*Thought I'd share this in case anyone happens to spot this distinctive stolen bike...* One baby born, another stolen Thieves take dad's bike during visit to hospital

By: Gabrielle Giroday Jacques Marcoux wants to know if anyone has seen his baby -- a beloved bike stolen while he was visiting his newborn daughter in the hospital.

The 27-year-old new father was inside the St. Boniface Hospital spending time with little Amélie when an electric grinder was used to bust the U-Lock securing his bike. [image: It's not the first time this bike has been stolen.]

It's not the first time this bike has been stolen. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

The bike went missing last Friday night or Saturday morning, only hours after Amélie was born.

"If it wasn't for the fact that I was so kind of still on a high from having a kid, I'd be way more p - off and bothered," said Marcoux, who's had the bike for over a decade. "But it's kind of muted because I have this newborn, who's really awesome."

The bike, a 2001 Devinci Podium purchased for $1,600, has an unusual history and has hit the headlines before.

In 2007, a bike courier who saw two thieves with Marcoux's distinctive-looking bike on Main Street got it back after confronting the pair and returned it to him. Marcoux said the bike has mallet pedals and deep-dish aluminum rims.

This time, Marcoux has offered a $150 reward to get the bike back.

He said removing the bike would have taken some effort -- and the thief or thieves left something behind.

"To my surprise, there was actually an extension cord running from the bike rack, across the entire front entrance lawn of the hospital," said Marcoux, who estimated more the cord was more than 20 metres long.

"They actually abandoned the cord and took off with my bike."

Marcoux said he's hopeful it will be returned after alerting the city's cycling community.

"I'm actually somewhat optimistic that it's going to come up at some point," he said.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca