Free road bike found in river.

[Simon Mason]

Setting out for a 30 mile run yesterday, I headed for the Humber foreshore near the bridge and was
somewhat startled to see a Raleigh Team Banana road bike dumped in the mud flats at low tide. After
finding a plank of wood to walk on, I managed to drag it out of the river. I then hid it in some
gorse bushes and returned to pick it up today.

I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash but there's not a lot wrong
with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears and brakes seem OK.

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm

Will post photos of it on the mud flats later.

Simon

 

[Anonymous]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash
but
> there's not a lot wrong with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears
> and brakes seem OK.
>
> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm

Is that front fork ok? Looks a bit bent back in the photo.

cheers, clive

 

[Thomas Letherby]

In message <[email protected]>, Clive George

>"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash
>but
>> there's not a lot wrong with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears
>> and brakes seem OK.
>>
>> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm
>
>Is that front fork ok? Looks a bit bent back in the photo.
>

Is it the light or has the rear wheel got a major flat spot too
--
Thomas Letherby Remove NOSPAM to reply.

 

[Simon Mason]

news:[email protected]...

>
> Is that front fork ok? Looks a bit bent back in the photo.

Seems OK Clive - have a closer look (note seaweed stuck above front hub).

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana1.htm

 

[Scott Leckey]

Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
its loss...

Scott Leckey

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Setting out for a 30 mile run yesterday, I headed for the Humber foreshore near the bridge and was
> somewhat startled to see a Raleigh Team Banana
road
> bike dumped in the mud flats at low tide. After finding a plank of wood to walk on, I managed to
> drag it out of the river. I then hid it in some
gorse
> bushes and returned to pick it up today.
>
> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash
but
> there's not a lot wrong with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears
> and brakes seem OK.
>
> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm
>
> Will post photos of it on the mud flats later.
>
> Simon

 

[Ouch]

>Setting out for a 30 mile run yesterday, I headed for the Humber foreshore near the bridge and was
>somewhat startled to see a Raleigh Team Banana road bike dumped in the mud flats at low tide. After
>finding a plank of wood to walk on, I managed to drag it out of the river. I then hid it in some
>gorse bushes and returned to pick it up today.
>
> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash but there's not a lot wrong
> with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears and brakes seem OK.
>
>http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm
>
> Will post photos of it on the mud flats later.
>
> Simon
>

Those wheels look like they could do with some truing!

 

[Simon Mason]

"Scott Leckey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
> its loss...

Isn't there some law whereby if it's beyond the tidal watermark it doesn't belong to anybody, or
something like that?

Simon

 

[Richard Goodman]

"Scott Leckey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
> its loss...
>
> Scott Leckey
>
>

Considering the condition in which it must have been dumped that seems very unlikely......

Rich

 

[Simon Mason]

"Thomas Letherby" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In message <[email protected]>, Clive George

> >"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash
> >but
> >> there's not a lot wrong with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out.
> >> Gears and brakes seem OK.
> >>

>
> Is it the light or has the rear wheel got a major flat spot too

Yes, it needs a whole new back wheel. Simon

 

[Stephen Clark]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Scott Leckey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
> > its loss...
>
> Isn't there some law whereby if it's beyond the tidal watermark it doesn't belong to anybody, or
> something like that?
>
> Simon
>
I think the bike you have belongs to the Queen then.

 

[Anonymous]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>

> news:[email protected]...
>
> >
> > Is that front fork ok? Looks a bit bent back in the photo.
>
> Seems OK Clive - have a closer look (note seaweed stuck above front hub).
>
> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana1.htm

Still looks a bit iffy to me - but that could be the photo. If you draw a line along the steerer
tube, the blades are a bit to the back of that before they sweep forwards.

If the photo isn't lying, I'd check the paint for stretch/crumple marks and possibly even have the
fork out to check for cracks. But you've obviously got the best view of all this.

cheers. clive

 

[Simon Mason]

> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

> > Isn't there some law whereby if it's beyond the tidal watermark it
doesn't
> > belong to anybody, or something like that?

> I think the bike you have belongs to the Queen then.

Yes, I thinks that's it - I'll see if she wants it before I spend any money doing it up.

Simon

 

[Adrian Boliston]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Setting out for a 30 mile run yesterday, I headed for the Humber foreshore near the bridge and was
> somewhat startled to see a Raleigh Team Banana
road
> bike dumped in the mud flats at low tide.....

