Dublin bicycle mechanic who rugby-tackled thief says he was acting on instinct (+ video)

A Dublin bike mechanic who rugby-tackled a youth trying to steal his bike, with the incident caught by CCTV footage that went viral online says it was “instinct” that led to him taking on the would-be thief.

A video of the incident posted online by his employers, Clontarf bike shop 360 Cycles, went viral after they posted it to Facebook last week, with nearly 300,000 people watching it so far on the social network.

> Video: Dublin bike mechanic tackles youth trying to steal his bike

The 31-year-old was locking up the shop when two youths cycled past, one of them stopping to jump on the €2,500 green Merida bike, which he had left outside for a matter of seconds.

He told Herald.ie: "It was bank holiday Monday and we should have been closed at 6pm but we were very busy so I stayed longer.

"I had brought my bike, which is a carbon Merida Cyclocross 5000, outside and was just locking the door of the shop when I sensed it moving.

> Review: Merida Cyclo Cross 5000

"Then I just heard somebody shouting ‘go, go, go’ so I knew there was something wrong and when I looked around I could see the guy on the bike trying to get away.”

He continued: "I wasn’t thinking. There was no strategy, it was just instinct.

"We ended up on the road and I got up and stepped away. The guy had an injury to his face and he hung around for a second, and that’s when I saw the other guy coming back

"It looked like they were going to have another go but they changed their minds and left.

“I just wanted to keep both of them in my line of sight just in case one of them would try and attack me.”

According to the Facebook post from 360 Cycles, repairs to the bike will cost around €200.

Judickas said: "The bike is slightly damaged. The brake rotors and levers and the saddle are bent but it’s better than having the bike disappear.

"I leave the shop at different times, and it was Bank holiday Monday too, so I think they were cycling by and just thought they would grab it,” he went on.

"It would be a hard bike to sell because there are not that many of them around, but they might have just sold it on for a quick €100. Who knows?"

He added that he would not now leave his bike unattended without locking it, saying: "You really can’t take your eye off them for a second."