# Things you have found whilst cycling



## twobiker (23 Aug 2011)

Whilst I am out I am always stopping to pick up stuff,I have found a screwdriver,a spanner, a mini-ratchet,and a car aerial for a Ford Fiesta to replace the one I left on in a car wash,has any one else found anything , or is it just my natural scavenging instincts ?.


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## Globalti (23 Aug 2011)

Back in the late 60s I used to cycle 7 miles each way to work as a gardener and one day I found a cow's head in the ditch with a neat hole in the forehead. I used to stop and have a look at it for a minute or two each day.

(One day for reasons known only to myself I decided to lay a water trail to work so I filled my Dad's garden spray, hung it over my shoulders and set it up to leave a trickle the whole 7 miles from home to work. Don't ask me why I did that.)


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## Fnaar (23 Aug 2011)

Years ago I was cycling to work with my then girlfriend along a country lane. There was a "do not cross" police tape, so of course we crossed it and cycled on, only to be told off by a female officer, who then proceeded to tell us that they'd found a leg in a ditch. There was a terrible smell too. As we were half way along the lane by this time, she let us carry on. We found out later it was decomposing bits of a pig that had been found.


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## Twigman (23 Aug 2011)

I have found that women look at me more and for longer when I'm cycling


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## BikeLiker (23 Aug 2011)

A fine cock pheasant whose demise, at the hand of a Lexus driver, I witnessed. I dossed it in a hedge and returned later. Made a fine casserole


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## snorri (23 Aug 2011)

I just can't cycle past these magnetic L plates which get blown off the car they have been stuck to when the wind speed exceeds about 50mph. I have seven on my freezer door at the moment.


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## gbb (23 Aug 2011)

1517686 said:


> Happiness


I like that  

For me, on yesterdays ride a SKS minipump with guage in Whittlesey. I'd gladly return it to its owner, but whats the chance ? Its in good nick too.


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## Pigo (23 Aug 2011)

Still hoping to find something good...... Gregory Bauge perhaps? :-)


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## jay clock (23 Aug 2011)

Polaroid sunglasses. New, probably about £40, but the sort of style that is worn by late middle aged men who wear those multi pocketed waistcoats and look 15 years older than they really are. In a nice case.... I stuck them in the post anonymously to the local nick as I really couldnt be stuffed to have a conversation about them


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## NotFabian (23 Aug 2011)

Globalti said:


> Back in the late 60s I used to cycle 7 miles each way to work as a gardener and one day I found a cow's head in the ditch with a neat hole in the forehead. I used to stop and have a look at it for a minute or two each day.
> 
> (One day for reasons known only to myself I decided to lay a water trail to work so I filled my Dad's garden spray, hung it over my shoulders and set it up to leave a trickle
> the whole 7 miles from home to work. Don't ask me why I
> ...


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## apollo179 (23 Aug 2011)

Does skips count - if so ive found a couple of computers. One of the advantages of having a rack.


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## twobiker (23 Aug 2011)

Skips,tell all, location,location location,the unsung gold mine of the twentieth century.remember poverty was the true mother of invention.


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## Friz (23 Aug 2011)

Dang I feel cheated. I never find anything. On the other hand, I've lost 3 pair of sunglasses, a minipump, several tyre levers, skin, blood, and anal integrity. (I was interfered with by my saddle during a crash and feel dirty because of it)


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## apollo179 (23 Aug 2011)

twobiker said:


> Skips,tell all, location,location location,the unsung gold mine of the twentieth century.remember poverty was the true mother of invention.



Yes and you only have to look at the stuff the charity shops throw out to appreciate the good stuff that is surplus.
I pulled a saracen bike out of a skip just this year - used it for a week aok - put it on ebay hoping for £20 , someone messaged me offering me £75 for it , i accepted, they came and rode it away.


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## LosingFocus (23 Aug 2011)

apollo179 said:


> Yes and you only have to look at the stuff the charity shops throw out to appreciate the good stuff that is surplus.
> I pulled a saracen bike out of a skip just this year - used it for a week aok - put it on ebay hoping for £20 , someone messaged me offering me £75 for it , i accepted, they came and rode it away.



Was the skip on private land?


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## twobiker (23 Aug 2011)

Please ensure that you ask the owner of the skip if they mind you rummaging in it,thats the boring bit out of the way,legal blah blah.


