A man newly located to Sooke is asking the thief who stole his bike to return it with no questions asked.
Gordon Simonds, 65, was in the midst of training for the Enbridge 2012 Ride to Conquer Cancer when his Norco FVR touring bike was stolen from the back of his truck during the night on April 24.
Simonds said the culprit removed the lock from the truck door and made off with his bike.
The loss is great for Simonds, who is a cancer survivor himself. He has cycled in the fundraiser for the past four years to help raise money for cancer research, which he attributes to his recovery.
“Cancer research saved my life, so I’m doing this to pay back a little bit,” Simonds said.
He has been cancer free from esophogeal cancer for five years. The grim period in his life passed when doctors removed and replaced his esophogas with a newly made one out of a part of his stomach, giving him a clean bill of health.
The theft is a major setback for Simonds, who is only $100 away from the $2,500 worth of pledges required in order to participate in the ride.
“I feel terrible,” he said. “”I just want to ride.”
But Simonds is determined to participate, and will try and get sponsorship for a bike if his is not returned.
“I’m going to try my best,” he said, adding he needed to start training in order to complete the 250 kilometre course stretching from Vancouver to Seattle on June 16-17.
A bike sponsorship or the return of his own cycle are the only two solutions for Simonds, as he cannot afford to buy a new bike. His finances are strained after relocating to Sooke from Prince Rupert at the beginning of the month.
“I can’t afford it, that’s the only thing...the move here just about broke us.”
Simonds said if the person feels any remorse, he or she can return the bike to his residence at 2059 Kaltasin Road, no questions asked.