Romyan

About 2 weeks ago, I had left my bike parked at my school's bike racks, and something funny yet weird happened. I came back to see something missing on my bike, and you may wonder what it was. Was it a wheel? No. Was it my seat? No. Was it my frame somehow? No. Was it my $40 bike computer? No. You know what was stolen? My $10 electronic bike bell. I found it kind of sad, but funny since I thought how sad does your life have to be, to want to steal a freaking bike bell?
link to it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I wonder, do you guys have any weird/funny stories about something on your bike being stolen? Or is it just all sad and depressing?

ollo_ollo

About 15 yrs. ago I locked my touring bike outside the Group Health Clinic in Olympia, WA. Returned 40 minutes later to find my new, rear blinkie light gone. Weird thing was my tidy thief had replaced, then tightened down the nut/bolt that held it to a custom, rack mount. Showing it didn't break off or vibrate loose on my ride as there was no piece or gap where light used to be. Wasn't a real expensive component, but needed a tool to remove. Just a bit of weirdness. Don

L134 

Colnago Mixte

About five or six times, I have returned to where my bike previously was, and the whole thing was gone. It was not very funny or weird though, just a depressing reminder of human nature at its basest. And a reminder of why things need to be locked up if you want to keep them.

Rock71

Yes, A couple months ago I bought a new pair of Bontrager aero wheels. After switching everything out I took the old oval wheelset and threw in the back of my truck and loaded my bike on the rack. I stopped at a grocery store on my way out of town to pick up a couple of things for the ride. I came back out to load stuff in the cooler and the old wheelset with cracked rims was gone but unlocked bike remained.

Tpcorr

In the early 80's my wife and I lived in Philly and we cycled everywhere.One Sunday afternoon we were at the Art museum. My wife locked our bikes using the Kryptonite U lock we had, while I was getting our student tickets. We had planned to cycle to chinatown afterwards for dinner. When we came out of the museum my bike, along with the lock was gone. I had assumed my wife didn't lock the lock correctly. After getting back to our apartment with my wife's bike we took the bus to chinatown. At 10th and Arch we saw my bike locked to a parking meter with my Kryptonite lock. We had the key. so we unlocked it and took it home. I don't know how the thief was going to remove the lock, but we did get my bike back.

fietsbob

while using a public Loo, in CPH someone was starting to strip parts
off my touring bike, ... rear brakes,
while it was locked up,
but as I came out quickly, they only got the 6mm bolts..

which I replaced.. then took a Ferry across the Baltic, to PL, in 91.




...

Oldguyonoldbike

When I was a kid one time someone stole the lock off my bike while it was parked at the rack of the local public swimming pool. I remember feeling a little insulted that someone who could clearly could have stolen the whole bike chose not to.

clengman

A cheap pair of very worn and smelly half finger gloves that were hanging on my handlebars to dry.

thumpism 

While studying in Germany one summer I rode everywhere with my Eclipse handlebar bag on the bike. Made a run downtown to pick up mail at the main PO and returned to my place, where I ran in to drop off a care package from home and when I went back out the bag was unzipped. The only thing missing was a Boy Scout metal mirror that had been in the front pocket. Reason I kept it there was because before I wore specs I used to get stuff in my eyes occasionally.

wphamilton

The weirdest incident for me: four or five years ago, at the bike rack by our employees entrance, a lot/landscape contractor suggested that he might steal my shades if I left them on the bike. We have cameras, patrols, visible security. I just looked at him seriously and said "I don't think so". My $5 sunglasses were there when I came back and I didn't mention it to anyone, but I never saw that crew again.

indiana_jane

Someone stole all the bungees (not currently holding anything down) off my rear-rack one day.

thumpism 

Not mine and a little off-topic, but too good a story not to relate. Sold this tall, muscular guy a tall Fuji bike and off he went. A few days later he came back in and said that he'd leaned it against a tree at a local park while he went off to do a lap on the VitaCourse (jogging path with regularly spaced workout stations) and someone had stolen it. Surprise. His remark to me on the subject, "Who in the world would steal MY bike?!?"

"Obviously, someone who did not see you or did and figured he was faster," is what I did not tell him.

Gresp15C

Some dumped out my seat bag while my bike was locked in front of my kids' high school. All of the contents were on the ground, perfectly intact. I put it all back together and went home.

I imagine somebody was looking for stash, or a weapon, and was disappointed to find nothing interesting.

wipekitty

I was running into Walgreens one day for just like one item, and stupidly left my Cygolite on my bike.

Yep, that got taken, as did my $20 removable fender. I was more upset about the fender at the time...it was raining, and I had to ride the rest of the way home with a wet butt.

The really funny thing is that I filed a police report, and since I live in a small-ish town, they had an actual police detective review the video footage and work the case. I talked to him several times on the phone, but unfortunately, he could not identify the perp.

Nermal

I so wanted to say that. It would have been a lie, but I really wanted to.

backonblack

I never lost parts, but lost a few bikes. I lost a torker ll, that I had just finished bolting new arai rims with comp lll tires on, A'me grips, uni-seat shimano crank with DX pedals, PPP spider / shimano ring, dia comp binders, tuff neck stem, redline bars..I remember it part for part lol. Someone else got to enjoy it a week after I finished tweaking it my way. More recently, a KHS and a TREK MTB.

I stole an inner tube from a locked bike in my teens. I was stranded in no where land, that seemed like my only option at the time.

backonblack

That sounds like more of a trick. I used to park my bike inside my secondary school, inside under a big bank of stairs. Every once in a while it would go "missing". I always found it but the spots the culprits left it got stranger, once It was hanging up in a tree

If I could of broke my video game addiction I probably would of bought a lock.

jefnvk

Back before I bought a saddlebag, I taped my spare tube to the stays between my rack and the seattube. I came out of a restaurant one day, and someone had took that, but not my pump

Really hope they just needed it...

tagaproject6

Mine is the opposite. Someone keeps putting valve caps on my ride.
...so, no one is going to talk about the baby bike bolts that keep getting "stollen" in a secure garage???

ollo_ollo

Bit OT, but back in the 80's, our 14 y.o.'s bike was stolen from our NE Portland yard. Few days later, I return home to find someone broke in through our back door. Our big dog was MIA but I found him downstairs in the laundry room, hiding beside the dryer. After clean-up, we found nothing missing. Had the same feeling. Don

Shimagnolo

I was once on a solo century, and went into a convenience store to use the restroom and buy a drink.
I came out to find both handlebar end caps gone.
Black plastic Cinelli caps worth about $4.

thumpism 

I witnessed a "borrow" from my bike when I was back in school. Parked in a popular area near the student union and happened to notice the bike next to me had a flat tire. Came out later and was sitting on a knee wall watching the crowd when a girl I knew to be the kid sister of a guy I knew (I don't think she even knew who I was) stood there looking at the flat tire and then at the Silca pump on my bike, then at the flat tire, then at the pump. Just as she reached for it I boomed out her name, "Cathy xxxxx! That pump won't fit the valve stems on your bike!" Everyone in the huge midday crowd turned around to look, she blushed and dropped the pump and ran. I was going to offer to help, but...

Milton Keynes

See post #17 .

Milton Keynes

LOL, I'm now going to save up a bunch of Presta valve caps and sneak them onto people's bikes when I see one without them.