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## apollo179 (23 Aug 2011)

twobiker said:


> Please ensure that you ask the owner of the skip if they mind you rummaging in it,thats the boring bit out of the way,legal blah blah.


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## Moodyman (23 Aug 2011)

Car wheel plates.

I helped a couple of people out who'd lost theirs with ones that I found by the side of the roads.


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## Banjo (23 Aug 2011)

Carpenters Saw, G clamp, Ratchet , various spanners and screwdrivers, small binoculars, new teddy bear, A one pound coin, just a few recent finds. 
,
I took a mountain bike I found leaning against a wall in our street for a few days to the police station.Turned out one of my near neighbours had put it out for anyone that wanted it. Felt too stupid to go back to the cop shop.


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## JonnyBlade (23 Aug 2011)

Other cyclists


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## biggs682 (23 Aug 2011)

numerous pair of work gloves that are ideal for gardening / painting etc etc . always seeing nut and bolts and wonder where they have fallen out from .

over 7 years ago i found a silver Parker pen covered in dirt on the pavement and its still used now every day at work .

a couple of weeks ago i saw a racing bike frame on the back of local scrapman , so followed him till he stopped , he gave me frame for nothing it was twisted , but recovered a good saddle, set of alloy drops compete with brake levers etc etc 

so yes it pays to look as you cycle and walk


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## MickL (24 Aug 2011)

A mobile phone, Took it home the guys wife phoned it so I answered it gave them my address, the guy gave me £20



oh and I agree with the one post, happiness


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## Red Light (24 Aug 2011)

Found a set of keys lying in the road near Victoria Station. The only ID was a Tesco's tag so took them into Tesco's who contacted the owner who contacted me in great relief as there were all sorts of keys in her life and work on it. Handed them back at Waterloo station under the clock and got a surprise box of chocolates in return.

Also found big pile of fly tipped spoil from a bedroom renovation on a local bridleway. Took a photo of it and the village store agreed to put up a poster with the picture and a do you recognise this bedroom message. Within two days the fly tip had all gone. Don't know whether it was a DIY job or someone's builder had done it but community shaming worked a treat.


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## TwoWheelsOnMyWagon (24 Aug 2011)

Twigman said:


> I have found that women look at me more and for longer when I'm cycling



Same here Twigman! Then again with my cycle helmet on they can't see my bald head and comb over. Not mention what my sunglasses hide.


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## Red Light (24 Aug 2011)

TwoWheelsOnMyWagon said:


> Same here Twigman!



Did it start with the first series of Crimewatch?


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## Globalti (24 Aug 2011)

MickL said:


> A mobile phone, Took it home the guys wife phoned it so I answered it gave them my address, the guy gave me £20
> 
> 
> 
> oh and I agree with the one post, happiness



Ha ha! I found a mobile up on the fells during a club ride and later outside the pub my buddies filmed a nice lingering shot of my naked bum. Then we phoned one of the numbers in the address book, got the home number of the owner, phoned him and left his mobile with the publican for him to collect later.


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## Arch (24 Aug 2011)

I found a little nylon zip up pouch once, I think it had been a makeup pouch. About 4" by 3" by 2".

It's now my compact touring washbag - I've got the end off an electric toothbrush, a travel toothpaste, a bar of Travelodge soap, a bic razor, a travel bottle of shampoo, a folding haribrush and a couple of plasters in it. There's even room if necessary for the Mooncup.


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## Flyer5 (24 Aug 2011)

I found a tenner on castle eden walkway way up the track...


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## TheDoctor (24 Aug 2011)

Arch said:


> I found a little nylon zip up pouch once, I think it had been a makeup pouch. About 4" by 3" by 2".
> 
> It's now my compact touring washbag - I've got the end off an electric toothbrush, a travel toothpaste, a bar of Travelodge soap, a bic razor, a travel bottle of shampoo, a folding haribrush and a couple of plasters in it. There's even room if necessary for the Mooncup.



When you need a replacement, Poundland sell a similar-sounding beast that comes with a microfibre flannel (excellent for washing bikes. Or oneself, I suspect), a toothbrush and a little bottle for putting shampoo in.

Back OT, I've found a mobile phone, bungees, assorted loose change and a ruddy great piece of salted cod. I left that alone.


