I hope this is a match. It would be cool to see someone get their bike back. Btw that is the alley on the block where I live.
2012-06-27 08:59:35
18
Found Bike in Morningside: Gary Fisher Marlin Orange/Black, 2007?
Today around 6pm, I saw a bike abandoned against a fence in the 1100 block of Swan Way (the alley between Jancey and Chislett Streets in Morningside). When it was still there an hour later, I spoke with the homeowners of the adjacent house, who reported it was not theirs, had been there all afternoon, and had been lying in the street at first.
This did not seem like the kind of thing an adult would do with their (not-inexpensive) bike, and this did not seem like the type of bike an irresponsible kid would be trusted to ride and leave lying around. It appears to have been well maintained and improved upon at some earlier point in its life. That period ended a year or two ago, I would guess. The dry chain and some rusted fasteners suggest it has been left outside recently. I don't want to be presumptuous, but my best guess is that a kid who either stole it, or bought it from someone who did, threw the chain, couldn't get it back on, and decided they'd walk away from it after some period of use.
I'm withholding most of the specifics in the hopes that the owner will be able to provide those. There are a number of non-stock items that the original owner should be able to describe. I looked on stolenbikeregistry.com but found no matches for the serial number or description. If you lost such a bike in the past few years, know someone who did, or if you were the owner who left it today, please contact me at diersen AT yahoo ETC to arrange its return.
Thanks-
Matt
2012-06-27 03:20:57
Another reason they should either fix the search function on this forum or re-authorize Google searches.
2012-06-27 15:20:15
The site now permits Google and other search engines to index it again, but I'm not sure it'll ever pick up older threads unless some page links to them.
2012-06-27 16:00:46
I think it would help to have a sticky post for Stolen Bikes. Once created, assemble a list of such posts, in essence doing the cross-reference task manually.
Am I volunteering myself to do this? I suppose, but it isn't going to happen in the next day or two. It'd be nice if someone could get it started, though.
2012-06-27 16:20:52
@Stu I think it would help to have a sticky post for Stolen Bikes.
Not sure it would help much. Some individual thefts get a page or two of comments, so the resulting sticky would quickly get to "Tag-o-rama" magnitude and difficult to search.
2012-06-27 17:13:32
We could have a sticky with links to the stolen bike threads or a stolen bikes section
2012-06-27 17:19:17
Yeah you think we could do a Bikes stolen/
bikes found Post that is always at the top?
2012-06-27 17:31:38
That stolenbicycleregistry.com site seems like a very good solution...should we advise people add their details there? Are there any other sites that we should direct people to?
2012-06-27 17:34:19
It took me a while to figure out what everyone was talking about... in these replies, but now I get it.
I'm pretty certain the stolen bike from Polish Hill (which I read before posting) was also posted by the same user on stolenbikeregistry.com, here: http://stolenbicycleregistry.com/showbike.php?oid=13315 , he/she listed the SN there, and that it was silver, with a photo.
None a match, sadly.
And Stefb that means we are neighbors. Hello.
2012-06-27 17:46:33
Hi. We are the loud people with the loud dogs!
2012-06-27 18:48:09
And the bike sticker covered cars!
2012-06-27 20:22:49
Hmmm... Loud dogs, that only narrows it down so much. Just kidding, I know all of my nearby noisy dogs and don't think they are yours.
I'm actually on Jancey, I suspect you're on Chislett? We're in the house with the gigantic oak tree in the backyard, and the nasty overgrown retaining wall on the alley. There's so much to do that I actually have to LOOK at every day that I never get around to cleaning it up... that and I get poison ivy every time I do.
Say hello if you see us around. I'm Matt and my wife is Kate.
2012-06-29 13:04:12
@mkjeeves -- totally, totally OT here, but you might want to try this if you are sensitive to poison ivy. I've used this home remedy and it works better than OTC stuff that you buy. If you poke around on the interwebs you can find some references to it, but not a lot. Only caveat -- I don't know I would try it if you have broken the skin, but if you haven't it seems to be safe to use.
The treatment -- turpentine. Mix an equal amount of it and water together. The result is colloidal, since the turpentine is an oil and it won't dissolve in the water. Rub the mixture into the affected area. Keep stirring it as you apply it. You will shortly begin to feel a drawing or pulling sensation, no smarting or anything else. In a few minutes you should see beads of liquid begin to appear on your skin. Carefully wipe them off with something and dispose of it as it contains the urushiol that causes the irration. Apparently because the turpentine is an oil and so is the urushiol, the turpentine dissolves it out the bond it has made with your skin.
Put it on 2-3 times a day. Stop when you no longer have beads forming on your skin -- the usushiol is all dissolved out. You should be rid of the urushiol and poison ivy in a day or two.
We now return you to the original topic of this thread.
I hope nurse stefb doesn't kill me for this. 
2012-06-29 13:55:27
Nah, turpentine works great, dawn dishwashing soap is almost as good and much gentler. She'll kill you for calling her a nurse though!
2012-06-29 15:06:40
Thanks for the PI tips... On the off topic, I religiously wash up after yardwork with Tecnu, which is a little pricey, but I think work on the same principle. The literature says it was developed as a treatment for chemical weapons (!) and it does a little residual turpentine-y smell after use...
ON the subject, I received am email from this bike's owner yesterday! He lives up on Morningside Ave and was a good sport about how I badmouthed HIS bicycle maintenance... Apparenly, he had to ride it through much of this past winter.
I'm interested to hear which notice reached him: this one, the Highland Park Listserv, or Nextdoor Morningside, a neighborhood-only social network site they recently started. Cburch and Stefb, are you on this? Pretty early to tell, but seems like a nice concept...
2012-07-02 15:07:21
Glad to know that bike and owner have been reunited.
2012-07-06 13:23:38
@mkjeeves: How do you like that Nextdoor Morningside site? I live at the other end of the 'hood (on Jancey, by the old school), and considered joining, but I tend to avoid "social networking" sites.
2012-07-06 14:06:59