münster fixed gear – radkultur extraordinaire

Found this story over there at peoplesbikes.com. It’s def. worth a read.

4 Month ago a bike was stolen in the streets of Shanghai and thats what happend to get it back:

I’m proud to announce that last night I not only found his bike, but recovered it as well !

I was on my way home, around 11:00pm, just bolting down Qonqing Lu.  Out of the corner of my eye I catch a really bright reflection from another bicycle, which at first I didn’t think anything of.  A few seconds later, I quickly realized that maybe there could be a new fixed gear in town ! So I turn around, to see a middle-aged Chinese man pushing a bright neon bike across the road.  As I’m approaching him, I realize right away that the bike in question was stolen from my friend Chris 4 months ago . . I’m so surprised, that I can’t even remember how to speak Chinese, so I call up my man Rich.  Rich calms me down a little bit, and I decide to approach this Chinese man.  I ask him in Chinese, ‘ Where did  you get that bike?’ He responds with, ‘ What are you talking about? You don’t speak Chinese. ‘  To which I reply with, ‘ That’s my friend’s bike.  Where did you get it ? ‘  Almost immediately he jumps on the bike and tries to start riding while ignoring my questions.

I begin to follow him . .

At first it’s very clear that he does not know how to ride a fixed gear, especially one that has no brakes or toe clips.  At this point, Rich is still on the phone and is assuring me that i’ll never get a chance like this ever again.  He suggests I run him off the road . . I start to pick up speed to see if this Chinese guy has it in him to ride away, and out of no where he tries to bolt it.  I chase after him for not even 1 block, when he turns into a small alleyway almost killing himself because he can’t stop.  I skid into the alleyway after him, and when he sees me he starts to throw bikes / garbage cans / boxes into the main walkway to try and stop me from following.  It worked, because I had to get off my bike.  Quickly, I threw my bike into the shadows of the alley, and took off after this guy on foot.  He was moving pretty fast, so I was only able to catch him for a brief second around the corner of every turn.  Alleyway after alleyway this guy just kept going.  Finally, I rounded a corner and quickly saw a door close.  I called up Rich again . .

Just as I was about to explain where I was, the Chinese guy came out of the apartment (with no bike) and started to walk back towards the road as if nothing happened.  He couldn’t see me, because I was crouched down and hiding behind some garbage cans.  I waited for him to be out of sight, and told Rich to get on his bike right away to come and help me out. But I realized that this guy could be back any minute, and if I wanted a shot at getting Chris’ bike back I had to do it right then and there.  I walked up to the door, and oddly enough it was unlocked . . Slowly I pushed the door in, and started looking around . . And then I found it. Quickly I tossed the bike onto my shoulder (the guy had put a lock around the wheel), and started to walk in the opposite direction he left in.  I walked back to find my bike, hopped on, and took off out of the alleyways with Chris’ bike on my shoulder.

Luckily, I made it home without any confrontations.

One thing I’d like to mention is that while I was inside snooping for Chris’ bike, I saw other bikes in there too . . And on my way out of the alleyway, there was an old man who came walking in with a big pile of bike rims and tires on his shoulder . . Could I have discovered a small Shanghainese Chop Shop ? Maybe . . I remember exactly where this place is, how to get there, so if anyone’s interested in going back hit me up with an e-mail.  Who knows what we will find . .

That’s one for the biking community, and one less for the bike theives.

- Ty.

source: http://peoplesbike.com/news/stolen-bicycle-recovered/