"We've lost everything": Thieves disable CCTV and cut phone lines as "devastated" bike shop the latest cycling business targeted in organised overnight raid

A "devastated" owner of a bike shop in Suffolk says they have "lost everything" after highly organised burglars "systematically disabled" cameras and raided the business in the latest "very well organised crime" targeting a cycle business in the UK.

Pedal Power Cycles in Ipswich was broken into overnight on 21 March, the "well organised" burglary carried out by thieves who "systematically disabled" CCTV cameras, cut phone lines and used bolt cutters to break open a gate. Owner Mark Reynolds confirmed the "devastating" events, with the criminals "helping themselves to all our stock" including around 30 high-value bikes, some of which belonged to customers and were in for work, as well as the shop's parts and accessories.

Sharing a photo of the cut phone line, he explained: "Unfortunately we did lose some of our customers' bikes in the burglary. We are desperate to evaluate what is missing but we don’t have any IT available to make the calls. The main BT line was cut and we are trying desperately to get in touch. Please bear with us, we are so concerned and want to ensure we give the correct information when it's available. Open Reach have been with us all day but the damage is severe."

Pedal Power Cycles cut phone line (credit: Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich)

Suffolk Police is investigating the break-in but there have currently been no arrests, Pedal Power Cycles' owner also commenting to the BBC that he is "pretty devastated" and that they have "lost everything we had in the shop — new bikes, parts, accessories".

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich - Bike Shop (@pedal_power_cycles)

"I wouldn't want to make too many accusations, but sure, it was a very well organised crime," he continued, explaining the "very safe" business had alarms and CCTV cameras, but that they were "systematically disabled".

Suffolk Police appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward, a spokesperson stating: "Unknown offenders forced entry into a business in Woodbridge Road, Rushmere St Andrew. Bicycles and other stock items were stolen and there was criminal damage with the forced entry and cables cut."

Organised raids on bike shops have become a concerningly frequent story on this website, just last month a rare gold Aurum Magma among multiple bikes stolen in the latest professional raid on Northamptonshire bike shop The Gorilla Firm, that after four "Mission Impossible-style" burglary attempts last year left police questioning if the crimes were an "inside job".

Aurum Magma (The Gorilla Firm) (credit: road.cc)

During one successful attempt the burglars cut their way into the building's staff toilet from below and somehow evaded the company's motion sensor CCTV by crawling across the floor, before "clearing out" the shop's SRAM componentry and power meters.

> Are bike shop burglaries becoming more professional? Owner says shop was hit four times by "Mission Impossible-style" raids – and claims police asked if break-in was "inside job"

In September 2024, C6 Bikes in Cambridgeshire was also targeted in a break-in described as "like [the] Hatton Garden heist", the organisation involved so sophisticated it left owner Steve Heathcock telling us, "If you told me the SAS did this, I'd believe you".

The targeted raid saw a 10m-high roof scaled, internet wires cut, access gained by a "super precise" cut to an exterior wall, complex alarms disabled, and £200,000 of stock stolen, all without leaving a trace or any CCTV footage.

C6 Bikes hit by "brutal" burglary (credit: Steve Heathcock)

"Every single bike had gone, plus their pick of the customer bikes we had in the workshop," Steve said. "Trek Madones, all the highest stuff. We had to replace six customer bikes, every single stock bike we had. Cannondale SuperSix Evos, Trek Domanes, Trek Madones, Orange e-bikes, Santa Cruz mountain bikes, Cannondale mountain bikes, everything. All the Fox clothing, helmets, all the high-end groupsets like eTap, Red eTap, all the high-end parts and accessories, they knew exactly what they were getting.

"If you told me the SAS fast-roped out a helicopter and did this, I would believe you. Because of the way they disarmed that alarm, you can't even open the case without setting the anti-tamper trigger off. They knew where the anti-tamper trigger was on that case. They knew it had to peel up a specific corner. The alarm engineer said to me, 'I don't think I could have done this without setting it off, I don't know how they did it'.

"There was a perfect 50cm square cut in the side of the wall. Just real precise, clean, like Ocean's Eleven type stuff. Super neat. No mess anywhere, no destruction, just super precise. We couldn't believe it and the insurance company couldn't believe it."