals chose to do with the thing. The old memories flashed through my head as I passed it. Took me minutes to find the thing, coming back to search for it. Weird, how certain smells can unleash a cascade of old memories like that.
Some years ago, while riding along a street I'd been on many thousands of times, a strange smell floated past. A familiar smell. One that took me back 50yrs to my childhood when I used to root around grandpa's garage area. A short length of rope. Nasty, probably in that gutter for years. But it smelled identical to grandpa's garage. That old, awful, somehow comforting mix of oil, dirt, sweat, general crud, weathering, and whatever any number of animals chose to do with the thing. The old memories flashed through my head as I passed it. Took me minutes to find the thing, coming back to search for it. Weird, how certain smells can unleash a cascade of old memories like that.
Fast forward to the 90s. I'm working in a lab using iso-octane as a solvent. The smell of iso-octane always brought back the memory of that parking lot. Still does for that matter.
01-12-21 | 06:51 AM
#1356
Chromolyamorous
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 65
Likes: 68
From: Medford MA
Bikes: Just some old ten speeds
On Dec 11th I found myself on the ground. You'd laugh if you saw the pothole that did it -- it looks like nothing, just a tiny dip. I caught it exactly wrong, bobbled the recovery, and tipped over a curb onto the sidewalk.
Yesterday I finally got an x-ray. I had no idea it was broken. That's a tibia. The fracture's kinda faint so I've circled it:
To put a happy ending on this story, I once found a $2 bill while riding too.
Yesterday I finally got an x-ray. I had no idea it was broken. That's a tibia. The fracture's kinda faint so I've circled it:
To put a happy ending on this story, I once found a $2 bill while riding too.
01-16-21 | 05:42 PM
#1358
Happy banana slug
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 4,561
Likes: 2,509
From: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 26L, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930
03-09-21 | 08:32 PM
#1359
Unreachable
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 1,627
From: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Bikes: 1990 Raleigh Flyer; 2013 Trek 7.3 FX; 2014 Trek 7.6 FX; 2019 Dahon Mu D9.
Well, not exactly on the ground, but...
Found this little beauty stuck inside an outdoor water cooler near our place just after I went out riding around 3 AM Wednesday morning. Ours is her new home now.
Last edited by sjanzeir; 03-11-21 at 02:51 AM.
03-09-21 | 08:36 PM
#1360
Full Member
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 289
Likes: 89
In the past 2 months I have found 2 phones and 2 wallets. One phone was an Iphone 6 and one was an android but I do not remember the brand. One wallet I found just yesterday. The Iphone I still have as it is passcode protected and I keep forgetting to go to an Apple store to see if they can track the owner. The other phone was returned to the women that lost it. The first wallet I was able to contact the person and get it back to them. The one I found yesterday I will put in the mail tomorrow to the owner. I actually found him by a card for his probation officer. I called the officer and they confirmed the address.
Also recently, I have found numerous tools and a saddle bag that was full with a tube, levers and a mini-tool.
Also recently, I have found numerous tools and a saddle bag that was full with a tube, levers and a mini-tool.
03-12-21 | 07:55 AM
#1363
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,198
Likes: 4,123
From: Phx, AZ
Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike
03-12-21 | 08:00 AM
#1364
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9,102
Likes: 6,009
From: Zang's Spur, CO
Well, the really stupid thing is that just 1/4 mile away is a grove of bushy trees they could have put the tent behind, which would make it almost unnoticeable from the bike path. I have seen multiple tents back there in past years.
03-14-21 | 04:57 PM
#1366
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 922
Likes: 966
From: Portland, Oregon
Bikes: 71 International 72 Super Course 83 Gap
Noticed all of these shiny cylinders laying in the street and remembered that a big dump truck broke down up the street from me a few days ago.
Roller bearings. It must’ve blew a driveline bearing or something. I wonder how many of these ended up in car tires?
Roller bearings. It must’ve blew a driveline bearing or something. I wonder how many of these ended up in car tires?
03-14-21 | 09:48 PM
#1367
The dropped
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 1,055
From: Columbus, OH
Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1969 Raleigh Superbe, 1986 Miyata Nine : 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold), 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)
That's a fancy magnet!
03-17-21 | 10:44 PM
#1371
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 10
Likes: 3
From: Toledo, Ohio
Bikes: 1998 GT Windstream adapted for touring
