It’s true, my bike was stolen.

Sure, there’s being out the cost of the bike. But the real sting is knowing that someone stole something important from you. That hurts.

Now my bike is off somewhere, (hopefully) getting ridden by someone. I’m sure they don’t appreciate all the little details. The new pedals that I picked out which are a solid piece of metal (and supposed to last much longer). The new spokes I put on the wheels. The scratches on the frame from locking it to parking signs. The new handlebars that made getting up hills much more comfortable. The bike seat that a friend gave me when my old one got infested with ants (yep, really). You get the idea.

So if you ever liked the bike comics I’ve put on this site, that means you liked my bike too. Because every time there was a black icon representing a bicycle, it was Chester, my 2010 Jamis Coda Comp, seen here (this is what I call “Georgetown Parking” because the only place to lock up in Georgetown in Washington, DC is onto trash cans).

UPDATE: I’ve had a few people posting to “keep on the lookout for the bike” and link to this post, so here’s a little more info:

• 2010 Jamis Coda Comp
• Had a “City Bikes” sticker on it (was bought at City Bikes)
• Note the Oury black rubber handlebars
• There was a lot of scratches on the top bar of the bike from locking it to various surfaces
• The U-lock mount was on the top bar, which wore down the paint. Even if that’s been detached, there is probably a lot of wear to the paint/frame in that spot (near the seat post on the top bar)
• From this photo, I changed out the pedals to black ones with no toe clips

UPDATE 2: Big update. The bike has turned up, but isn’t mine again yet. It’s locked up outside near my work/office (remember, I lost it at my home 1.5 miles away from work). There’s been 2 rounds of cops and some scrambling to find registration. Read the whole ordeal here:

http://rosscott.tumblr.com/post/95164110171/bike-theft-and-crazy-coincidences

Bike theft is a big problem in the city, but so far this rule of thumb has kept mine safe.