'Tis nice to be nice

corriebee1

So on my way in today (through the thickest fog i've ever cycled in) I came across a pannier bag lying on the pavement. I cycled past t and then thought "I've lost stuff before, and never got it back. It sucks" and turned around to go pick it up. Just as well, as it had a bunch of stuff in, including the owners mobile phone

Having had a look through the recently dialled numbers for a "home" or "office" I couldn't find one. Most of the recent numbers were to "Andy Bikeshop". As it was too early for a bike shop to be open, i decided to cycle in with the bag sitting on my bars so that anyone retracing their steps would spot it.

A mile or so in, just as I'm coming off the guided bus-route, a bloke on a foldie shouts across the road "That's my bag!". Turns out the guy owns a bike shop in Cambridge (Claud Butler on Mill Road) and is a fellow Scot. He sure was grateful.

Now. Seeing as I'm skint and he's got a bike shop, Is it cheeky to take my bike in this week for the service that it badly needs, and suggest he do me a very nice deal?!?! :oops:

gabriel959

I say you are well within your rights as long as you don't do any RLJ

veronese68

Well done, nice to read that after the usual tales of lunatic drivers and nodders.
Worth a go with the service.

meanredspider

Good on you.

wandsworth

You did the right thing. Well done.

Personally, I would not expect anything in return. I'd be embarrassed to show up and ask for a free service. Up to him if he wants to offer it.

rjsterry

wandsworth wrote:

You did the right thing. Well done.

Personally, I would not expect anything in return. I'd be embarrassed to show up and ask for a free service. Up to him if he wants to offer it.

This. I'm sure he'll offer anyway if he's a decent guy, and if he doesn't well, never mind.

menthel

I would just bask in the glow of the good samaritan act if I were you!

Colinthecop

I think the karma related idea of a freebie is a good one. I assume this is an afterthought and he didn't suggest it...?

But there is one obvious flaw in your plan to blag something -

corriebee1 wrote:

and is a fellow Scot.

shortcuts

Colinthecop wrote:

I think the karma related idea of a freebie is a good one. I assume this is an afterthought and he didn't suggest it...?

But there is one obvious flaw in your plan to blag something -

corriebee1 wrote:

and is a fellow Scot.

junglist_matty

Good on you mate! ....If you happen to find half a SMART rear light (the half with the LED's and batteries) on your travels, mine fell off my bike yesterday; got home to find the back casing still mounted to the bike and the lights bit gone!!

davis

You did the right thing, but I'm not sure doing the simple decent thing deserves a reward.

Besides, why the hell aren't you servicing it yourself? It's only making sure the bits that move can do so easily, and the bits that shouldn't move don't!

corriebee1

davis wrote:

You did the right thing, but I'm not sure doing the simple decent thing deserves a reward.

Besides, why the hell aren't you servicing it yourself? It's only making sure the bits that move can do so easily, and the bits that shouldn't move don't!

You're right. And i didn't pick the bag up expecting anything. Meeting a bike shop owner is/was a bonus.

If i'm honest about servicing, it terrifies me. Aside from changing a tyre and cleaning the chain the bike maintenance thing is a complete mystery to me. I would like to go on a decent course at some point or spend some quality time with youtube but i think that having quite a nice bike and no clue means i'm scared i'll cock it up and destroy the bike if i have a go!

wandsworth

Give it a go and if you mess it up take it to the LBS to fix. That's what I did when I got into a world of pain trying to adjust a front mech.

slowbike

junglist_matty wrote:

Good on you mate! ....If you happen to find half a SMART rear light (the half with the LED's and batteries) on your travels, mine fell off my bike yesterday; got home to find the back casing still mounted to the bike and the lights bit gone!!

The light wanted to be legal and stopped at the red light ...

slowbike

If you take it in - just ask for a service - don't expect to receive any freebies or discounts.

davis

corriebee1 wrote:

davis wrote:

You did the right thing, but I'm not sure doing the simple decent thing deserves a reward.

