Free road bike found in river.



Status
Not open for further replies.
"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?
>

Perhaps you mean the law relating to wrecks:

"Property found in the sea or on the seashore could be from a ship and is known technically as
wreck. Wreck cannot be treasure because it will not have been buried with the intention to
recover it.

All wrecks must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck, whose address is:-

Bay 1/05 Spring Place 105 Commercial Road Southampton Hampshire SO1 OZD Tel: 02380 329167 Website:
http://www.mcga.gov.uk "

It seems the Receiver of Wreck can either allow the finder to keep the wreck, or hold it themselves
for up to a year while they try & trace the owner... I would bet good money they wouldn't be the
least bit interested in your wreck!

Rich
 
<ouch> wrote in message news:p[email protected]...
>> 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?

I should imagine there would be a theoretical possibility of charges such as theft or handling
stolen goods, were someone to have reported it stolen, and were the police to think that Simon
either nicked it or knew or had reason to believe that it had been nicked. But I can't imagine that
they would think that - Simon can easily account for how he came by it, and has the photos to prove
it. I don't see any reason to believe it was a stolen bike just because it's in the mudflats. The
damn thing has a square rear wheel and no front tyre - everything points to it having been abandoned
as worthless, and Simon having performed a public service by removing a large unsightly piece of
litter that would otherwise have taken a very long time to disintegrate! If it was me, I wouldn't
give it a second thought. But if it was me, I wouldn't bother with it in the first place either ;-).

Rich
 
>I should imagine there would be a theoretical possibility of charges such as theft or handling
>stolen goods, were someone to have reported it stolen, and were the police to think that Simon
>either nicked it or knew or had reason to believe that it had been nicked. But I can't imagine that
>they would think that - Simon can easily account for how he came by it, and has the photos to prove
>it. I don't see any reason to believe it was a stolen bike just because it's in the mudflats. The
>damn thing has a square rear wheel and no front tyre - everything points to it having been
>abandoned as worthless, and Simon having performed a public service by removing a large unsightly
>piece of litter that would otherwise have taken a very long time to disintegrate! If it was me, I
>wouldn't give it a second thought. But if it was me, I wouldn't bother with it in the first place
>either ;-).
>
>Rich
>

You're right about it being a theoretical possibility. Very unlikely outcome indeed.

Ah, the photos. I forgot about them. ;-)

Only Simon can tell if it's worth restoring I suppose. I wouldn't restore it if it was a cheapo
mountainbike, but that's because I already have a decent one. I'd probably give a road bike a
go though.
 
Take it back abd throw it back

1. Its Knackered
2. Its not worth the time or trouble
3.Its not yours
4.The owner ore than likley threw it in there in the first place
5.did you see ''Beadle'' anywhere

D@vo

the bigger the ring the more it hurts


"A.Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1g32ztf.1jyajou1w3895N%[email protected]...
> 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.
 
"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> writes:

> 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.

Disassemble it and hose it down to wash all the salt water out urgently
- it is fearsomely corrosive. Pay special attention to bearings.

Also, check with the police that it hasn't been reported as stolen. Save any problems later.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting me down. I think I'll
upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're
crawling with bugs.
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> 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.

The front wheel is dead perfect true, so it is unlikely to have been in a head on - I can't
see anyone buying a new front wheel for bent forks. There is no paint damage to the forks
either. Simon.
 
"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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?

If I hadn't waded out into all that cack -it would have been swept away by now and no-one would
have had it, but I take your point. However, the bike is practically worthless in it's present
state and even if the rightful owner (if indeed its owner wasn't the one who dumped it there) could
be found I wonder if they'd bother taking it back.

Simon
 
"A.Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1g32ztf.1jyajou1w3895N%[email protected]...

> 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.

Indeed you are right, but then there's not the satisfaction of dragging the thing out of the river,
cleaning it up and getting it into working order then riding it. It just something that appeals.

Simon
 
On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 17:42:42 +0100, "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"A.Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:1g32ztf.1jyajou1w3895N%[email protected]...
>
>> 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.
>
> Indeed you are right, but then there's not the satisfaction of dragging the thing out of the
> river, cleaning it up and getting it into working order then riding it. It just something that
> appeals.

Just as it does for me buying old **** from auctions and saving them death. Yesterday I picked up an
old 25"[my size] Falcon road bike for £3 from the local auction that I'll get working and use as
some kind of hack. Right now, I've got it stripped down to the frame ready for reassembly. It's
needs a couple of wheels [which I have from other bikes] and the gears sorting out. When it's all
done there's the satisfaction of cheap around-town transport.

And maybe I need to get out more too.

gb
 
On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 17:18:29 +0100, "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> 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.
>
> The front wheel is dead perfect true, so it is unlikely to have been in a head on - I can't see
> anyone buying a new front wheel for bent forks.

Plenty of people would do a bodge like that, even if it was just a temporary measure.

> There is no paint damage to the forks either.

There doesn't necessarily have to be.

If you imagine a line going from the top of the headset down to the ground, the top half of your
front folks should always lie on this line. Considering it's an old Raleigh, and not some kind of
special experimental frame design or something, those forks are almost definitely damaged. It would
affect your steering considerably.

Garryb
 
ouch <> writes:

> >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.
>
> 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?

