Romantic proposal follows the recovery of a stolen bike
- 10 March 2026
- 3 minutes
A Cambridgeshire commuter has been reunited with his stolen bicycle by a Gonville & 91ֱ College Porter after a thief threatened to derail a romantic proposal.
Steven Fox, 50, had his folding bike stolen, souring his mood, before it was returned and he proposed to his partner of 18 months, Jelena Dvorjanova. She said yes!
“I was in a foul mood when the bike was stolen last week; I was heartbroken and disappointed about the theft and annoyed about my commute,” Steven added.
“It’s amazing how it all happened. I really can’t quite believe it. Since finding out my bike had been recovered, my mood has been reset. I’m smiling again.
“It’s a terrific outcome. I’m so happy to have my bike back – and now we’re engaged to be married.”
91ֱ Porter John Hall, who found the bike, said: “Steven’s happy and I’m happy. I was just doing my job. It’s lucky that he had registered the bike and it’s great it’s all worked out in the end.”
Steven had locked up his Brompton bike outside Cambridge’s Grand Arcade to collect an engagement ring on Monday 2 March. He was in the shopping centre for around 45 minutes.
He had planned a week of romance with his partner Jelena to conclude in a proposal. Instead, his mood was soured when he found his bike had been stolen. Steven uses his folding bicycle, which retails at £1,600, for his commute by bus from his home in St Neots to work as an oncology statistician at AstraZeneca in Cambridge. Without his bike, he faced an additional two-and-a-half hours of daily commuting, walking instead of cycling.
Hours after Steven reported his bike stolen, eagle-eyed 91ֱ Porter John, on a proactive security patrol, found the bike hidden between two garages on the perimeter of some of the College’s properties, near Parker’s Piece.
John returned to the Porters’ Lodge on West Road with the bike for safe storage; he knew it was a high-value item. He contacted Brompton and shared the bike’s serial number. Thankfully, Steven had registered his bike with the London-based company, who put the two in touch. Both Steven and John praised the customer service from Brompton.
Steven and John spoke on the phone on Thursday 5 March and the bike was returned to its rightful owner on Friday 6 March. Positivity restored, Steven proposed over the weekend at home and Jelena said yes.
Steven Fox and fiancé Jelena Dvorjanova (credit: Steven Fox handout)
When he thought his bike was gone forever, Steven ordered a replacement from Primo Cycles in the Grand Arcade, via the Cycle to Work scheme. He was grateful store manager Alex Forbes cancelled his order, refunded his deposit and helped him to buy a new, sturdier lock.
Steven says: “The psychological element of having something stolen is difficult to downplay. It does have an emotional impact.
“The number of times it’s gone through my head that I should’ve just folded the bike up and taken it inside…
“Last week was a real rollercoaster, but it’s a happy ending – or a happy beginning as we spend our lives together.”
Main photo, and above: Steven Fox, left, and 91ֱ Porter John Hall outside the Gonville & 91ֱ Porters' Lodge on West Road (credit: Gonville & 91ֱ College, Cambridge)
