UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I just found my stolen bike!! (long)

Wow!!!!! What a story! Congratulations!

Win big with the lotto ticket!

First: the story wasn't long. If it had happened to me I would have gone off on a major rant. Second your not an idiot, just way nicer than me. Once I was convinced it was my bike I would have called 911 right in front of him giving them a license plate number and his physical description and let them know that you are identifying the thief that stole your bike and that he has it in his possession. If the guy didn't plead with me to take the bike (all of it) and please don't press charges, as soon as the police showed up I would insist on filing a formal complaint. Just because you "found" a bike on the side of the road does not make that yours. It is called stealing.

how can you call it stolen?

even if he found the bike (not son), how can you blame him? He found a discarded bike on the (side of the) highway...i see fridges, mattresses, etc on the side of the highway from time to time...

I'm glad you got your bike back, but it'd be cool if you went back and paid him for whatever fixes he did to the bike. Obviously, falling onto the highway caused some damage. I doubt I'd ride that bike fast for fear of some part of damage to the frame...

Or, maybe go back and give him a reward?

Anyways, like I said before, glad you got your bike back...

As I read the OP, he saw his bike go flying off the back and turned around at the next exit.  How long do you think the bike was "discarded"? 15-20 minutes tops? It seems more likely the guy saw the bike go flying off the truck, and figured "Hey, free bike".  The fact that he originally lied when confronted seems pretty sleazy.

If I found an apparently abandoned bike and fixed it up, I would not lie and say i got it from my son.  I would say I found it on the road.  I would have probably asked the claimant to tell me the serial # (although knowing there was a paper towel in the bento box might have been good enough).The thief (because that's what he was) is kind of a d-bag.  If he hadn't lied, or could tell me what bike shop had done the frame work, I'd consider reimbursing that.  But unless I want that particular wheel, I'm not buying it from him, I'm not reimbursing him, and I'm not reinforcing theft as a means of income.  Heck, for all you know, the next bike he "finds", he puts the same old wheel on it and claims to have spent money fixing it up.

wow, i'm surprised at some of these responses....

give a reward to someone who refused to give you your bike back?   maybe, had he been cool about it.   but refusing to after you clearly showed it indeed was yours and was willing to go as far as take it to authorities?

sounds like some of you are no different than the guy yourselves

I guess I left out some details.

How did he know I was a roofer?  I was in my company truck.  The same one I was driving when my bike fell off.  It has our logo and phone number plastered all over it.  Also, I was wearing my standard company uniform.  White logoed button down shirt, black khakis and black dress shoes.  Not your typical roofer, huh?

You want proof?  You can't handle the proof!   As we were discussing the issues I explained to him where the serial # is on the bike and offered to call the bike shop, where I had just gotten an adjustment on the bike 10 mins prior to loosing it, and have them confirm that I purchased that bike from them.  I told him it was also registered with Lemond and if that wasn't enough I had the owners manual at home with the serial # in it.

I did already replace the bike and I did initiate a claim with my insurance co., but I didn't persue the claim.  First, with a $1000 deductable and the slightly increased premium the net wasn't much.  Second, I felt that I should take responsibility for my mistake.

The bike is in pretty good shape considering the impact and the damage is concentrated on the left side.  The pedal is scratched, but otherwise fine.  The rear skewer is scratched, but ok.  The pad on the aero bars is torn up, but if I can't replace it it will be useable.  Finally, the bar end plug needs to be replaced.  The seat must have sustained the majority of the damage since it had been replaced and of course the front wheel. 

Looking back, I agree that I didn't really show him any proof, but I was telling him things no one else would know and he quickly gave up the bike once I suggested we go to talk to the police and he heard me tell them I had made a police report.  I was never a jerk.  I just talked to him nicely and I really would've given him something for the parts if he would've shown me some receipts.  Come on, a wheel and a tire plus a cheap seat = $500.  He was pretty nervous and obviously knew he was in the wrong.  I also told him I understood what one might think if they find a bike that seems abandonded.  However, my bike was not in the middle of the road.  I slowed down, watched it slide sparking down the side of the lane and then onto the shoulder in my mirror.  I then sped up and turned around at the next exit.  It took less than 5 minutes to get to where I could see the area where it happened and there was no one parked on the shoulder possibly waiting to see if I came back.  In less than 10 mins I was driving down the shoulder exactly where it happened to see if it was in the grass on the median.  BTW, the grass was about 8-10 inches tall.  Not enough to obscure a red bike.

I have been thinking about this and I don't want any bad Karma, so I'm going to send the seat back to him for sure.  I'm taking the bike to my LBS today to have it looked over today and I'm even considering getting him a gift certificate in the amount of the wheel and tire.  If he wants a bike that bad this will help.

well i wouldn't give him a gift certificate...just the wheel, tire, and seat back.   i personally think thats all he deserves....particularly for being a jerk.   had you not unexpectedly saw him on your bike, he'd still be enjoying it today.

give him what he added to it and nothing else.   jerk doesn't need anything more.   remember, he stole your bike!

Gift certificates? I still think he stole it!  A bike like this had the serial number.  It's no cheap bike... he should have called the police saying that he found a 'lost bike'  The police then hold on to the bike for 30 - 60 days.  If no report of a lost bike (with serial number) is posted, then the person who found the bike and reported it to the police gets possession of the bike.

He had NO intention of finding the owner.  He also could have went to the PD with you and sorted out the details of what belongs to whom, in which case he would have gotten his parts.  

Sorry, but if you're giving away money for someone in need of a bike, I'll show you pictures of my POS bike...

I do think you did the right thing by confrunting the guy.  Thankfully you got your bike back without a brawl, in which case you would have been at his house / on his property...

people are different..

 pretty much that exact senerino happened to a couple I know, they were going to a race when the bike flew off... I don't know how quickly they noticed it thoguh...they went back looking for it and it was gone.. But the difference was the person that saw it,, knew it was a nice bike, got in touch with a friend that knows bikes to find out what to do,, that person knew it was a tri bike and there was a race, called the RD to say they had found a tri bike and the bike was returned in a couple of days..

good people are out there