Probably a very long shot but last night our garage was broken into and 3 bikes stolen. Fortunately we found 2 of them in some bushes near a building site at the back of our house. The missing bike is an Edinburgh Cycles Country Explorer which I bought new directly from Edinburgh Cycles in 2012. It's burgundy red with front wheel dynamo hub and lights, silver plastic mudguards and rear rack with pannier bag - see picture. If anyone sees such a bike on eBay or Gumtree etc, please PM me to let me know.
Yes, I was there last week, cycled from near Long Benton through the tunnel and on to The Grotto and returned along the sea front at South Shields, then on the Shields ferry, Tynemouth and back along the Coast Road. It was a lovely ride.
Unlikely, my wife's bike was easily the most valuable, being a recently converted e-bike. I think they hid them in the bushes intending to come back for them later.
The strangest thing is that there was loads of other stuff in the garage, lots of power tools, a 55" flat screen TV in a box, strimmer, lawn mower etc, nothing was taken as far as I can see.
Sounds like kids. Maybe your bike was the mode of escape. There were three of them (two local). Two panicked and ditched the other bikes and left on foot. The other lived further a field so thought they might as well use the bike.
so - Motive - transport for swag from previous robbery/burglary (rules out 55" TVs etc) Means - jemmy and wearing hoodies and black clothes (seen and heard by a neighbour) Opportunity - happened upon a locked garage out of sight behind houses, and behind a 6 foot wall from a footpath and open fields
Update, got an email from the police last night, they think they've found my bike. I've sent them the frame number for confirmation.
