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news
Bike thiefBike stolen from charity cyclist who "led" the Tour of Britain
A £5,000 bike has been stolen from a cyclist from Wales who was featured in the national press last Friday after he found himself leading the Tour of Britain by accident.
Roger Armstrong from Mynydd Isa, Flintshire, had been out for a ride to the Horseshoe Pass on Thursday when he realised he was about to be swept up by the peloton which was riding the fourth stage of the race.
The 56-year-old, who had forgotten the race was taking place, was featured in local paper The Leader as well as in the national press, with The Mirror among those to pick up the story – complete with pictures supplied by an agency of him posing with his bike.
But according to The Leader, the Specialized S-Works bicycle was stolen within hours from his garden shed – although the thieves chose not to take another bike that was there.
Mr Armstrong, who has completed Land’s End to John O’Groats and participated in events such as the Dragon Devil to raise money for charity, told the newspaper: “I had it in the shed and came to do some work outside in the garden and it was gone.
“I’ve got a ride next week in Scotland but now I’ve got nothing to ride on. We lock everything up at night so they’ve got to have known it was there,” adding that he had raised more than £10,000 for charity with the bike.
“I wish I’d left my tracker on it,” said Mr Armstrong, who has arthritis and had equipped the bike with an electronic groupset.
“I won’t be able to afford that again. I thought I might have left it in the garage or hoped I’d walked past it and just not noticed.”
He added: “There were two bikes left in the shed so whoever did this knew what they were coming for. I was sat inside crying when I found out, if we’re not insured, I’m stuffed.”
North Wales Police have requested anyone with information to contact them on 101 quoting reference number U137036.
Speaking last week about his ride, which he undertook dressed in Team GB Olympic kit, Mr Armstrong said: “I decided to go out for my usual ride to the Horseshoe but I didn’t realise the Tour of Britain was passing through.
“As I joined a road, I must have joined in between the first lot of police bikes.
“I was soon being passed by some early team cars and as I was heading down a stretch of road people were waving, clapping and taking photos.”
He added: “They soon saw I wasn’t with the tour and I pulled in and a couple of people said they thought I was the breakaway.”
It’s possible that the press spotlight on Mr Armstrong’s ride last week and the pictures of his bike led to him being targeted.
While he is a user of the ride-sharing network Strava, his privacy settings mean that his rides can only be seen by those whom he accepts as followers.
Though there’s no suggestion that the thieves could have used Strava to help identify where he lives, it’s a timely reminder to check your own settings, including ensuring that you use your postcode to set a privacy zone around your residence.
> Police warn cyclists in Wales that thieves are using Strava to target expensive bikes
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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26 comments
FFS, some c*nt went into someone's property and took something that was particularly valuable - not only in cash, but emotionally. We all have bikes we love , how about a bit of empathy?? The smug judgy comments here, that are just victim blaming, are more about envy than anything else.
Aaaaand I've just realised this story is from 2016. Back to the sett and go back to sleep Badger
Hi Alan
First of all many thanks for offer of a loan , we cancelled the hotel in Scotland, I'll sort another ride for charity .. The problem was the Sworks was fitted to me . I find it tough enough doing the endurance rides .. I think I was possibly targeted via strava , hadn't set my privacy setting . Stupid I know .. Only go via request now .. Also we are renovating so have had a lot of people in and out . We had people here day before it was taken .. We are doing Wales in a day again next year .. I made it to 140 miles this time and ran out of day light , we arrange it our selves , 14 of us last time .. If you fancy it .. Look me up on strava .. I'm thinking of doing the 100 miles on my bike turbo on Saturday..
Again many thanks for the offer ... Top man ..
Rog
Rog,
Are you not now online advertising your new bike to the thieves?
Also, don't let the charity suufer, get on Gumtree and find a hack, screw it, of you're passing through cheshire i have an early 90's alu Peugeot you can borrow...
The bike didn't have seperate insurance? Guessing he's hoping it's covered under home insurance.
Don't think most bike insurance companies would pay out anyway in this case. They're really tough on how the bike was locked up inside the home at the time of theft.
IMO - get on eBay. Buy a 600 quid Cervelo or something. Ride it until you know what's happening then resell it for the same cash.
Shitty luck. Scum are everywhere. Though when you look at the Oxfam report today about the UK being one of the most unequal countries in the world, you can see why this sort of theft is so common.
Try not to take it personally though. GL!
OT OT OT
God yes, I read that this morning. How did this happen? Aren't we supposed to be better than this?
The Guardian : "The anti-poverty charity said the figures suggest that the property, pensions and shares owned by around 634,000 of the UK’s richest people are worth 20 times as much as the assets held by the poorest 13 million."
The Beeb: "The charity's report analysed data from Credit Suisse and found that the richest 10% of the UK population own over half of the country's total wealth, with the top 1% owning nearly a quarter (23%). The poorest 20% share just 0.8% of the UK's wealth between them."
Those figures at one time in history could have meant a revolution. Should have meant a revolution.
The whole game is locked down now though, with the poorest only wanting to swap place with the richest.
