Pushys store manager, Michael Molloy, said bike owners in Canberra are in dire straits after burglars swiped high-end electric bikes from the Fyshwick shop for the second time since it opened.
On Saturday, September 19, three people broke into the Dairy Road store and reportedly stole four mountain bikes worth about $60,000, small parts, a charger box, and multiple sunglasses worth $200-$300 each.
The trio, dressed in all-black clothing, wearing balaclavas and gloves, were captured on shop cameras about 4.23am carrying black bags and a circular handsaw.
Mr Molloy said the burglars used the tool to cut a hole in the back door to unlock it from the inside and avoid setting off the security alarm.
He said the group, which also entered the business's administration office and storage room, was in and out of the shop in about five minutes.
ACT Policing said officers attended the Dairy Road business on Saturday morning and an investigation was under way.
"It's getting bad, this is the second incident," Mr Molloy said, adding different people may have been involved in each break-in. "[Both times] they fully knew what they were doing, I'd say."
The store manager said the weekend break-in occurred exactly six months after burglars targeted Pushys Fyshwick the first time, on April 19.
The first incident, also captured on security cameras, also involved two people dressed in all-black clothing who reportedly stole two electric bikes with a combined value of $35,000.
Mr Molloy said in the past year there had been multiple break-ins reported at other bike shops in Phillip, Wright and Chapman as well.
Pretty much every week, Canberra bike riders will have something stolen. [Offenders] follow people from Mount Stromlo back to their house ...
Between 2024 and 2025, more than 950 bikes were reported as stolen to ACT Policing.
Saturday's incident break-in occured weeks after Mr Molloy's own specialist Santa Cruz e-bike, worth about $21,000, was stolen from his home garage in Strathnairn.
"It was literally in the time it took for me to take the pickles off my kid's cheeseburger ... they waited for me to take their dinner inside and when I came back to get my bag, the bike was gone," Mr Molloy said.
He had just returned from work and suspected the offenders may have been watching the home for some days.
"Pretty much every week, Canberra bike riders will have something stolen. [Offenders] follow people from Mount Stromlo back to their house. We've had people confront the [thieves] about it, and they just play stupid. Then they still come back and steal their stuff," Mr Molloy said.
He said he reported the April break-in to police, and made an online report after his own bike was stolen last month, but police were not able to find the culprits.
An ACT Policing spokesman said while these incidents were recorded on CCTV the offenders could not be identified and the stolen items had not been recovered so far.
Mr Molloy later found a Gumtree ad with a photo of his bike "ripped down" and being sold for $7800 by a seller in Parramatta.
He said his e-bike was registered in his name and was marked as stolen when the thieves tried to "de-register" triggering an alert to his phone.
"It came up with the name 26 Felon, which I've actually seen around Canberra. They're known for stealing bikes," Mr Molloy said.
"Bike community-wise ... 'it's gone'. No one expects anything anymore."
ACT Policing said anyone with information about the thefts - especially sellers offering near-new bikes at a high cost - should contact Crime Stoppers.
Police said people who wanted to buy second-hand bikes from private sellers could also check the BikeLinc site for bikes previously reported stolen.
