Bicycle stolen from Bob Boschee in Phoenix just before annual 'Ride 430' fundraiser

PHOENIX - A Phoenix man about to go on a long bicycle ride to raise money for the military had his ride stolen in a matter of minutes over the weekend.

Bob Boschee and a group of friends are planning to leave Phoenix next week and ride their bikes to Camp Pendleton, just north of San Diego, Calif.

But Boschee came across a hurdle Saturday when he was about to go for a bike ride with his friends at South Mountain.

He set his bike out on his driveway around 4:30 a.m. near 7th Street and Glendale Avenue and went inside to tell his wife that he’s going out.

Boschee said he then noticed the motion detector went off outside and immediately looked out.

He was away for only a minute, but his $4,000 bike was already gone.

Some of the words he used to describe how he felt at that moment were “anger” and “astonishment.”

Boschee and his wife drove around their neighborhood for a while but didn’t see anything.

“A bike is not the highest priority [the police] have in a city of this size, and I understand that, but again, I have no idea if the person that took my bike has any idea of its value or its emotional attachment, or how it’s needed in the next two weeks,” he said.

“Ride 430” is in its fifth year raising money for grants offered to injured servicemen and women. The group departs in Scottsdale on Oct. 10 and plans to arrive at Camp Pendleton on Oct. 13.

Boschee said the group is close to raising their goal of $350,000. This is his third year riding 430 miles.

He said he purchased his bike three years ago, specifically for the annual trip to California.

“It’s not like [the bike] can’t be replaced,” he said. But he added that getting a new one and adjusting to it in 10 days will be a challenge.

Boschee said he’s just hoping the person with his bike will just return it, no questions asked.

“It’s not going to stop me from doing the ride,” Boschee said. “I’m doing the ride no matter what.”