An Obituary: Pete’s Bike 2008-2010

Urgh, what a day Sunday was, the fantastic weather, the great feeling of another ride under the belt and not aching too much at the end, the hilarity of Owen’s splash dive into the canal just a mile from home quickly wore off with the demise of my bike. While the fine folk at West Yorkshire Police are doing their best it is pretty hopeless I will see my wonderful mountain bike again.

Just shy of its 2nd birthday (actually approaching at the end of this week), it has served me well riding to and from home in Morley and work in Cleckheaton in Kirklees for 6 months, countless Kidz Klub visiting rounds and then having done the major donkey work across the early part of this training. The ole beastie has probably wracked up knocking on for 2000 miles and I was very much looking forward to getting it fixed up and good to go on the big one.

Speaking of which, if the young man who pinched my bike tries to sell it on, he will have a job doing so with my wheels and saddle locked preventing them from being removed without fashioning a tool of their own. Also it has a pretty much bin-able set of front forks which despite the large quantity of oil won’t stop squeaking, it is also perfectly possible that with the dodgey brakes he has ended up in some hedge in Burley/Hyde park. (Without sounding too spiteful, we can only hope!)

With some major work needed over the next few weeks (I actually pulled it out of Woodrups before they did any work on it to go on the ride yesterday) I have saved myself the £150 it would have been to fix its squeaks and rattles and potential deathly (or at least splash down causing) problems which can go towards a whole new bike.

The most irritating thing about losing the bike is not necessarily losing the bike, but the amount of stuff I had bolted onto it including bottle racks, a cycle computer and a tool bag full of tools, all these things add up and what was a very comfortable long range cruising, personalised mountain bike is now left to give some idiot £50 in a garage or 2nd hand shop somewhere in Leeds (if anyone will take it now the police are on the case).

Fortunately there is just about enough money in the bank to be able to buy a new bike when I return from a fortnight on holiday in (hopefully) Sunny (not snowy, please) Canada and the USA. So all is not lost! I have already scouted a new bike out and have become quite attached to its curious hunchback design. (A bit like me after a 50 mile cycle I suppose!)

My next bike ride will not be on our merry shores, I will be cycling around Ottawa, Canada-land in about a weeks time so I will leave my co-authors Chris L and Chris C to give you the run down on the next big ride and I will no doubt fill you all in on my goings on at some point during my North American jaunt.

I will keep a look out for the bike this week and will be hoping for a call from our chums at West Yorkshire police who were very snappy at sending out a motor cycle officer to patrol the local area. And of course my own investigative contacts are already out keeping half an eye out on the 2nd hand bike shops in the area and I will be on the listen out for the familiar squeaks and rattles during my Kidz Klub runs this week.

As for the waste of oxygen who took it, I hope you feel proud for what you have done and that you are duly punished by the police when you are caught.

So, call it to early to say, call it being pessimistic, or call it realistic, a glass will be raised this evening to my little blue donkey. I hope to see you again, but I highly doubt it!

Pete

Oh, one final thing, I have added pictures to Chris’s blog post about ride five, check them out!