Portland's own two-part Axis of Evil

[July 25th, 2007]

This week's Rogue showcase features Portland's own two-part Axis of Evil, complete with missing teeth and anonymous evildoers.

Here's our local intelligence report: Sometime after midnight July 17, Portland's oldest bike shop was burgled. Raymond "Wulfy" Haner Jr., 36, was arrested later that same day and charged with stealing into St. Johns' 75-plus-year-old Weir's Cyclery through the back door and taking 15 bikes along with thousands of dollars in bike accessories.

Rogue One: the bike thieves who plague our city.

Then, as Ira Ryan, a bike builder who works below Weir's, wrote on BikePortland.org, "The tweakers were seen trying to sell the very stolen bikes just four blocks away from the shop."

Rogue Two: meth heads so whacked out that they'd allegedly sell stolen bikes four blocks away from the shop where the goods had been pilfered.

Ten of the 15 bikes came home, along with about $4,000 worth of bike gear, but unfortunately the cops couldn't recover all the stolen goods. And after BikePortland reported the story, the peanut gallery came out in force, throwing more than goobers.

In the words of frame builder Ryan, on his own blog, iraryanbicycles.com: "In my mind all bike thieves should have their balls nailed to the floor of a burning house." Ryan tells the Rogue desk, "The words were harsh, but the sentiment was right on."

When bikes rule, tweakers will be first against the wall.

Bike thieves/meth addicts who rip off our two-wheeled companions: For this week, the Rogue desk says Mission Accomplished.