I don't think I'd take it to the police station; I think I'd phone them up, tell them I'd found
it, and tell them the frame number, and make sure you know who you talked to and that they logged
the call. Then if anyone has reported that frame number as stolen, you'll have to give it back,
but if the police have no record at least you have 'done the right thing' and there can be no
comeback later.

And then I would get ahead and sort out the salt before serious corrosion set in.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting me down. I think I'll
upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're
crawling with bugs.
 
"Simon Brooke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ouch <> writes:

>
> And then I would get ahead and sort out the salt before serious corrosion set in.

It was in a part of the river 35 miles from the sea and there's no salt in it there-maybe after
wasting my money doing up an "ex-catalogue" bike, I'll wish it had been eaten away. Although to be
fair, it's far superior a bike to the modern gas pipe 100 quid heavy clunkers around today - so not
everything has improved, even at the low end . Simon
 
<ouch> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >I should imagine there would be a theoretical possibility of charges such
as
> >theft or handling stolen goods, were someone to have reported it stolen,
and
> >were the police to think that Simon either nicked it or knew or had
reason
> >to believe that it had been nicked. But I can't imagine that they would think that - Simon can
> >easily account for how he came by it, and has the photos to prove it. I don't see any reason to
> >believe it was a stolen
bike
> >just because it's in the mudflats. The damn thing has a square rear
wheel
> >and no front tyre - everything points to it having been abandoned as worthless, and Simon having
> >performed a public service by removing a
large
> >unsightly piece of litter that would otherwise have taken a very long
time
> >to disintegrate! If it was me, I wouldn't give it a second thought. But
if
> >it was me, I wouldn't bother with it in the first place either ;-).
> >
> >Rich
> >
>
> You're right about it being a theoretical possibility. Very unlikely outcome indeed.
>
> Ah, the photos. I forgot about them. ;-)

I have several photos of it buried in the mudflats at low tide and of course at home in its present
condition. However, in the unlikely event that someone saw me riding it around and stopped me,
claiming it was theirs, I would give them it back after taking off my new bits of course, but it's
not very likely given it's only a cheapo thing anyway but it has decent enough gears (Sachs -Hurot)
and brakes (Weinmann) to warrant doing up.

By the way, in the 24 hours that it was lying in the bushes awaiting my return, someone whipped off
the rear carrier it had leaving the brakes dangling free.

Simon
 
These kind of bikes are worth restoring if you canibalise two or three similar second-hand bikes for
parts and build one reasonable one out of it, otherwise not worth it, IMO.

~PB
 
Simon Mason wrote:

> The front wheel is dead perfect true, so it is unlikely to have been in a head on - I can't see
> anyone buying a new front wheel for bent forks. There is no paint damage to the forks either.

Unless it's why the bike's called the "Banana", those forks are well bent* and will give an
"interesting" ride. I've bought bikes with bent forks and true wheels. An ignorant/desperate cyclist
could easily have changed the wheel and continued with funny steering, or the original wheel could
possibly have survived the impact. Forks from a similar type & size abandoned or second-hand bike
might do fine.

* I'll check by x-posting link to the pics to r.b.t

~PB
 
Simon Mason wrote:
> "Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> 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.
>
> The front wheel is dead perfect true, so it is unlikely to have been in a head on - I can't
> see anyone buying a new front wheel for bent forks. There is no paint damage to the forks
> either. Simon.

Notice that the rear wheel has a reflector, the front doesn't. Why remove one and not both ? OK it
could still be in the Humber of course. I think the front wheel is not the original. Bike was in a
crash, forks bent wheel knackered. Owner replaces wheel.
 
On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 17:18:29 +0100, "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> 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.
>
> The front wheel is dead perfect true, so it is unlikely to have been in a head on - I can't see
> anyone buying a new front wheel for bent forks. There is no paint damage to the forks either.

Notice too, how, little clearance there is between the rim and the frame. Try fitting a tyre on
there, and then some mudguards [which I'm assuming the bike was designed for as it has the relevant
screw eyelets]...and then see how near the frame the mudguards are!

garryb
 
Simon Mason 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.
>
> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zbanana.htm
>
> Will post photos of it on the mud flats later.
>
> Simon

When I was a kid a friend and me found a chopper and a mini moulton in a river they were in almost
perfect condition apart from being wet. We decided to take them to the local police station but on
our way there the owners mother stopped us and took them back. Later, thinking about the way she
spoke to us, she must have thought that we had stolen them.
--
Mark
 
"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Indeed you are right, but then there's not the satisfaction of dragging
the
> thing out of the river, cleaning it up and getting it into working order then riding it. It just
> something that appeals.

I guess similar to finding an old original cd of m$ windows 3.11 in a trashcan and getting it
installed sucessfully on your pc ;-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
6 Road Tops - Free
Replies
1
Views
389
UK and Europe
Jack Ouzzi
J
S
Free Wheel Hub Giant Pro Ext Rear Wheel
Replies
3
Views
3K
UK and Europe
Streaker
S
Fullcirclefund
Last few free places in SWRC May Flyer Cyclosportive 13th May 2012
Replies
0
Views
884
UK and Europe
Fullcirclefund
Fullcirclefund
usafg
Free recycling group for all community
Replies
0
Views
2K
UK and Europe
usafg
usafg
usafg
Free Give Group is active in UK and Europe - Have you tried it?
Replies
0
Views
3K
UK and Europe
usafg
usafg
Top Bottom Back