Man Reportedly Tries to Steal Arnold Schwarzenegger’s E-Bike While He Was Pumping Iron

From Bicycling

• A man reportedly attempted to steal Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bike in Venice, California on Friday, June 7, but was stopped by threat of taser by Schwarzenegger’s bodyguard, as reported by the Daily News.

• Schwarzenegger has been an advocate of using cycling as a green mode of transportation, and has shared a number of photos and videos on his Instagram showing his new hobby.

It hasn’t been an easy month for Arnold Schwarzenegger: Back in May, the 71-year-old bodybuilding-legend-turned-governor was drop-kicked in the back at a sporting event in South Africa. Then just this past Friday, he almost lost his beloved e-bike to an alleged thief.

According to TMZ, Schwarzenegger was working out in Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, last Friday, leaving his e-bike parked out front. (Riding to the gym is a common habit of his, as shown in the photo above from March, where is pictured with what appears to be a Felt Outfitter, retailing at about $5,500.) While Schwarzenegger was inside, a man attempted to steal his e-bike, not knowing that Schwarzenegger’s bodyguards were parked in a nearby SUV.

When he spotted the attempted theft, one guard pulled out a taser, and the man returned the customized bike. Schwarzenegger proceeded to take pictures with some fans before pedaling away.

TMZ reported that Schwarzenegger decided against pressing charges. No police report was filed, and the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Bicycling that they were aware of the incident, but did not respond to any call regarding that complaint. (Schwarzenegger did not press charges against the man who kicked him back in May either, as he confirmed on Twitter).

“There’s something to be said for great security and he’s happy to have his bike,” Schwarzenegger’s spokesperson told the Daily News after the incident.

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While Schwarzenegger was spending his morning pumping iron the day of the incident, he’s shifted some of his fitness energy from the weight room to the roads. Years of heavy squatting have wrecked his knees, he told Men’s Health, so riding helps him work his legs now.

“When I travel, I get around in the bicycle,” he told Men’s Health. “When I go shopping or something, I go on the bicycle, because then you can exercise in the legs and you see the town in a totally different way.”

And according to posts on his Instagram page, his preferred ride seems to an e-bike. That’s a good choice, since, along with bringing the physical benefits of a traditional bike, they have also been shown to help prevent age-related cognitive decline in older riders.

Wholly committed to his new riding habit, Schwarzenegger has become an advocate for greener modes of transportation such as walking or cycling. Joining Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, Schwarzenegger helped to create the C40 Cities and R20 Regions of Climate Action, which agree to implement the Paris Agreement to fight climate change in their respective cities. Schwarzenegger specifically emphasized the benefits of bikes and other low-carbon forms of transportation over cars, and the importance of mayors and governors in inspiring their city’s action towards climate change.

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