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## Emmanuel Obikwelu (25 Aug 2011)

I quite often see money in the road 2 , 5 , 10 pence coins. I stopped and went back to pick up a 50p recently only to find it was actually a 10p.
I think 50p is my minimum value for stopping.


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## Globalti (25 Aug 2011)

I found an £1800 bike in the river behind my house. I've been riding it for two years.


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## Emmanuel Obikwelu (25 Aug 2011)

Globalti said:


> I found an £1800 bike in the river behind my house. I've been riding it for two years.



Thats impressive. I found my bike dumped outside a car boot field with a load of bric a brac.


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## Christopher (25 Aug 2011)

A neoprene zip-up bottle holder. It's just the right size to store my main bike light & the soft material protects the lens.

Three mobile phones, two of which were in pieces after being run over. The third I took into the nick & left it there. Oh I have seen (and left) various items of underwear, usually ladies', of a Monday morning.

And the usual jazz mags and junk. Only notable thing there was a copy of _Skin Two_ magazine in a lane near Bangor. It made my eyes water, particulary the bloke with the hooks... also how can anyone like wearing rubber? I sometimes wear wetsuits for caving or diving and they're horrible to wear...


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## Parrot of Doom (25 Aug 2011)

You guys are lucky, all I find are empty plastic bottles and crushed inner tube valve caps.


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## numbnuts (25 Aug 2011)

I found a handbag, no money, but loads of credit cards, I didn't like the colour  so took in to the police station, later had a nice thank you letter from the owner it had been stolen form her car


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## Melonfish (25 Aug 2011)

Dirt, Horse manure, stones, mud, horse manure, loose wheat, huge pieces of farming equipment and horse manure.

is about what i find


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## Christopher (25 Aug 2011)

A Schwalbe Ultimo road tyre on waste ground was a good find - all it needed was a bit of glue to seal a tiny hole in the sidewall. It's a good tyre that. 

and in total at least 8 cycle tubes of various sizes - record is three MTB tubes in different locations on one ride. Have three times picked up MTB tubes that have been punctured and then deliberately left very obviously on a tree or gate. Is this some sort of ritual mountain-bikers have? Or are they just lazy?


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## HLaB (25 Aug 2011)

I've come across plenty of road kill in my time, I've never been inclined to scrape it up though


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## Cyclopathic (25 Aug 2011)

Melonfish said:


> Dirt, Horse manure, stones, mud, horse manure, loose wheat, huge pieces of farming equipment and horse manure.
> 
> is about what i find




I'm with you. I am amazed and envious of some of the fantastic finds of some people here.

I did find some chewing gum once, but the flavour had long gone.


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## Cyclopathic (25 Aug 2011)

Melonfish said:


> Dirt, Horse manure, stones, mud, horse manure, loose wheat, huge pieces of farming equipment and horse manure.
> 
> is about what i find




I'm with you. I am amazed and envious of some of the fantastic finds of some people here.

I did find some chewing gum once, but the flavour had long gone.


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## Arch (25 Aug 2011)

Emmanuel Obikwelu said:


> I quite often see money in the road 2 , 5 , 10 pence coins. I stopped and went back to pick up a 50p recently only to find it was actually a 10p.
> I think 50p is my minimum value for stopping.



Yes, cycling I don't think I'd stop for less than 20p. Walking, I'll pick up a penny. They all add up!


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## Melonfish (25 Aug 2011)

HLaB said:


> I've come across plenty of road kill in my time, I've never been inclined to scrape it up though



entirely depends on how it was killed. if squished under a wheel or been there for days clearly not a good prospect.
however if just knocked over or found on a frosty morning after being hit by a car then its free protein! 

interestingly the law says you cannot keep what you kill as that would be illegal, but you can keep what others have killed and left.
odd but true.


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## Emmanuel Obikwelu (25 Aug 2011)

Arch said:


> Yes, cycling I don't think I'd stop for less than 20p. Walking, I'll pick up a penny. They all add up!


I used to have to walk past a petrol station on my way to the railway station and on 3 separate occasions i found 1 x £20 note and 2 x £10 notes that people had tossed out of their car windows screwed up in a receipt as rubbish. Always worth keeping your eyes peeled near pertrol stations.


