Back in the saddle again
09-14-08, 07:56 PM
#1
Rolling Chunder
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 14
Bikes: Austro-Daimler Puch Pacifica, Specialized RockHopper
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Back in the saddle again
HI. I biked all thru my teens, did three 2-week tours in Ireland, was a bike messenger in San Francisco for a while, biked the USA west coast, and toured across the US with a buddy... all many moons ago. The bike I did the big tours on got stolen - and after buying a mountain bike, I found my old bike! so now I own two. The cops could NOT believe I recognized my own bike... but they checked the serial number, and not only cut it loose, but gave me and my two bikes a ride to work! Me and my touring bike are badly out of shape and I want to get us both back up and running. I already found some great info here, and hope to get more help. I in turn can give some hard-won advice on long-haul touring, or just swap stories.
09-18-08, 07:04 PM
#2
Lanky Lass
Hello xambiker, that is cool that you got your bike back! What year and make is it? How long was it missing?
Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions
!
East Hill
Forum Moderator
Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions
!East Hill
Forum Moderator
__________________
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
09-22-08, 08:20 AM
#3
Rolling Chunder
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 14
Bikes: Austro-Daimler Puch Pacifica, Specialized RockHopper
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HI East Hill, thanks for the welcome.
My bike is a 1982 or '83 Austro-Daimler Puch Pacifica. It's a touring bike, which I thought would be tougher on the city streets than a racing bike. Then a buddy "reminded" me that we had discussed biking across the country, only I don't think we did. Long story short, we did do it, no group, no sag wagon, just us every day deciding where to go.
The bike got stolen from the stairwell of my apartment building, and I called the cops to report the theft. They are too busy to bother with hopeless cases, so just wanted me to give enough info for any insurance claim. Well, I made them come to the apartment and look at the scene, and I was so mad at their indifference, I tortured them... by giving them a photo of my bike they could send out to all units. It was funny because they had to listen, but it was clear they wanted to get away from this crazy guy as soon as possible.
Since I used my bike for transport, I had to get another, and bought a Specialized RockHopper, circa 1990-ish. Around about the time of the big Loma-Prieta earthquake. I rode the new bike every day down the closed off portion of freeway that extends from 6th street in San Francisco down to Army Street, (Ceasar Chavez street now). For a month I was the only person up there, and it was like a dream. Eventually I stopped, because the CalTrans guys were zooming around up there, and not looking for me, so I went back to city streets. And there, one day, chained to a fence of a taxi cab company, was my old touring bike. They seat was gone, and a cheap one was in its place. Worse still, the aluminum wheels were now rusted steel ones!
I went to the cop shop a few blocks away, reported the find, and they eventually sent out two cruisers. They checked the serial number, and cut the bike free. An idiot from the taxi company came out and started to complain that we were taking his friends bike, but he shut up and ran inside. The cops took me and my bikes to work, and were puzzled as to how I could recognize the bike. I asked them if they could recognize their cars in a parking lot, and they said Yes, but just could not grasp that a bike is not a bike is not a bike.
My bike is a 1982 or '83 Austro-Daimler Puch Pacifica. It's a touring bike, which I thought would be tougher on the city streets than a racing bike. Then a buddy "reminded" me that we had discussed biking across the country, only I don't think we did. Long story short, we did do it, no group, no sag wagon, just us every day deciding where to go.
The bike got stolen from the stairwell of my apartment building, and I called the cops to report the theft. They are too busy to bother with hopeless cases, so just wanted me to give enough info for any insurance claim. Well, I made them come to the apartment and look at the scene, and I was so mad at their indifference, I tortured them... by giving them a photo of my bike they could send out to all units. It was funny because they had to listen, but it was clear they wanted to get away from this crazy guy as soon as possible.
Since I used my bike for transport, I had to get another, and bought a Specialized RockHopper, circa 1990-ish. Around about the time of the big Loma-Prieta earthquake. I rode the new bike every day down the closed off portion of freeway that extends from 6th street in San Francisco down to Army Street, (Ceasar Chavez street now). For a month I was the only person up there, and it was like a dream. Eventually I stopped, because the CalTrans guys were zooming around up there, and not looking for me, so I went back to city streets. And there, one day, chained to a fence of a taxi cab company, was my old touring bike. They seat was gone, and a cheap one was in its place. Worse still, the aluminum wheels were now rusted steel ones!
I went to the cop shop a few blocks away, reported the find, and they eventually sent out two cruisers. They checked the serial number, and cut the bike free. An idiot from the taxi company came out and started to complain that we were taking his friends bike, but he shut up and ran inside. The cops took me and my bikes to work, and were puzzled as to how I could recognize the bike. I asked them if they could recognize their cars in a parking lot, and they said Yes, but just could not grasp that a bike is not a bike is not a bike.
