Just Ride Cycles Lismore owners Rachel and Jason Sipple devastated after business burgled two nights in a row

A busy Lismore bike shop which lost everything in the 2022 floods has been broken into two nights in a row in another stressful blow to the owners. The crimes were caught on camera.

A busy Lismore bike shop which lost “absolutely everything” in the 2022 floods has been broken into two nights in a row in another blow to the owners.

It’s the fourth time they’ve been targeted by crooks since May 2022.

Rachel and Jason Sipple of Just Ride Cycles said the break-ins and costly thefts at their business on April 16-17 were traumatic and stressful.

Police have been investigating after three people smashed a glass door and entered the store on Wyrallah Rd, East Lismore shortly after 10pm on Sunday, April 16.

Rachel and Jason Sipple’s bike shop has been burgled for a fourth time since 2022.

The culprits snatched two mountain bikes and a BMX before fleeing.

Then four people again smashed through a door and raided the shop about 9.30pm on Monday, April 17.

On this occasion, four mountain bikes were stolen by the burglars.

Mrs Sipple said the crimes “impacted our whole family”.

“We’re not eating properly. We’re not sleeping properly – our whole lives are in limbo,” she said.

“This is not how we should be living.

“What picture are we selling to Lismore and visitors in a town that’s trying to recover (from the floods)?”

Mrs Sipple said she and her husband’s preparations for a gruelling South Mission Beach, Queensland endurance race had been affected.

“Jason and I do a lot of endurance sports and we’re training for Red Bull Defiance in August,” she said.

The moment four individuals allegedly robbed a Lismore bike shop on April 17, 2023.

“How do you train for that? When you’re not sleeping and eating and stressing about how to secure our shop?

CCTV footage shows the thieves targeting specific bikes, indicating the break-ins were somewhat sophisticated.

Thieves were in the shop for about 30 seconds on the first night and just 20 seconds on the second night.

Police responded to the break-ins within minutes, but the offenders still evaded arrest.

The Sipples were woken by phone calls from police telling them about the incidents.

The stolen bikes have been valued at about $11,000 and the property damage at about $9000. Insurance will only cover a portion of the losses.

Mrs Sipple said the couple had only slept about four hours in three days, worrying about the situation.

Mr Sipple said the business’s insurance excesses doubled since being struck by thieves in May last year.

Rachel and Jason Sipple, owners of Just Ride Cycles in East Lismore.

Just Ride, devastated by the record floods, was also hit hard by the Covid pandemic.

But sometimes all you can do is laugh, and the Sipples said they have a “sick sense of humour”. They have kept the bricks and rocks used to break into their shop as door stops.

The couple said the best thing the community could do to help businesses battling through various obstacles was to shop local whenever possible.

Meanwhile, Richmond Police District, would like to speak to four people seen riding bikes in the area when the burglaries occurred.

Can you help? Phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.