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## Oldbloke (25 Aug 2011)

A neighbour propped up at 45 degrees in a deep ditch, completely rat-arsed &

a very large deer landing in front of me after clearing a hedge as I hurtled down a steep hill, don't know who was most shocked


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## Alan Whicker (25 Aug 2011)

A very large and desiccated fish head, near the junction of Vallance and Bethnal Green roads. Thought it was the hoof of a gigantic horse at first.


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## upsidedown (26 Aug 2011)

Two nice bikes in a subway in Stourbridge , called the police who said they would come and pick them up. No idea if they did as I had to go to catch my train.
A £5 note on the ground at the gate at work. 
A Knog rear light in a Tesco car park.


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## Arch (26 Aug 2011)

Oldbloke said:


> A neighbour propped up at 45 degrees in a deep ditch, completely rat-arsed &




A fellow rider on a group ride once found me in a ditch. Not rat arsed, but upside down and still clinging to my bike after a freak 180 degree roll after a verge/tarmac height confusion moment when putting my foot down.


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## onlineamiga (26 Aug 2011)

I was cycling up doing a bit of off roading on the MTB. I was in the hills just north of Estepona on the Costa Del Sol. 

I came across these curious large metal boxes all positioned around a circle. They were very odd. They were big, trunk like chests they were. I was in the middle of nowhere overlooking the town and way off road. How the hell could they have got here? 

So lifted the lid on one of them, and arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Dead body? No! Worse! Bee farm!! ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!! ( I have a fear of bees and wasps). Millions of them there were! urghh!


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## dnel (26 Aug 2011)

I found someones pet rabbit, chewing grass happily outside a train station. Didn't have any place to put it though which is a shame because the Mrs makes a lovely stew!


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## adds21 (26 Aug 2011)

I was very nearly wiped out by a beer barrel coming out of a side road the other week.

There was a step hill to my left, and I happen to know there's a pub a good half mile up the hill, so I assume someone dropped the barrel during a delivery, and it just kept on rolling.

I would have stopped for a drink had I not been too full of adrenaline from missing it by a couple of inches


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## Globalti (26 Aug 2011)

Emmanuel Obikwelu said:


> I used to have to walk past a petrol station on my way to the railway station and on 3 separate occasions i found 1 x £20 note and 2 x £10 notes that people had tossed out of their car windows screwed up in a receipt as rubbish. Always worth keeping your eyes peeled near pertrol stations.



Obikwelu is an Anambra name, isn't it?

Anyway, ha ha, it serves the idiots right for littering!

I did find a laptop bag once, minus laptop of course. Found some business cards inside so range the bloke who said it had been stolen from his car many months before, which explained why a family of slugs had taken up residence inside the bag. He wasn't interested in having it back so I left it on the steps of the local Police station.


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## eyko (26 Aug 2011)

Once found a dead cow on a ride




. Notified someone on the local parish council (was on common land so I had no idea who it belonged to) and when I took the route again a few days latter it has been moved.


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## Wades (26 Aug 2011)

eyko said:


> Once found a dead cow on a ride
> 
> 
> 
> . Notified someone on the local parish council (was on common land so I had no idea who it belonged to) and when I took the route again a few days latter it has been moved.



moved or mooooved?






I'll be quiet now.


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## Night Train (26 Aug 2011)

I'd stop for a penny if I saw it. Also any scrap metal I can pick up.

I saw a 20mm socket on a busy roundabout in Trafford Park last week. I went back for it.
Picked up 20p Wednesday night when my light reflected off it.

While walking a few months back I picked up a big ratchet operated cable cutter, I looked on Ebay and they sell for a few hundred quid.


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## Night Train (26 Aug 2011)

eyko said:


> Once found a dead cow on a ride
> 
> 
> 
> . Notified someone on the local parish council (was on common land so I had no idea who it belonged to) and when I took the route again a few days latter it has been moved.



You didn't do a Jeremey Clarkson and load it on your rack to take home for a barbeque then?


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## Ludwig (26 Aug 2011)

Things I've forund: 3CD set of Romantic Classics
Inner Tube
Screw driver
Lamp that you strap to your head
Various interesting bits of wood
Fertizer bags which are ideal for storing fire wood
A sack of sand from builders merchants


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## YahudaMoon (26 Aug 2011)

Lots of rear red tail lights over the years. Best one was a Cateye that I still use.

