The shop in west Warrnambool was raided in similar fashion mid last year

Detective Senior Constable Derek Verity, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said the front doors to Royal Bikes were forced open at 3.25am on Friday.

"The offender has only been in the shop for about 10 seconds and stole a mountain bike valued at $7000," he said.

"Fortunately that bike was located by a security guard at the Warrnambool West Primary School.

"Both the bike and the shop will undergo forensic testing and the course of the investigation will be determined by the results of those tests."

Anyone with information, or who saw anything suspicious about 3.25am on Friday in west Warrnambool, is requested to contact Warrnambool police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Mid-last year two bikes worth $25,000 were stolen from the same shop after thieves used a similar method to gain entry.

Back then Detective Acting Sergeant Wayne Ryan said the offender stole the most expensive bike in the store during the burglary which lasted just two minutes.

One of the stolen bikes was a Cervelo road racing bike worth $18,000. The other was a Focus mountain bike valued at about $7000.

Store owner Shaun King said he was shocked by the break-in but it was fortunate that only two bikes were taken.

"It's kind of shocking that it's happened. You just feel violated more than anything," he said.

Acting Detective Sergeant Ryan said the 2021 break-in triggered an audible alarm which may have been why the offender - who was wearing gloves, a mask and a hoodie - spent such a short amount of time in the store.

"The guy knew what he was doing ... this wasn't his first rodeo. The alarm would have been blaring at him," he said.

"Obviously crooks don't like noise and they've been in the shop for a very short time," Detective Acting Sergeant Ryan said.

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