Cross-Country Cyclist’s Bike, Gear Are Stolen

It was not unusual for Dan Gronseth, a cross-country cyclist traveling through the western states, to pull off for a bite to eat. But the Wisconsin resident didn’t count on his bicycle disappearing as quickly as his lunch did on Tuesday.

While Gronseth, 23, sat in a Garden Grove pizza parlor, he said, his red Trek bicycle and traveling gear--about $1,000 worth of equipment--was stolen. The items included camera equipment, clothes, sleeping bag, tent, food and a journal he was keeping of his trip, he said.

“I guess I got too trusting on my trip. The whole area looked clean and nice, so I decided not to lock it. Now I have nothing but the clothes on my back.”

He said he parked the bike near the door of the Katella Avenue restaurant, thinking he would be able to watch it. “I guess I didn’t keep a close-enough eye on it.”

After traveling 7,000 miles since leaving Milwaukee on May 31, an average of about 50 miles a day, Gronseth said he had planned to visit relatives in Cerritos for about a week before heading to San Diego.

“Now I guess I will stay with my aunt and uncle a little bit. Most likely, I will get some money from someplace and fly home. I’m rather stuck now because I can’t go anywhere without a bike,” he said.