| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
7.40 miles
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Time: 00:35:00
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Avg Speed:
12.69 mph
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Max Speed:
18.60 mph
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Weight:
157
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Effort:
3 - Moderate 11-13 mph
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Route:
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Bacchetta Giro 20 (SOLD Aug 15, 2014) SWB Bent
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Club: 'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Weather Conditions: HOTISH |
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"Just A Bike".
On the morning of April 15th, I had one of those "this can’t be happening" moments. As I opened the interior house door to the garage, my self said: "Self, the garage door is open." That’s weird. Glancing over where my bike should be, there was no bike. My mind kept saying: "There is supposed to be a yellow modified for travel V-Rex leaning against the work bench." My self kept saying "It’s not there." My mind: "Are you sure? Look again."
No matter how many times I looked my bike was stolen. Gone. It just isn’t there.
Told myself: "It’s just a bike."
With a kick in my gut feeling all day I did the stolen bike thing:
Called police to file a police report
Printed out flyers with a pic to all bike stores.
Called pawn shops.
Posted flyers along the typical cycling paths.
Kept looking where my bike was hoping it would magically appear.
Kept telling myself: "It’s just a bike."
Wait a minute. I’ve had this bike for over twelve years. Then I started remembering.
It’s not just a bike. It was my Conestoga Wagon on Ragbrai ferrying me from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. Okay, so Conestoga wagons went from east to west. Small details. I crossed the expanse of Iowa on my bike passing cornfields, alfalfa fields, and easily recognizable from a long way off hog farms. It blazed trails for me.
It’s not just a bike. In North Dakota it was my trusty horse galloping by fertile farmlands and wheat crops and across rolling grasslands. It showed me the big sky, the Red River Valley and the Drift Prarie.
It’s not just a bike. In New York, it was my packet boat and I was the horse power trudging along passing locks and lift bridges. It helped me explore old canal side towns, including the birthplace of the Colt revolver, something I’d love to show right now to the bike thief.
It’s not just a bike. Living in Qatar it was my Dromedary Taxi, taking me across the desert and showing me the Khor al Adaid ("Inland Sea") along the Persian Gulf.
It’s not just a bike. When I was working in Florida it was my Ponce DeLeon exploration ship, taking be up and down the eastern coast in search of my own fountain of youth. Yes, cycling keeps the kid in ya. No question.
One thing is for sure: It's not "just a bike".
20 member views | 21908 total views
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Showing Comments
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  What a complete and total bummer. My condolences Joe. I sure hope you, the police or someone finds it.
That just sucks so bad. 
They're not just bike thieves, they're something I can't say on this family website.
posted by KrateKraig on
4/19/2011
at 2:16:31 PM
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.jpg) So glad when I saw the alert that after such a long time you posted again, Joe.
So sad when I read that post and realized what whoeveritwas did to you.
No bike is "just a bike" (or at least: shouldn't be). Yours certainly isn't (I am refusing to write: wasn't).
Maybe... hopefully ... you will see it returning home some day. Fingers crossed!
posted by bxa on
4/19/2011
at 2:57:29 PM
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 So darn unhappy for you right now. Bummer, bummer, bummer. Crossing my fingers that the bike will be recovered. And to think you were so worried about the biking in South Africa, and your bike is stolen in Florida. The world is just not right.
posted by russtaitai on
4/19/2011
at 5:18:06 PM
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 Two bikes stolen from me over the years....a real violation of self....sorry to hear of this.
posted by Sagebum on
4/21/2011
at 9:38:36 AM
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