Found a corky cricket ball recentley though I could not find the cricket pitch so brought it home for some daft reason


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## cyco2 (26 Aug 2011)

1. Lots of hats, peaked and wooly
2. A belt with an indian head buckle.
3. A purse with cash and cards, handed in.
4. An MTB bike, handed in at police station. Given it after 3 months but with parts missing.
5. A long coiled length of polypropylene rope.
6. Lots of work gloves, no good for me though so give them to the missus.
7. A vernier calliper, very useful.
8. Water bottles.
9. Compressed CO2 bottle.
10. Kitchen cabinet.


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## stevetailor125 (26 Aug 2011)

Riding on the dual carriageway I keep finding lots of bottles of orange juice  never felt thirsty enough though


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## Cardiac (26 Aug 2011)

Arch said:


> A fellow rider on a group ride once found me in a ditch. Not rat arsed, but upside down and still clinging to my bike after a freak 180 degree roll after a verge/tarmac height confusion moment when putting my foot down.



PMSL...

Arch - you have a wonderful way with words...


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## pepecat (27 Aug 2011)

Gees, where do you lot cycle?? I've never found a thing when i've been out!


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## Broughtonblue (27 Aug 2011)

Used to pick up those car England flags people buy before big football tournaments. Kids were young so hung them all round the back garden, got over 60.
Oh, and that roads are hard when falling off


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## Holdsworth (27 Aug 2011)

I once found a piece of a Crud RR MK2 mudguard, it could've been mine originally come to think of it as I once lost a piece like it. Other than that just plenty of rubbish and general roadkill.


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## Timmo (27 Aug 2011)

The only things I have found are a semi-decent rear light and a burnt out Clio haha


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## BluesDave (27 Aug 2011)

I never find anything when I'm out cycling except for the odd nut or bolt lying on the road but then I do live in London.


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## Bobtoo (27 Aug 2011)

I spotted a wheel trim for a Citroen C5 last weekend. As it happens I own a C5 with a missing wheel trim. 

I checked on eBay and they're selling for £15-20!


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## Moodyman (28 Aug 2011)

On a commute home one evening I stopped at the side of a busy road to put my rear light on.

As I got back on the bike and and was about to pedal off, I saw a £5 note. Lovely.

Like others, also see loads of nuts & Bolts. I rode past some new & expensive looking screws for about 4 or 5 mornings - they were scatterred next to the kerb along a 5-metre stretch of road. I don't need them I kept telling myself. Then, something needed fixing in the house and those screws would have been ideal. So, on the next commute, I picked them all up and put them in my pannier.


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## Bicycle (28 Aug 2011)

I've found that I get wet if it rains.


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## jackm (28 Aug 2011)

I usually manage to find my way home...


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## Emmanuel Obikwelu (29 Aug 2011)

Night Train said:


> I'd stop for a penny if I saw it. Also any scrap metal I can pick up.
> 
> I saw a 20mm socket on a busy roundabout in Trafford Park last week. I went back for it.
> Picked up 20p Wednesday night when my light reflected off it.
> ...


I find bus stops are good spots for finding money.
Picked up a coin the other day that turned out to be a 2pence piece. Looked up and saw a couple of youths looking at me so i covered myself by saying pound coin nice and walked off.


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## peelywally (29 Aug 2011)

found two slabs of milk one morning , cartons with 24 , 2 pinters on it , still cold dated for that day etc wasnt brave enough to try any it mustve fell off a milk van ,

recent finds include a rear light looked ok but was broke so no good but the batteries were good ,

a can of lager with a dent in it and some scratched dvds and cds


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## peelywally (29 Aug 2011)

adds21 said:


> I was very nearly wiped out by a beer barrel coming out of a side road the other week.
> 
> There was a step hill to my left, and I happen to know there's a pub a good half mile up the hill, so I assume someone dropped the barrel during a delivery, and it just kept on rolling.
> 
> I would have stopped for a drink had I not been too full of adrenaline from missing it by a couple of inches



donkey kong


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## peelywally (29 Aug 2011)

Cyclopathic said:


> I'm with you. I am amazed and envious of some of the fantastic finds of some people here.
> 
> I did find some chewing gum once, but the flavour had long gone.



its simple really , we finders never watch the road ahead


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## wildjetskier (30 Aug 2011)

I've found myself since taking up cycling !! best thing i've ever done.


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