THIS is the incredible moment a thief failed miserably at stealing a bike in the Irish capital after a cyclist left it unattended for just 17 seconds.
The mechanic at a bike shop in Dublin propped his bicycle up outside the store and briefly nipped away before two thieves took advantage.
CCTV footage shows one of the thieves getting onto the bike shortly before its quick-thinking owner gives chase.
The mechanic proceeds to powerfully rugby tackle the crook as the bicycle crashes to the floor and them with it.
Both men then jump up and appear to square up in the middle of the road before the cyclist retrieves his bicycle.
360 Cycles Contarf posted the footage to their Facebook page and said: “How quick can a bike be robbed?? Less than 17 seconds based on this video.
“One of our senior mechanics was very lucky to get away with about €200 worth of damage rather than losing his carbon racing bike.
“This happened in Clontarf over the weekend and we would like to urge all bike owners to lock their bikes at all times even if you are just leaving it for under a minute.”
A Garda spokesman told The Irish Post that they are investigating the incident, adding: “We would urge people with bikes to keep a note of their serial number along with a photograph of their bike and any identifying marks on it on file in case of theft.
"This will assist An Garda Síochána in any investigation."
Scary stuff, but a lesson learned.
