Prized bike stolen at Glencoe Grand Prix recovered

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Roger W. Toms

Updated: November 4, 2011 5:40PM

The $7,000 racing bicycle had been stolen, hidden away for a month, and finally sold for $3,250, according to police. Now it just came to getting it packed so the bike could ship it out.

That turned out to be the hard part.

“They called him to pick it up,” Glencoe Deputy Public Safety Chief Al Kebby said. “He came to pick it up, and we picked him up.”

It all began at the Glencoe Grand Prix bike race June 25. The Evanston owner of a Cannondale Super Six Hi Mod Road Bike with Zipp 404 wheels turned away from it for just a moment, and it was gone.

“I’m surprised it was ever seen again,” said Lou Kuhn, who sold the bike to the Evanston man less than a year ago.

But it was, according to Kebby. After the alleged thief sold the bike on eBay, he took it to be packed at Get a Grip Cycles, 4539 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago. There, it was noticed that the serial number had been obliterated, “so these guys called around,” Kebby said. “It’s a small community.”

They called Kuhn, at the Pony Shop at 1224 Chicago Ave., Evanston. He recognized the bike from its options, and the cops were called Aug. 20. Two days later, they arrested Roger W. Toms, 62, of 2835 Koepke Road, Northbrook. He’s charged with on-line sale of stolen property, considered a Class 2 felony.

He’s due in court Sept. 1.

It’s stuff like this that convinced Kuhn long ago never to buy used bicycles, even though they can turn into easy money. He said it only leads to a vicious circle of bicycles being stolen and replacements purchased — legitimately or otherwise.

“The first question is, do you have the original receipt, and 90 percent of the time, the answers is No,” he said.

“Maybe they lost it.”

Maybe not.

He said nobody should ever buy a used bicycle unless they see the original receipt.

“Either you’re part of the problem or you’re part of the solution.”