Is this the cheap'n'cheerful bike circa late 80's talked about in this thread:
http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=4690

 

[A.Lee]

Simon Mason <[email protected]> wrote:

> Setting out for a 30 mile run yesterday, I headed for the Humber foreshore near the bridge and was
> somewhat startled to see a Raleigh Team Banana road bike dumped in the mud flats at low tide.
> After finding a plank of wood to walk on, I managed to drag it out of the river. I then hid it in
> some gorse bushes and returned to pick it up today.
>
> I know it's not exactly akin to finding King John's jewels in The Wash but there's not a lot
> wrong with it. Needs a front tyre, rear wheel and the crank sorting out. Gears and brakes
> seem OK.

After you've spent on a tyre/wheel/sundry other bits, it would have been cheaper to go to your local
secondhand/junk shop, and get one in working order for £25. Looks like it was put in the river for a
reason - it wouldnt fit in a dustbin! Alan.

--
Change the 'minus' to 'plus' to reply by mail. http://www.dvatc.co.uk off-road cycling in the
North Midlands.

 

[Garry Broad]

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:16:08 +0100, "Clive George"

>Is that front fork ok? Looks a bit bent back in the photo.

That was my first impression too.

gb

 

[Just Zis Guy]

Simon Mason wrote:

> Seems OK Clive - have a closer look (note seaweed stuck above front hub).
> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana1.htm

I would say that the front fork is bent, probably following a head-on with something solid.

Being a steel bike that may be fixable, but check the top and downtubes for wrinkles behind the
headset lugs.

--
Guy
===
WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Tony Raven]

Simon Mason wrote:
>
> Isn't there some law whereby if it's beyond the tidal watermark it doesn't belong to anybody, or
> something like that?
>

Would you be happy with that excuse if it was your bike that had been found?

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

 

[Ouch]

>> Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
>> its loss...
>>
>> Scott Leckey
>>
>>
>
>Considering the condition in which it must have been dumped that seems very unlikely......
>
>Rich
>

If I had my bike stolen and I could get it back, I'd want it back. If it's good enough for Simon, it
might be good enough for the original owner too.

Besides, I'm sure that if nobody could be traced or if nobody wanted it, Simon would probably be
able to keep it anyway?

 

[Richard Goodman]

<ouch> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >> Might I suggest a visit/call to your nearest police station? Someone, somewhere may be mourning
> >> its loss...
> >>
> >> Scott Leckey
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Considering the condition in which it must have been dumped that seems
very
> >unlikely......
> >
> >Rich
> >
>
> If I had my bike stolen and I could get it back, I'd want it back. If it's good enough for Simon,
> it might be good enough for the original owner too.

If we're talking about that particular bike, I don't think so...

Of course, you may have a point about Simon ;-)

>
> Besides, I'm sure that if nobody could be traced or if nobody wanted it, Simon would probably be
> able to keep it anyway?

That's been my experience of lost property handed in. No doubt it is the legally correct thing to
do. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if even the police told him to take it away, in the condition
it's in. If they do hang on to it, it has to be 99.9% certain it won't be claimed, and it'll just
rust up and seize up even more, while he's waiting to claim it back, now that it's out of the mud.

I'd say be practical and realistic about this - let Simon do it up if he wants and restore it to
some useful life. Albeit with the caveat that in the unlikely event that if it ever did happen to
have been reported missing and rediscovered in Simon's possession, the original owner would be the
legal owner and it would have to be returned - no doubt in a better state than when it was dumped.

Rich

 

[Ouch]

>That's been my experience of lost property handed in. No doubt it is the legally correct thing to
>do. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if even the police told him to take it away, in the condition
>it's in. If they do hang on to it, it has to be 99.9% certain it won't be claimed, and it'll just
>rust up and seize up even more, while he's waiting to claim it back, now that it's out of the mud.
>
>I'd say be practical and realistic about this - let Simon do it up if he wants and restore it to
>some useful life. Albeit with the caveat that in the unlikely event that if it ever did happen to
>have been reported missing and rediscovered in Simon's possession, the original owner would be the
>legal owner and it would have to be returned - no doubt in a better state than when it was dumped.
>
>Rich
>

Fair enough. maybe that's what I would do too, I don't really know. What would happen though if it
was on a "wanted" list and they found it in Simon's possession? Would he be charged with theft?