What is your best roadside find? - Page 2

Brian Cdn · #16 01-13-2015, 11:07 AM

Road finds over the years have been many.

Have found lots of tools, from socket wrenches to allen keys, rechargeable drills, skill saws, a full set of metric wrenches, vice grips, pliers and a variety of hammers.

One time I dragged home an 8 foot aluminum ladder that must have fallen off someones car. Another time, while riding thru a bike path I found a motorcycle dumped behind some trees. Turned out that it was stolen.

But my best ever find was a puppy that I found abandoned in a parking lot. After months of searching and advertising for the owners I ended up adopting the pup. The little fur ball grew up to be 120 lb Bouvier des Flandres. He was since passed but was a great dog.

Aaron O · #17 01-13-2015, 11:14 AM

You know - I don't think of her as a roadside find, but she was. She came home in a pannier.

She weighed well under a pound when found. She was up to around a pound in this photo as I recall. Now she's 14 pounds

shovelhd · #18 01-13-2015, 11:38 AM

$60. A roll of quarters. A bike computer.

Repack Rider · #19 01-13-2015, 11:41 AM

I recall picking up a $20 bill, and more recently found a nice stainless coffee mug. But the best roadside finds were both on the same ride, my first hundred miler from Santa Cruz to Marin County in 1971.

Cheap bike, cutoff jeans, ordinary athletic shoes, no experience riding that distance. On the way out of Santa Cruz, I found a pair of pliers on the road, Put them in my pocket, and later needed them to make a minor repair. That was a nice find.

The most important roadside find took place later that day. I had not eaten any breakfast, I just jumped on the bike and headed north. That's when I learned about The Bonk. Struggling up a long hill, suddenly my tank was empty. I could barely keep the bike moving. I spotted in the debris along the roadside a tiny, shriveled orange.

Very little in the way of food has ever looked so good to me. I pounced on that orange, and it got me over the hill into Half Moon Bay, where I could get a few calories and finish the ride.

velomonkey · #20 01-13-2015, 11:56 AM

A few phones, but I ended up calling people in them and getting them back to the owners. This is a related story: totally true.

Summertime, 6am, nice light - I'm taking my morning dump before the 7am ride. Little kid, about 18 months old goes walking past my house in his PJs. Never seen him before. I about freak out, while on the toilet, skip the wipe, run outside, kid comes over to me and I call 911. Cops come, they don't know what to do. 20 minute later - from a house 3 houses down comes the mom - she was visiting her parents - kid got up, just decided to go for a walk outside.

Really screwed up my day, but glad the little guy got back to mom.

Black Dog · #21 01-13-2015, 01:52 PM

Well, when I was 14 and started racing I would say that the time I found some porn was an unusual day. That never happens now, since the internet handles most of the worlds porn needs.

Since then I have found, tools, wallets, many bungee cords, sunglasses, ladders, floor mats...

Almost 30 years on the road and still seeing many odd things.

jmoore · #22 01-13-2015, 01:59 PM

$20 bill

Rubber duck floating in the runoff after a rain

Aaron O · #23 01-13-2015, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Well, when I was 14 and started racing I would say that the time I found some porn was an unusual day. That never happens now, since the internet handles most of the worlds porn needs.

Since then I have found, tools, wallets, many bungee cords, sunglasses, ladders, floor mats...

Almost 30 years on the road and still seeing many odd things.

This is so odd - I just had the porn in the woods conversation with some friends. I never understood the why back then, but every now and then we'd find a big bag of porn. On a good day, it wasn't too "weird".

It's pretty apparent now that it was the "I have a serious girlfriend moving in, I have to get rid of this" stash that many engaged in, but back then, to a 12 year old, it was better then finding a trash bag stuffed with money!

Like you said - now you just hide it in a folder titled "1995 cat 4 race"

p nut · #24 01-13-2015, 02:04 PM

I'm too occupied with what's ON the road than to the side of it.

But on a post-Halloween ride, famished, cold, without money and miles from home, I noticed a gold flash in the corner of my eye by the curb. I "saw" it after about 30 yards or so, turned around and devoured the best-tasting Twix bar I've ever had.

peanutgallery · #25 01-13-2015, 02:06 PM

Stupid internet

those were the days

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Well, when I was 14 and started racing I would say that the time I found some porn was an unusual day. That never happens now, since the internet handles most of the worlds porn needs.

Since then I have found, tools, wallets, many bungee cords, sunglasses, ladders, floor mats...

Almost 30 years on the road and still seeing many odd things.

Likes2ridefar · #26 01-13-2015, 02:06 PM

i once found a gold amex card, a cell phone, and a small wad of cash, maybe $60. also the drivers license with the same name as the amex card.

so i rode as fast as i could to the closest high end bike shop and bought a top of the line bike before the card was cancelled.

just kidding...i called the guy's house line from the phone, freaking the family out since he wasnt home yet. met him the following day and returned it all.

redir · #27 01-13-2015, 02:15 PM

A big Awwwwww to the puppies and kittens found and cared for =^,^=

Aaron O · #28 01-13-2015, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

A big Awwwwww to the puppies and kittens found and cared for =^,^=

I'm pretty sure they're related:

Ella is NOT impressed.

BumbleBeeDave · #29 01-13-2015, 02:32 PM

. . . over the years including pliers, screwdriver, etc.

Also, best stuff over in Washington County in the weeks after Battenkill . . . a pair of Rudy Project Rydon glasses, and also a Fizik seatbag with tube, mini-tool, CO2 cartridge, valve chuck, and a $20 inside.

also once in Saratoga County, middle of nowhere, a whole loaf of French bread on the shoulder. I thought at first it was a piece of wood and yelled to the guys behind me "Look out for the. . . Baguette?!?"

Also do a search on this forum and we've had several threads on this subject over the years, with some truly amazing things people have found. Here's one from 2013: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...ighlight=found

And another (William is getting a lot of play out of that spear): http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...ighlight=found

Here's another: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...ighlight=found

I also forgot. . . . have met snapping turtles on numerous occasions. None of them were friendly.

BBD

Buzz · #30 01-13-2015, 02:33 PM

Many years ago before the internets I was climbing Stunt rd in LA and someone had placed some photos from a porn mag on a stick every 300 or 400 yards by the side of the road all the way to the top.

Found a guys drivers license. Called him up when I got home and told him he could swing by and pick it up as he lived less than five miles away. It fell out of his jersey earlier that day. He passed on that suggestion and DEMANDED I mail it to him. No thanks, nothing. What a jerk.