The year that was and 2010’s disturbing start

-- 2009, year not reviewed; organised crime rides into cycling

I’m finally facing up to 2010. It’s a shock, I must say, and I feel like a failed dieter who’s been caught red handed with fist fulls of cold turkey freshly plucked from the fridge. The shame of it. But face up I must. The fridge is now empty of dead birds and the fat must go.

The important first step, I've found, is curbing Heineken abuse so that its unique formula delivers performance enhancement rather than fur to my teeth.

I’m further embarrassed to say that this lassitude took hold mid-December, at least two weeks prior to Christmas, so I wasn’t even able to finish off the year. No December Cycling Sauce (though Liz Hatch was a strong contender).

But between Christmas and New Year I forgot how to count and was unable to tally reader votes and announce a clear winner. Which is why the release of 2010 Cycling Sauce calendar has been delayed (but stay tuned). h

Chopper Guard’s 2009 personality of the year was also on the December agenda. But I got only as far as eliminating first round losers, including the rabid St Heliers Taxi driver, the jiggling Auckland City Councillor (also from St Heliers and, though quiet over the past year, deserved further consideration), and Auckland’s cyclist-hating Mayor (remember this when you next vote).

I’ll come back to all this. But before I do, a more urgent matter must be brought to your attention.

Bicycle theft. And I don’t mean opportunistic snatch and grab.

Recent events indicate that an organised group of bicycle crooks is operating in Auckland. That’s right. The secretary of east Auckland cycling club Lunn Ave Bicycle Club tells me that three members last week had bicycles stolen from their garages in the dead of night.

Other than timing (all thefts occurred over a couple of days) the spooky thing was that the thieves (thief?) eschewed other garage stuff – golf clubs, tools, blow up dolls, and even ‘lesser’ bikes – targeting only ‘higher-end’ road bikes.

Lunn Ave members, who ride the same Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning loop, wonder if they are being surreptitiously followed and their home addresses noted for future garage burglary.

It does make you wonder. A timely reminder to review bicycle security and to not worry too much about the security of unloved dolls and the like.

Should you be offered for sale or see on Trademe any of the following bikes please call the police or, better, arrange to meet the seller, render them unconscious, disrobe them, and put to work your doll.

Stolen bikes:

White/Black Merida Scultura 907 Evo (2008 Model). White handlebar tape/black hoods. Ultegra componentry and pedals. FSA 172.5mm Carbon Crankset (53/39 rings). 2 x Merida carbon bottle cages and Merida pump. Kysirium Equipe wheelset with Schwalbe tyres. VDO 3.0 Cycle computer with cadence sensor

Silver GT 08 Series 2. Compact Shimano with 12/25 on the back. Ritchey Biomax 2 Pro aluminium 38cm handlebars. Ritchey Pro 30D 9cm bike stem. Black Fi'zi:k Bar Gel tape

White/Blue Genius Squadra. Fork: Grammo Cosmo Carbon SL Ultra. Groupset Shimano Ultegra. Head Set: FSA Integrated. Grammo stem, seat post and handlebars. Shimano Ultegra wheels and Continental tyres. Saddle: Selle Sanmarco Aspide with Titanio rail. Serial number RA0302943706