Question about locked up bike, lost key

So this weekend I lost my keys after a long night of drinking. Not a big deal, except that I had my bike key on there, and locked up my bike that morning at a CTA train station. I thought I had a spare bike lock key from Kryponite, but apparently it's for some other U lock that i've owned in the past. So now what do I do? Is the bike a lost cause? The other problem is that I have no proof that the bike is mine. I never registered it and don't have the receipt anymore from the Uptown Coop where I bought the bike. Do I call a locksmith? Do I talk to CTA? Any suggestions?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jen on November 16, 2009 at 11:46am

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Glenn on November 16, 2009 at 9:14pm

i say talk to the cta, tell em what happen, give em some info so they can use it if someone tries to claim it as theirs. just to show your honesty at least. maybe they can take it off for ya to

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by pistola on November 17, 2009 at 4:49am

Update: I talked to someone at CTA who called their supervisor and they said that I had to contact the Police Department to have them remove the bike. But with proof of ownership, I don't know how far that would take me. The whole point is now moot however. I ended up finding a spare bike lock key in my lockbox. First thing I did was order new keys and write down the key's number.
This whole excercise was a good wake up call on how easy it really is to steal a bike, and the best way to prevent that.
I don't know if keyed U locks or combo locks are better, although it seems like certain locks have more problems than others. I think the best piece of advice I found was on Sheldon Brown's website: Lock up your bike with a mini U lock on the lower triangle of the bike's frame along with the rear wheel and tire.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Thanks for the videos and advice.