Bicycle-seat fetishist foiled by alert staffers

by Matthew Burrows on June 9th, 2011 at 3:05 PM

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Within the space of a minute or two today (June 9), this Straight reporter had his $20 used fake Brooks plastic bike seat and Axiom stem stolen from his bike. The old mountain bike was locked at the bike rack on the corner of West Broadway and Pine Street.

The man pried the stem away, which was bolted down, and also loosened the Brooks seat. Amazingly, he didn’t discard the well-worn seat right there but made off with both objects.

Two Straight staffers, Glenn Cohen and Lyndsey Krezanoski, immediately gave chase, catching up to the suddenly honest thief in a nearby alley, where he willingly surrendered the objects.

The ease with which he gave up the items erased any fears things could have escalated. Let’s hope our friend avoids getting into any scrapes down the road.

Overall, it was a good outcome, because riding home would have been a literal pain in the ass.

Comments

6 Comments

LTD.Edition

Jun 9, 2011 at 3:18pm

I... don't understand. So many bikes get seats stolen... WHY THE SEAT!?

Did you ask why?

Trinity

Jun 9, 2011 at 5:44pm

Exactly. What's the point in jacking a bike seat other than annoying the @%# out of the cyclist? Mine got jacked within 20 minutes. I was not a happy camper walking home with my bike.

MarkBowen

Jun 9, 2011 at 6:36pm

I've also had a shitty ass seat stolen... I don't get it. It's not really a thing you can sell. Bizarre.

I Camp

Jun 9, 2011 at 10:56pm

I've been hit a number of times for the smallest of things, it is all nuisance theft. However it does have a motive. The basic idea is that if you can't ride the bike easily, you will leave it behind. Then the thief (or another one) will come by and strip your bike at night.

Try this. The next time you are getting a tune up or a new chain, keep the chain put inside a length of inner tube. Then link the ends up inside the seat stays & the frame. The idea is to make your parts harder to walk away with.