Very few of the poorest are republicans or socialists for a bit of perspective. In fact you'll quite often see them out in the streets waving flags at inherited wealth and heriditary rule then rolling home to their debt-laden homes.
hi , don't know if you read an earlier post , but I'm insured .. I didn't take a separate insurance , but one for unnamed items in and out of the house .. Insurance is this policy covers the usual damage to items , and 15k on individual items .. So more than covered .. They already paid out on a canon camera lens when I fell in Florida in December .. Great company . It's the inconvenience, I cant do my charity ride in Scotland as the bike won't be ready .. But the list of parts is being put together as I type .. Thank you for positive words .. This bike was targeted police say .. No one hurt .. It's a bonus if you ask me , but I'm not letting any scum put me off replacing it with even nicer .. The fact I'm not the pace of Mark Cavendish Dosnt matter .. Have a great week
Rog
No one DESERVES their bike being stolen no matter how much or little it's worth. It's just more sad when the person loves the bike then someone who doesn't give a toss. Either way sorry to hear about your loss but keep looking in websites like Gumtree etc where is likely to get flogged for peanuts.
cheers Angry egg .. Makes me laugh at some comments as one above , like I deserved it stolen .. I really hope that guy is broken in to .. It knowing someone walked round your property at night that didn't feel good .. No one got hurt , I was upset by the fact what the bike respresented .. One person slagged me off for being slow .. Lmfao .. I'm 56 , been cycling 4 years , with a colitis , img ride takes me up the same road they did Kotm on .. No I'm not fast , but I wonder if that guy has cycled Lejog 1000 miles in 12 days .. Has he cycled 140 miles in a day .. I doubt it .. People who steel are pond scum , people who support such actions should take a very serious look at themselves before they try being clever .. Cheers for you positive support .. Rog
Where's the tumbleweed emoji on this thing?
lost me on that one ... Explain!
unfortunately we are all going to have to go down a bit of a victim blaming route here by why have a garage and keep your bike in the shed...
I moved it to shed because I was in and out of the garage that day , so didn't want to knock it .. It can't come in the house because we are renovating.. It was locked in shed , their is no access to the rear other than through the garage , we hadn't locked garage doors .. I thought my wife had , she thought I had .. Now someone can slag us off for that .. I want to live in the perfect world of some of you leaving comments without not knowing the full facts , facts that really you don't need to know .
Ok .. Firstly .. The bike was stolen BEFORE the news paper story .. I did know about the event , but had completely forgotten, I hadn't been well and this was a first ride in 3 weeks , I decided last minute to go out .. The route was different last year , so wouldn't have matterd .. Where i set off from their were no signs up and no road blocks .. As I set of cars were even on the route .. As for people saying he got what he deserved then why ? , why not say this guy now can't ride a planned ride at the weekend to raise money for McMillan cancer because some thieving scum bag stole his bike , a bike that is so hot now it can't be sold or ridden if anyone has any sence .. Because this story is now global .. I've been contacted by news papers in New Zealand .. I didn't set out for that to happen ,I messaged the guy that covers my charity rides in a local paper and said , I have something that will make you laugh , I said a funny moment rather than a story .. He said wait till tomorrow's paper .. As I say I had simply forgotten , if you like Metallica do you know where they are all the time .. I cycle , I don't really watch cycling other than Tour de France , then it's only the finish . As for attention seeking sorry again but wrong again .. Having said that I'm loving this because it's made people laugh , apart from the few negative remarks from people who have nothing better to do than slag people off .. They will also be disappointed to know I'm more than insured so am having a new bike custom built , despite a comment of I'm a snail .. Lmao .. So stop moaning and have a laugh , I am thinking of doing my 100 mile ride on Sunday that I should have done on my bike turbo trainer .. You can spencer me on www.justgiving.com/Roger-Armstrong-306869
look out for this bike
Thank you
Rog
image.jpeg
"Man who completely didn't know about a very well publicised, and published route well known bike race, is about to pass through a route he completely accidentally found himself on as the total surprise peloton takes him by complete surprise, gets more than he bargained for, when his attention whoreing backfires spectacularly and he's targeted by thieves shocker". Should be the headline.
your post should have read judge dreadful name is a total arse , Mr Armstrong raised thousands for cancer research and now I have cancer , maybe brought it on myself and deserve it.. people like you are a waste of oxygen decent people need. No doubt you agree with scum walking on to someone's private property and steeling. Maybe your a thief yourself. One thing for certain your a moron and total scum
Well, that's a snappy comeback.
More like a cometback, with that return period.
to be honest people like him are why there's so many issues , they read a headline because they have a short attention span. They then put 2 and 2 together. We should be able to leave what we want on our property without some drugged up tw*t walking away with it. Let's be honest why can't I keep my stuff locked in a shed , that is at the back of the property. 🤷♂️
Absolutely. Modern technology cuts both ways - it makes it easier to track things and easier for scrotes to find where all the nickable stuff is.
I reckon the best solution is for frame insertable GPS trackers. Some device that can be completely hidden and recharged wirelessly (or even through Di2 connections). Maybe some kind of phone-home check once a day so that once you register it as missing, it'll discover its 'missing' status and start sending location info to either the owner or the police.
Anyhow, I hope you're keeping your spirits up and wishing you good health.
(Hope my flippant comment didn't cause any aggro)
Sorry about your health issues. I do wonder sometimes if the tag line for road.cc should be 'pedant powered'!
(I also accept the irony of me saying that given some of my picky responses in the past!)
This is quite an old thread - are you the OP? Did you see your bike again?!
cheers for best wishes 👍, I didn't see the bike again. But was paid out within a week and actually more than I'd paid so managed an upgrade. Albeit only slight one. The Tarmac is locked away in Asgard bike shed now , and have since purchased an S-Works CREO in January, yet to be used as I'm trying to build strength, tumour has shrunk so moving the right way.. I hope some still read this OLD post and wishing even the haters and negative thinkers health , and theft free lives. 👍, life is to short for just negativity
It’s possible that the press spotlight on Mr Armstrong’s ride last week and the pictures of his bike led to him being targeted.
You think?
errrm no , bike was stolen the day before ..