Sudbury man loses his 24-year-old bike while on a cross-Canada trip

A Sudbury man is back on the road after his cross-country trip came to an abrupt stop earlier this week when his 24-year-old bike got stolen in Regina, Sask.

Peter Ledingham has been biking across the country since June on a mountain bike given to him by his father when he was 17 years old.

The bicycle went missing outside of the hostel Ledingham was staying at.When he saw it was missing, his heart sank.

"I'm just really disappointed," he said. "Of course, the questions start running through your mind right away. Like, 'What am I going to do? Where is it? Can I get it back?'"

Ledingham says his father bought his bike from a hardware store in Lively, and remembers riding it on Sudbury's Laurentian trails and in Naughton.

He describes it as a purple mountain bike with luggage racks, street tires and water bottle cages. And while it may seem old and run-down, he says it's"not anything special, but it's special to me."

'Grateful' for replacement bike

Ledingham spent six days searching for his bicycle all over Regina and posted a Kijiji ad,pleading for its return.

As the story of his missing bicycle spread across the city, a local store, Dutch Cycle, gave him a replacement bike to finish his journey.

"To be honest, [I'm] a little shy and embarrassed, because I don't really feel comfortable being on this side of a situation like this. I'd much rather be the person trying to help somebody out," he said.

"I'm certainly grateful,and I've had a chance now to spend a bit of time with the guys here at the shop. I definitely feel like they're my friends now."

Holding out hope for bike's return

Ledingham plans to head out east from Regina to visit places like Halifax, P.E.I and Quebec. He is also looking forward to exploring northern Ontario communities like Timmins, Hearst and Thunder Bay.

But while he is back on the road, he says he still misses his old bike.

"To have put over 5,000 kilometres on it on this trip. You just bond with it each kilometre you go," he said.

"It really is a special bike to me and I'm hoping that, some way or another, I can get it back. "