Photo by Tracy Clayton.

No, it wasn’t stolen, and no, someone (unfortunately) didn’t ride it across the country. Those are two reasons we can rule out as to how a Capital Bikeshare bike found its way to Seattle, Reggie Sanders, a spokesperson with the D.C. Department of Transportation told DCist.

“Seattle has a share program in the works,” Sanders said. “And what I’m trying to establish is if this may have been a demonstration bike on loan for that.” This would make the most logical sense since Alta, the company that runs Capital Bikeshare in the D.C. area, will also be running Seattle’s program.

So that’s probably why a Capital Bikeshare bike was in Seattle. but we’ll update when we confirm with Sanders. UPDATE: In a phone call, Sanders confirmed that the bike was indeed on loan by the manufacturer. “Sometimes our manufacturer makes extra bikes to demo in other cities” Sanders says.

Mystery solved.

Second update: The bike is on loan to the Puget Sound Bikeshare. “It’s true, we love that Capital Bikeshare bike,” Kathy Roeder, who is vice president of the PR firm representing the Puget Sound Bikeshare, said in an email. “And one day we might just give it back.”