Thieves Steal 8 Bikes From Shop

A bicycle shop was burglarized early Wednesday morning after thieves apparently attached a chain from a pickup truck to the store’s security bars and ripped the bars off to get inside.

“It had to be a heavy-duty truck to do this. It’s amazing what they did,” said Lou Cohen, assistant manager at Spoke N Wheel.

The burglars made off with eight bicycles--worth about $5,000--and caused about $10,000 in damage, Cohen said. The thieves didn’t touch the store cash registers, he said. Police had not made any arrests in connection with the burglary.

According to Cohen, the crime occurred about 3:40 a.m. at the store at 6804 Platt Ave. Police were alerted when the store’s alarm was activated, he said, and a neighbor who heard the ruckus called 911.

The thieves destroyed the store’s front doors and some windows and left a bicycle outside the store. Among the stolen bicycles was a limited-edition Harley Davidson. But the thieves left behind the bicycle’s front fender, which cannot be easily replaced, Cohen said.

“They’re not smart crooks,” he said.

It was apparently the first time the bicycle store was burglarized since it was established 35 years ago, Cohen said.

Workers spent Wednesday sweeping and vacuuming glass in the store and on the street. Although the shop’s doorways and windows were temporarily replaced with wood boards, customers were still welcome.

“We’re still open for business and are going to stay open for business,” Cohen said.