CHICAGO — Since opening up shop in 1996, Johnny Sprockets had seldom suffered the wrath of burglars.
That changed at 5:33 a.m. Sunday, when a gang of hooded figures broke in and stole $5,400 worth of bikes — an act that sucked the Lakeview store into what appears to be a coordinated web of thievery.
Since December, more than $150,000 worth of bicycles have been taken from at least eight Chicago-area bike shops and one triathlon training facility.
In and out in under a minute, thieves have swiped the stores’ most rare and expensive merchandise. They typically come between 3 and 5 a.m.
While some stores have captured surveillance footage of the masked figures, a getaway car has yet to be identified.
RELATED: High-End Bike Thieves Target Small Shops Around Town, Making Off With At Least $70,000 In Bicycles
While shop owners believe the thefts are connected, Chicago Police have yet to identify a crime pattern, spokesperson Jessica Rocco said Tuesday.
“If they discover a pattern, they will create an alert that will be disseminated to the public,” she said of detectives.
A lack of arrests have left many shop owners exhausted and infuriated. Especially the ones who have been hit more than once.
After Cycle Smithy in Lincoln Park was hit the first time, owner Mark Mattei bolstered security with stronger cables and locks.
Early Tuesday morning, thieves were able to cut through those cables and make off with $25,000 worth of Cannondales.
“I’ve been up since about 4 a.m. and I haven’t eaten yet,” Mattei said Tuesday afternoon.
Turin Bicycle in Ravenswood has been broken into three times in 2019, shop owner Lee Katz said. A fourth break-in, which Katz believes is connected to the others, occurred on Nov. 9.
Across all of the break-ins, Turin has lost more than $47,000 in bikes. Katz said the break-ins drove him to add a level security the shop hasn’t needed in decades.
“We have not had gates since 1964,” Katz said. “I hate gates. They’re so antisocial.”
But last week, the thieves were able to cut through the gates and take about $17,000 in bicycles. A small business owner who already operates on thin margins, Katz is worried about whether an insurance claim is worth the increased monthly premium.
Adding insult to injury, Katz said, this is the worst time of the year for this to happen.
“Everybody in a bike shop already has the experience of getting through Chicago winters,” he said. “This is just another element that nobody wants to deal with.”
Bruber, the manager at Johnny Sprockets, said there’s not much the police can do without more evidence.
“Even being on the inside like I am, we keep hearing about these instances through the grapevine,” he said.
One shop owner disagreed, saying the officers who arrived at his shop didn’t know the other bike burglaries happened between in the pre-dawn hours — details that could have led to catching the thieves in the act.
“A lot could have been done,” the owner said. “And it’s a big struggle for us.”
All of the shops and gyms interviewed by Block Club Chicago carry insurance on their merchandise. But several shop owners worried their recent claims will send their premiums skyrocketing. At least one shop saw a claim flat-out denied.
Many shops operate on thin margins as-is, said Max Hertz, owner of Bike Lane in Bucktown.
“We’re small businesses who are employing people in the neighborhood,” Hertz said. “When this kind of stuff happens, it sucks, a lot. Insurance will cover some stuff, but there’s a huge headache with it. And now, there’s the constant worry that it’ll happen again.”
Bike shop thefts and losses, as of Tuesday
BFF Bikes, Bucktown
2113 W. Armitage Ave.
Break-ins: 3
Stolen bike costs: $5,000
Damages: $850
Insurance claims filed: 2
Big City Bikes, Lincoln Park
2425 N. Ashland Ave.
Break-ins: 1
Stolen bike costs: $3,000
Damages: unknown
Insurance claims: unknown
Bike Lane, Bucktown
2130 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Break-ins: 1
Stolen bike costs: $4,000
Damages: $1,000
Insurance claims: 1
Cycle Smithy, Lincoln Park
2468 1/2 N. Clark St.
Break-ins: 2
Stolen bike costs: $37,500
Damages: Unknown
Insurance claims filed: 2
Johnny Sprockets, Lakeview
3140 N. Broadway
Break-ins: 1
Stolen bike costs: $5,400
Damages: Unknown
Insurance claims: Unknown
Let’s Roast Cycles, Wicker Park
1116 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Break-ins: 1
Stolen bike costs: $3,600
Damages: Unknown
Insurance claims: 1
Pony Shop, Evanston
1224 Chicago Ave.
Break-ins: 2
Stolen bike costs: $40,000
Damagest: Unknown
Insurance claims: Unknown
Turin Bicycle, Ravenswood
4710 N. Damen Ave.
Break-ins: 4
Stolen bike costs: $47,000
Damages: $2,000
Insurance claims: Unknown
Well-Fit Performance, Near West Side
1700 W. Hubbard St.
Break-ins: 3
Stolen bike costs: $70,000
Damages: $100
Insurance claims: 3
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