According to the Hays Daily News, someone broke into the Hub Bicycle Shop in Hays in early January, throwing a brick through the front window. According to the report, the only thing taken was cash.
The police apparently have a suspect in custody, but no additional info has been released. But I think it’s pretty safe to assume that the culprit is not a cyclist.
First, to a cyclist, a bike shop is a sacred place, on a par with a church, synagogue or mosque. To desecrate it is unthinkable.
Second, the thief obviously doesn’t understand the economics of bike shops, which are typically neither high-volume nor high-margin, and so there are probably not heaping piles of cash lying around in bike shops.
Third, The Hub is owned by John Schlitter, who also is an owner of recumbent manufacturer Bacchetta, and an incredible cyclist in his own right. In 2007 he was part of a two-man recumbent team that finished first in the annual Race Across America (RAAM), crossing the continent in just over 7 days, with an average speed of an amazing 18.07 mph, setting a new record in the process. The man is a legend. No real cyclist could conceive of stealing from someone of his stature.
Fourth, and most telling, is that when the thief entered the bike shop and found himself surrounded by bikes and gear, the only thing he took was cash. That is someone who clearly does not have the right priorities. A cyclist would realize that, if he took cash, he’d eventually just end of trading it in for more cycling gear anyway. A real cyclist (assuming, for the sake of argument, that one could possibly find himself in such a position), would cut out the extra step, grab all the bikes and gear he could handle, and only then consider the possibility of opening the cash drawer.
