I've been struck by bike thieves before but never in front of my eyes. This weekend was Chester Tri's club training weekend in Malham and the low light of the weekend was the attempted robbery of 4 bikes.
It was Saturday afternoon and 7 of us set off at 10am for a days riding. 45 miles in we stopped for our 2nd lunch stop (my kind of riding) in Otley, stacking our bikes up against the wall outside the cafe.
After 40 minutes we had eaten our lunch and discussing our route back when Jill left her seat to walk round the building to the outside loo at the back. On returning from the loo Jill spotted 2 men picking up 2 bikes each and trying to jump on the back of 2 waiting scooters.
Jill screamed and ran after one of the thieves who was holding a bike on either arm sitting on the passenger seat of the scooter as it started to accelerate away. Jill being Jill grabbed hold one of the bikes and refused to let go (I can understand why Andy is a quiet man...). As the scooter accelerated the passenger was holding onto onto 2 bikes and the full weight of Jill being dragged along the road. After a few meters though she had to let go as she only had so much skin to scrape off.
While this was going on the second guy was struggling to balance 2 bikes while trying to jump on the back of the other waiting scooter. Thankfully a passing shaved head & tattooed goth (surreal) was on hand to grab the bikes off the guy telling him "no you don't". Brilliant! Goths are great! He looked pretty scary and the thief panicked and fled with his accomplice on the scooter and no bikes.
While this happened the rest of us were sat in the cafe. My seat meant I was looking out to where Jill was when she screamed. Confused I could see her running and looked out the front window to see bike wheels in the air. Unusual for me I twigged very quickly and jumped out of my seat and ran out the cafe shouting as I went, scaring the shit out of the old grannies supping their tea. (N.B. - none had heart atacks luckily).
Out the door I found Jill in a heap on the road and the scooter racing away with 2 men on board and 2 bikes being held by the passenger. I didn't stop and gave chase on foot in my cleats clip clotting at 4 minute mile pace ...... it can be done with the right motivation! I made it 300m up the road before I gave up on chasing on foot.
Looking around in a panic I started waving cars down, jumping in the back of a black Peugeot and shouted the coolest line ever "chase that bike!" A life long ambition ticked.
Luckily the driver and his wife had seen the robbery happen and were up for a chase, so off we set down the road slowing to check side roads as we passed.
The scooter was now long gone and after a mile we were approaching a major round about where it dawned on us all we would most likely loose the trail. On the approach to the round about though, up a side road on our left I spotted a scooter rider sat on his bike and his passenger walking out of a garden.
Screaming to stop I jumped out of the car and ran the 40m up the side road to the scooter. 10m off they spotted me (not hard to see in full lycra and cleats running at full speed) and the rider started to accelerate away while his passenger jumped on the back. It was too late though and I was close enough to lunge and grab hold of the riders shoulders.
I think they thought they were home free and must have had a hell of a shock with a cyclist clinging onto their back. They protested their innocence as the scooter accelerated and as the scooter picked up speed I had to let go. As they accelerated away I ran into the garden to find the 2 bikes hidden to be picked up later.
Within seconds 2 other cars turned up who had seen the theft and offered help to drive the bikes back to the cafe and reunite the bikes with their owners. I couldn't help but smile as one of the bikes was Paul's brand new Raleigh which he had only picked up a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely smitten with.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the police station as Jill got her injuries photographed (technically mooning the police officer - a first she said but none of us were convinced) and the rest of us drank tea. The scooters were apparently stolen and I don't hold much hope of finding the culprits but you never know.
So lessons learnt?
- Always use a bike lock
- Never make Jill angry .... scary.
- Thieves - Never nick triathletes bikes ....... we are tenacious and can run!
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