It was third time unlucky for Miren Maialen who had her bike stolen in a busy part of Dublin on a Saturday at 3pm.
Ms Maialen said she was running late to get to her dancing class near the Millennium Bridge in the city centre three weeks ago; she had locked her bike but forgotten to lock it to the frame.
“I didn’t lock it properly, I’d locked it to the back wheel,” she said.
“I was only gone one hour. It took me some time to realise the bike was actually gone, I thought the bike was somewhere else for awhile,” she said.
“But then I saw lock was still hanging there. I got a shock.”
Ms Maialen said her bike was five years old but she was upset it was taken from her.
“I loved my bike, it was of sentimental value. I didn’t report it, but it was my bike and someone stole it,” she said.
Ms Maialen said it was her third bike she has had stolen in Dublin, with the first about 10 years ago.
Her first bike was stolen from Temple Bar area and the second from O’Connell Street.
“A friend of mine had one bike stolen recently one after the other,” she said. “I love cycling. I cycle into town, shopping, work and going out. I wouldn’t let it put me off.”
Ms Maialen said her advice to other bike users was to invest in a good quality bicycle lock.
She said her boyfriend had given her a new bike as a present, which she has tightly secured with two locks.
“I have very good locks now, and I make sure it cannot be moved or lifted,” she said.
*For tips on how to secure your bike, go to www.dublincycling.ie
