Keen cyclist targeted in £11k raid on prized rides

Published on Tuesday 24 March 2009 08:37

A KEEN cyclist has been targeted by thieves who broke into a shed and stole four of his custom-made bikes worth more than £11,000.

Sean Clark, of Stead's Place in Leith, was shocked to discover the culprits had ripped metal railings from the shed wall to haul away the bikes, which were held together in pairs by steel locks.

One of the bikes, a Van Nicholas Yukon worth 2400, was later found cut into pieces in nearby Pilrig Park. The wheels had not been attached and the thieves sawed through the frame to make off with the other attached bike.

The theft has thrown the 31-year-old amateur cyclist's plans to race this season into chaos as he waits to learn whether his insurance will fully cover the losses.

Mr Clark, an IT manager for a software firm, was planning to take part in a series of races across Scotland and the French Alps in a bid to raise cash for MacMillan Cancer Support.

He may now be forced to borrow equipment from friends to take part in the first of the events in May, a one-day road race around Pitlochry in Perthshire.

The thieves also stole a Rocky Mountain Slayer worth 3000, a Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra worth 1200 and a Litespeed Sewanee worth 4500. The thefts took place between last Wednesday and Sunday.

Mr Clark said: "Once they were inside the shed they could take as long as they liked trying to get through the lock. But they obviously realised it would be easier to pull the railings from the wall fixtures and take them away, even though they were still joined together.

"The frame of the Yukon was handed into the Leith Bicycle Shop. It had been cut through as it had no wheels, but it was attached to the other bike which they kept.

"It's strange because the doors of the shed were not broken. It's as if someone with keys opened it or it was left unlocked and unattended."

It is the second time that Mr Clark has been targeted by thieves after a bike was stolen from the shed last January.

He added: "I hadn't invested in a heavy padlock because I thought the shed was secure. But it was left unlocked by workmen carrying out a job and the thief was able to break in use cable cutters.

"The bikes were custom-made and I ordered the different parts to put them together. The Litespeed, for instance, is made of titanium and was hand-built in the US.

"I think it's likely that the thieves knew the value of the bikes because they left behind five or six others in the shed, including my girlfriend's brand new bike.

"I'm not sure whether they've been stolen to order or whether they'll just be sold in a pub."

Mr Clark lives with his girlfriend, Anna, 32, a property manager, and has raced competitively for the last 12 years.

A police spokesperson said: "We are asking for anyone who might have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area last week to contact police. We are also keen to hear from anyone who might have heard of this type of specialist bike for sale in the past few days."