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Is this the worst bike thief ever?

Bike thief gives up after realising he can't ride the bike he's trying to steal...

A bike thief in Manchester gave back the bike he had just stolen - because it had two flat tyres and he couldn’t ride it.

A ‘huge guy’ approached Brook Ellis in Chorlton as he pushed along his Specialized Langster.

He wrestled the bike from the student but then was unable to ride the bike - because it had fixed wheels and two punctures.

Brook, who is studying for a Masters in peace and conflict at The University of Manchester, said on Facebook: “He started asking to ride it while trying to pull my hands off it and push me away.

“Rather than just lamping me and taking it the old fashioned way, he persisted with this odd pushing thing.

“I’m saying that it’s got two flats, and he’s saying something about me not wanting it then.

“He’s getting more aggressive and I’m getting nowhere, so I take the chance that he’s unaware of the performance-sapping effects of deflation on the common road tyre and allow him to get an overly optimistic leg over it.

“Reality dawned. He was also stumped by how to operate a fixed gear and ended up giving up.

“There was an awkward moment when we said our goodbyes before he walked out into the road and nearly into the path of a car.”

Brook, 34, told the Manchester Evening News: “It was a weird situation. I was never more than a few feet away from the bike. I wasn’t scared but didn’t want to get hit and have my bike stolen. It was awkward.

“It was just a bit absurd.”

A spokesman for GMP said: “Police were called at 12.15am on July 31 to reports of an attempted bike theft on Barlow Moor Road with the junction of Zetland street in Chorlton.

“A man tried to take the bike from the victim, pushed him and then walked away.”

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8 comments

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Jharrison5 | 6 years ago
0 likes

And that's why I ride a cheap fixed to work. I'd love to watch someone try to steal it.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes

Good job none of those Chorlton hipster bike shops hadn't put a pump on the pavement otherwise the ne'er do well might have got away with it.

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
1 like
don simon wrote:

Good job none of those Chorlton hipster bike shops hadn't put a pump on the pavement otherwise the ne'er do well might have got away with it.

What hipster bike shops? There's the excellent Ken Fosters (my LBS, been there decades, and while some of the staff have beards I wouldn't call them hipsters - they will lend you a track pump though,but it's kept inside) or Cycle Surgery on princess parkway.

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emishi55 replied to CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
1 like

CygnusX1 wrote:
don simon wrote:

Good job none of those Chorlton hipster bike shops hadn't put a pump on the pavement otherwise the ne'er do well might have got away with it.

What hipster bike shops? There's the excellent Ken Fosters (my LBS, been there decades, and while some of the staff have beards I wouldn't call them hipsters - they will lend you a track pump though,but it's kept inside) or Cycle Surgery on princess parkway.

 

In Tower Hamlets recently, a bike shop was forced by the council to take their track pump inside.

Good on Tower Hamlets I say, if it lessens the chances of would-be thieves making an (eventual) get-away.

Avatar
cyclisto | 6 years ago
2 likes

There was once a rumor that among other things, courriers prefer fixed gear bikes because they are less wanted by thieves. It makes sense to me

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Deeferdonk | 6 years ago
3 likes

"He was also stumped by how to operate a fixed gear and ended up giving up." Er..don't you just sit on it and pedal?

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes

Wouldn't have  gone down like that in Blacon!

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davel replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
1 like
don simon wrote:

Wouldn't have  gone down like that in Blacon!

Tru dat: Blaconites melt if they leave the house.

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