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Original poster

WWYD about this found bike?

23 replies

TheMoreIKnowTheLessIUnderstand · 08/04/2021 23:09

I found a balance bike in a hedge in a park a few days ago.

It looked a bit abandoned, the steering column was offset, and the saddle wonky, tyres flat etc. Looked like it had been dumped, but still in fair condition, and would be usable after a tiny bit of TLC. I saw it there at the beginning of my walk. Pulled it out of the hedge and propped it up, so it could be seen.
Came back about 90mins later and it was still there.

I decided that I would take it home and pump up the tyres, straighten the handle bars and give it a quick clean etc and post on the local FB groups that I had found it, and if it was their's PM me and I'll get it back to them. So I did that saying along the lines of "found a kids bike at local (named) park, PM me with the make/colour if it's yours and I'll get it back to you". ( I didn't want to post a photo or a complete description, so as not to get a chancer...)

It had some logos on it, and out curiosity I looked them up online, and it looks like it belongs to a cycle proficiency school (or at least, used to) It has a serial number as well as their branding. (I did not know the name across it was a cycle school, I assumed it was the make of the bike)

So, I rang up said school, to tell them I had found it, and the serial number is XXX and please ring me back if it is theirs, Or if they know they sold it to someone as part of their franchising scheme. The idea being, I can give it them, or they can pass it on to owner, or ask the customer to contact me or whatever. I haven't had a call back yet. (4 days)

So, I'm hoping I've done enough to get it home to its rightful owner, which (imo) may have unfortunately left it there by accident, and it had been used and abused, or they left it there on purpose.

Now.... I do realise, it might be construed that I have now stolen the bike...:/

But I am genuinely trying to get it back to its owner, and had it not been in the bottom of the hedge and with flat tyres etc, I would have just propped it up and possibly left it there. But, as I said, it had an air of being dumped...

So, anyway, how long do I leave it for the owner to make a claim?

Should I return it to the park and leave it for someone to take?

Should I ring the company again (I left a voicemail)

If nobody steps forward to claim it....

Then what? It's a decent little balance bike (the actual model is stamped into the frame)

Shall I give it away?

I just don't know... :/

NCed for this, as may be outing, as I've posted the lost bike on various FB pages.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheMoreIKnowTheLessIUnderstand · 09/04/2021 13:59

Hopeful bump

OP posts:
Totallyworthit · 09/04/2021 14:37

Is the cycling proficiency school closed at the minute? I would ring them again in the middle of next week. Then if no owners by next weekend I would consider it unwanted, remove all the FB notices (so someone doesn’t decide to make me pay for it after donating!) then donate it somewhere.

user64325 · 09/04/2021 14:40

Just give it away on a free to you type group if it is of no use to you. It's almost certainly been fly tipped. Bike thieves don't target balance bikes.

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Cycling
LadyCatStark · 09/04/2021 14:42

Keep it for a while if you can as the cycling proficiency school may not be open. It may have been stolen, even by older kids just messing about which may be why it was damaged. DS’s BMX club has donated bikes for newbies to borrow and they get stolen all the time 😡.

stuckinarutatwork · 09/04/2021 14:51

Yes, it's likely that the school cycling proficiency centre is closed for either the Easter holidays or Covid.
If you have space to hang onto it, then do so. If not, then return it to where you found it I guess.

FenceSplinters · 09/04/2021 14:59

We found a bike in the woods last year. We advertised, like you did, on local Facebook groups, but no one came forward to say it was theirs. We ended up giving it away to a lad who had his bike stolen.

Svrider · 09/04/2021 15:19

You should have left it where it was tbh
We did something similar as children, and the police came round
The original owner had seen my brother on the bike ( new tyres, new brakes, new seat, cleaned and polished)
It had been IN a river for at least a week
The police were really aggressive, and my dad had to get a local solicitor £££
I remember both parents been pretty shuck up by the police response

Svrider · 09/04/2021 15:23

Should state w had put we had put the new things on the bike

Svrider · 09/04/2021 15:23

We. (FFS)

Zancah · 09/04/2021 15:26

You're overthinking it. You haven't stolen it. Don't worry!

Keep for sufficient length of time, maybe bump your SM post. Donate to school/nursery/child in need when you decide that sufficient time has passed. Thanks

Cherrysoup · 09/04/2021 15:32

Schools are closed, try again when they re-open.

Original poster
TheMoreIKnowTheLessIUnderstand · 09/04/2021 18:38

Ok, will chase up with the cycling school next week 👍👍

OP posts:
Original poster
TheMoreIKnowTheLessIUnderstand · 09/04/2021 18:41

@Svrider

You should have left it where it was tbh We did something similar as children, and the police came round The original owner had seen my brother on the bike ( new tyres, new brakes, new seat, cleaned and polished) It had been IN a river for at least a week The police were really aggressive, and my dad had to get a local solicitor £££ I remember both parents been pretty shuck up by the police response
Bloody hell!
OP posts:
NoGoodPunsLeft · 09/04/2021 18:43

We have a couple of local men who take donated bikes, fix them up, sell them & donate the money to the local.hospice. could you have a look good something like that? if notln I'd put it on free cycle.

Whingey · 09/04/2021 18:59

Been a bike at the bottom of flat stairs for months now. Ladies with green frame Hampshire if you have lost one

Hellocatshome · 09/04/2021 19:04

I would email the cycle school if you can as more likely to be picked up and definitely try them again after the school holidays. Sounds like it's been accidentally left behind somewhere the maybe used and abused then dumped. No one would purposely steal it then dump it unless they are a particularly useless criminal.

MadeForThis · 09/04/2021 19:05

You have made obvious and documented attempts to trace the owner. I wouldn't worry about being accused of stealing it.

mooonstone · 09/04/2021 19:06

You might have better luck with a response during the holidays by sending an email

mooonstone · 09/04/2021 19:06

Or contact them via social media

Svrider · 10/04/2021 10:46

Yeah sorry OP, but theft by finding is a thing.
Might be best not to do that...

TroysMammy · 10/04/2021 10:50

Send them an email so you have a paper trail proving you made an attempt to return the bike.

Svrider · 10/04/2021 10:53

Just realised my last post wasn't particularly helpful Blush
Do you have legal advice available on your house insurance OP?

Svrider · 10/04/2021 11:01

Hello cats home. That's exactly what happed with us
Someone had stolen the bike, used it a bit, pretty much destroyed it dumped it in the river
We (children) had seen it in the river for a week over the school holidays and eventually took it home.
My dad and brother did it up, it looked great
But then a friend of the original owner saw my brother on it, and told the police
They REALLY did NOT believe us

Even when we proved we had found it, it was the "theft by finding" thing

The police wanted to caution me, because I had just turned 11, but luckily my dad and a solicitor managed to avoid it

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