Besides, why the hell aren't you servicing it yourself? It's only making sure the bits that move can do so easily, and the bits that shouldn't move don't!

You're right. And i didn't pick the bag up expecting anything. Meeting a bike shop owner is/was a bonus.

If i'm honest about servicing, it terrifies me. Aside from changing a tyre and cleaning the chain the bike maintenance thing is a complete mystery to me. I would like to go on a decent course at some point or spend some quality time with youtube but i think that having quite a nice bike and no clue means i'm scared i'll fool it up and destroy the bike if i have a go!

Seriously, it's springs, levers, cables, screws and gears. There are knacks to things (like wrapping elastic bands round the brake blocks when you're toeing them in!) but if you look at an individual bit, such as the rear shifter, it's simply a cable which pulls in opposition to a spring to move a cage to a different place. It's not magicks!

shortcuts

davis wrote:

corriebee1 wrote:

davis wrote:

You did the right thing, but I'm not sure doing the simple decent thing deserves a reward.

Besides, why the hell aren't you servicing it yourself? It's only making sure the bits that move can do so easily, and the bits that shouldn't move don't!

You're right. And i didn't pick the bag up expecting anything. Meeting a bike shop owner is/was a bonus.

If i'm honest about servicing, it terrifies me. Aside from changing a tyre and cleaning the chain the bike maintenance thing is a complete mystery to me. I would like to go on a decent course at some point or spend some quality time with youtube but i think that having quite a nice bike and no clue means i'm scared i'll fool it up and destroy the bike if i have a go!

Seriously, it's springs, levers, cables, screws and gears. There are knacks to things (like wrapping elastic bands round the brake blocks when you're toeing them in!) but if you look at an individual bit, such as the rear shifter, it's simply a cable which pulls in opposition to a spring to move a cage to a different place. It's not magicks!

It is :shock:

iPete

I seem to have a calling in life for returning iPhones! Never asked for anything in return.

On the flip side, after I came off my bike and left the scene another cyclist found my iPhone in the road and I got it back. Although probably not worth stealing after a few cars had gone over it

merkin

On another forum there is a thread from a bloke who owns a bike shop saying about how he caught someone trying to steal his pannier.

kamiokande

merkin wrote:

On another forum there is a thread from a bloke who owns a bike shop saying about how he caught someone trying to steal his pannier.

And a few days later the would-be thief came into his bike shop and demanded a free service. The cheek on some people!

dhope

kamiokande wrote:

merkin wrote:

On another forum there is a thread from a bloke who owns a bike shop saying about how he caught someone trying to steal his pannier.

And a few days later the would-be thief came into his bike shop and demanded a free service. The cheek on some people!

And he didn't even know how to mount the thing, he was riding about with it on the bars. Probably didn't have the technical know how to put the bracket on :roll:

corriebee1

Holy thread resurrection!!

In a very pleasant sequence of events, I've started meeting this same chap (who still owns a bike shop) on the commute more regularly. I mentioned to him the other day that my bike was in dire need of a service and I would bring it into his shop in Cambridge. He said "I've never had the chance to say thanks for finding my bag with all my stuff" and offered to do the service for free.

My bike feels like new! I'd forgotten what it felt like to have such a tight setup and smooth gearing! Determined to keep it that way!

cornerblock

You'll be hoping he loses his bag once every six months then.

rolf_f

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19736384#p19736384]corriebee1[/url] wrote:

Holy thread resurrection!!

In a very pleasant sequence of events, I've started meeting this same chap (who still owns a bike shop) on the commute more regularly. I mentioned to him the other day that my bike was in dire need of a service and I would bring it into his shop in Cambridge. He said "I've never had the chance to say thanks for finding my bag with all my stuff" and offered to do the service for free.

My bike feels like new! I'd forgotten what it felt like to have such a tight setup and smooth gearing! Determined to keep it that way!

No wonder it feels good given that it needed a service in September 2013 when the incident occurred!