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Teenager's cyclocross dreams in tatters after £7k bike theft

Police appeal for info after 'targeted' attack on family home...

A 13-year old cyclist’s dreams of becoming a cyclocross champ are in ruins after £7,000 worth of bikes were stolen from his home near Rugby.

Alex Harper is now likely to miss the start of the cyclocross season, as his two bikes worth more than £1,000 each were taken.

His mother’s road bikes which she used to accompany him when training were also removed.

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The teenager has already ridden Alp d’Huez 1800m mountain route from the Tour while on holiday this summer, and has shown promise at the national cyclocross championships last winter, the National Youth Tour of Isle of Man in May, and the 83-mile Napton Cycle Challenge in July.


He also cycles in the West Midland Youth league, and his ambition is to go professional.

His mother Judith Harper told the Rugby Observer: “He was devastated. He seriously wants to be a professional cyclist and ride the Tour de France.”

She added: “The lock of our gate has been cut. It looks like a planned, professional job. The hinges were unscrewed from the shed.

“I think we were targeted. People see us come and go with the bikes on top of the car.”

Anyone with any information about the burglary is asked to call police on 101.

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6 comments

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ydrol | 8 years ago
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Doe to having a small house in London , and rapidly approaching s-1 bikes, (only worth £1500 total at present) I have just ordered an Asgard bike store/ shed for four bikes ( http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/bike-cycle-storage ) Reviews look good.

Of course an angle grinder might make light work of it, but the noise should be enough of a deterrent ?

Avatar
ydrol | 8 years ago
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Doe to having a small house in London , and rapidly approaching s-1 bikes, (only worth £1500 total at present) I have just ordered an Asgard bike store/ shed for four bikes ( http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/bike-cycle-storage ) Reviews look good.

Of course an angle grinder might make light work of it, but the noise should be enough of a deterrent ?
(5% coupon = LIVECHAT )

Avatar
Simmo72 | 8 years ago
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I did hear from a friend in insurance that can target houses where the parked car has a bike rack.

You can buy the screws which you can't undo, a simple, cheap solution for protecting hinges. If they want in they will get in but its how much noise they need to make and how much time they have.

Avatar
bobbinogs | 8 years ago
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mmm, not sure about the young chap's "dreams being in ruins". All he needs to do is buy a replacement cross bike (2nd hand) for about £500 and he is back on track. A collection worth £7k would indicate that won't be too much of an issue and a good rider can train/win races on a bike at that price point. I can only assume that he is currently waiting for something to be sorted out whilst dealing with the insurers...  39

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hamishmct | 8 years ago
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Gits. However, you're also implying that £7k worth of bike were uninsured... Which is pretty stupid.

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Pinstriper | 8 years ago
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Scumbags  14

however I suggest the days of storing our hard earned bikes in the garden shed are now over, unless its reinforced like fort knox.

if there is no alternative...oneway to stop hinges being unscrewed is to put a plate and nuts behind the hinges, get some post set and cement a metal hoop into two buckets and lock all the bikes to it with locks similar to a kryptonite new york.....that way you'd have to carry them out attached to something very cumbersome and heavy or take a noisy cutting tool...out lay expensive to start but cheap in the long run

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