Dude you should hook up with juvi-kyle and others tomorrow on the LA ride and then all of you swing over there and get it. I know they would be up to help you out!

Man, if the wheel is just sitting there, the drive-by is the best bet. Seriously, when things are quiet I'd just run it, grab it and high tail it out of there - preferably have a friend waiting in a car.

If you can't prove it's your wheel, it's not necessarily your wheel anyway. So you can try to buy it or barter for it, but to take it would be stealing. F'ed up perhaps, but legally (and I'd say karmically) true.

uh.. yea, well now I just keep my "good bike" @ home, and keep take my ugliefied ride to the train station where paople could steel it. I'm not good at getting back stolen crap, so I just try not to get it stolen.

good call, also a have a very good friend named peter larsen, remarkably similar names...

What? He bought that damn nice wheel and it's his. Not necessarily his wheel?? How do you come up with this?

i can more than prove it's mine. these guys would NEVER have such a nice wheel. plus it's very unique, like i said: dura ace hub laced with aero spokes to an ARAYA aero rim. i haven't even seen another araya aero rim. and ive never seen a bum with any aero rims to start with.

would you like to comission me to recover it for you?


if it's just sitting there with a bunch of other crap then walk up to it, grab it, tell the guy it's yours and he's lucky you're not going to demolish him and leave with it. Make sure to call him a b*tch as you ride away, it will feel good.


Just today i was walking in to walgreens and saw an ulocked bike in the lot laying on the ground and i figured the owner was probably nearby. I was surprised to see it unattended on my way back out. I saw some crackhead walk up to it, inspect it and as he was reaching over for it i yelled "You better not take it if it's not yours" then he tried to play it off like it was his so i repeated myself again, "You better not take it if it's not yours",he replied with "i'll sell it to you" and i replied "I'd punch you in the face before i gave you money for that bike, b*tch"

I hate bike thieves. I want to demolish them all.

remember, follow it with a b*tch. avenge that sh*t.

Decaf.

you people are nuts..i couldn't imagine trying to strike a deal with some crackhead a5s bum for my own wheel. just go get your freakin wheel back and keep your bike locked up in the bike cage at your work.

I believe you. I'm sure everyone here does. But could you prove to the police, or a court, that it's your wheel? If so, then by all means, take it back, or try to get the police to help (or to do it for you). If you can't prove it, though, then I suggest you buy it back, or barter for it or whatever. I'm pretty sure a pizza would do the trick nicely. :)

drive by first, u-locks second.

Yeah... and as often as not, they are more afraid of you than you need to be of them. Mentally unstable does not equal DANGEROUS. They might be so paranoid they just hand it over to you, no questions asked.

I don't think TIP needs decaf. that's what anyone who sees a (near) bike theft should do.

I saw one happening from a block or two away once, couldn't tell that he was stealing it really, but something was fishy. It looked like he was just unlocking his wheel, then I see him run away with the bike minus a front wheel. When I got over there it was just a front wheel u-locked to a pole.

Of course now I wish I'd gone over to investigate as soon I thought something was up, I guess confronting a 6 foot man with a big wrench wasn't too inviting a situation.

There should be a group ride dedicated to prevention of theft and recovery of stolen bikes and parts. :) a sort of de facto anti bike theft squad.

that is the decaf :)

Stop whining about the whole thing, and get your damn wheel back.

There you go terrifying me again.

seriously.

Sounds like an esteem issue, namely yours.

The real question: Is it OK for others to do to me as they will, or not?

If you don't mind folks p!ssing on you from time to time, move on.
If you do, then recover your wheel. These guys aren't exactly invested in society at large, so odds are they won't call the police. If a minivan full of nuns happens to drive by during the recovery, you're screwed. Beyond that, if you just let this go, you're just letting them know it's ok for them to steal from you.
Make sure they know who you are, and what is yours. Let them know that there will be a vigorous and unpleasant response if you or your stuff is in any way violated.
I know this s*cks. People are supposed to treat one another better, but they often don't.

I am hoping for this guy that he recruited some friends, pick up truck, baseball bats, and cracked some heads.

And do not lock your bike oustide, and for the love of jeebus, get rid off the "quick realease" things on your bike.

15mm nuts to you , buster . ... :mad:

They took your wheel. Take it back. Simple. If it spends it's time sitting on a wall, tghen all you have to do is roll up on it, lift it and pedal hard. "Ride it like you stole it" never rang so true! If you grabbed it and sprinted away, I doubt anybody would/could chase you. If you are really worried about being recognized, wear a fake moustache and some Unabomber sunglasses.

Damn, there have to be other riders in LA. I'm sure there are some on this board. Just get every single person you can find to roll up really scary-like on a bike while you retrieve your wheel and let everyone know that the bike community does not like to be messed with. Hell, you could even make a neighborhood watch of sorts and have people put stickers on their bikes to show that there will be a full investigation and backlash if bikes are stolen. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you: if you don't want to be messed around with, then don't mess around.

All this talk.. Did you get it back yet??

didn't you say you got the wheel off ebay? and you cna't prove it's yours?

Yeah every once in a while i'll see someone walking around with a rear or front wheel in their hands. First thing i always do is do a quick ride around the immediate area looking for a bike that may be missing said wheel. Haven't identified one yet but I haven't come up with what i'd do if i had so I guess thats a good thing for now...