Freedom Bikes
730 Denman Street V6G 2L5 Vancouver, BC, Canada

We're reopening the Stanley Park seawall to cyclists and full vehicle and parking access on Saturday, September 26. The temporary traffic management plan was installed June 22 to provide greater access for recreational use during the COVID-19 pandemic https://bit.ly/3hJWE07

Stanley Park Seawall re-opening on September 26th to bikes!!!!!!!

So before tonight's news clip airs, I thought I ought to share the story that got their attention on my own wall first. I ran this article in my neighbourhood F...acebook groups where, it turns out, a City TV producer sent along a videographer to interview me. So, here is my post thanking everyone for helping me find Apporonia and telling a bit of the story of how it came to pass! Enjoy! ===== How Apporonia was Recovered A Vancouver Velo Love Story At long last, it’s time for me to tell the story of how Apporonia (my bike of over 10 years that’s seen me through thick and thin) was saved. The ending is actually rather mundane but, within this, I learned a lot about what to do to prevent theft as well as what to do after a bike has been stolen. I’ve been receiving interest from commenters about the steps I took to find my bike but this post is long enough as it is so I think I’ll share that info in another post after the weekend. Today, I want to talk about the real reason I was able to find Apporonia again. And that is you. Yes, you. I just have to acknowledge how completely awestruck I am by the interest and support I’ve been seeing from you all. I really believe that all these eyes, hearts, and minds are what helped me somehow stumble across my trusty steed again despite the seemingly astronomical odds. You see, this is more than just a story about a stolen bike. This is a story about community and a reminder that, ultimately, the best thing we have is each other. If you’re reading this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for commenting, reacting, reposting and for reaching out. It made all the difference. You each deserve to hear some good news, especially in a time when we’re constantly inundated by the opposite. Thank you, my dear, dear neighbours and friends. You are what makes this city shine. These are the People in your Neighbourhood I’d wanted to post this update sooner but I’d been struggling with how to present this saga and then it occurred to me that perhaps the best way to do so is through the context of introducing you to some of the key characters in this story who helped make this possible. Some you may have already met, and some perhaps not. But what ties them together is that they each acted because they saw someone in need and that is all that mattered. Arsim Sada - Freedom Bike Rentals - 730 Denman Street Arsim moved to Canada from Kosovo over 30 years ago looking for a new life. I met him back when I first moved here for school and worked in the bike industry. I was really happy for him when I heard he'd taken the leap and opened his own bike rental and repairs shop in the West End last year. Incidentally, Arsim also happens to be the man who helped me build up Apporonia over ten years ago and has kept her in working shape since. When Apporonia was still missing, Freedom Bikes was the first bike shop I called to report my stolen bike (that is also a tip if you should ever have a bike stolen as bikes tend to end up at a shop at some point). If Arsim had spotted my bike on the street or rolling into his shop he’d not have let the bike leave. After I recovered Apporonia, Arsim graciously checked her for safety as there’s no telling what kind of tampering befalls a stolen bike. It’s fitting that my bike would end up under the care of Arsim at the end. Thank you for all the work you’ve done to keep her rolling over the years and for the extra care yesterday** Ofra Sixto - Ofra's Kitchen - 1088 Denmans Street I used to visit Kitaya Sushi (formerly Denman Sushi) for their bento boxes (their sushi, not so much) when one day I passed by and noticed it had closed and reopened under a new name that sounded Israeli to me. For the longest time, I'd been lamenting the lack of authentic Israeli restaurants in Vancouver. You can imagine my surprise and delight when one such restaurant opened up right around the corner. Ofra's falafel and pita are like no other anywhere in Vancouver. And that is not an exaggeration at all. On a street full of competition for Falafel dominance, Ofra is the new Queen in my opinion. And that is only the tip of her Mediterranean repertoire. Ever tried Shakshuka? No? Here's your chance. Trust me on this. Besides being my fix for Israeli food, Ofra has become like my Israeli mother away from home and she is always there for me when life gives me sour lemons. During this ordeal, Ofra kept checking in on me and called me to keep my spirits up. In fact, I had just gotten off the phone with her minutes before I spotted my bike! Thank you, Ofra for being there for me! But how did I find my bike? This is the one everyone’s been waiting for. And I regret to inform you again that it’s a bit anti-climactic. I just happened to stumble across her while snooping around town, really. What is a little more interesting though, is that I was able to do so because I was snooping around atop another bike that was gifted to me thanks to the kindness of a stranger from my neighbourhood Facebook group. My friends, let me introduce you to one Sean Neild. Sean Neild - Complere Stranger / Superhero / Neighbour / New Friend! I know very little about Sean and he knows very little about me save for the fact that I was a neighbour in need whom he read about in a posting I made in a Facebook group. At the end of the first day Apporonia was missing he reached out and - get this - offered me his bike... Full stop. That meeting was a bit awkward. By this I mean I was just incredibly awkward because I had no idea how to react to such generosity from a perfect stranger. Sean just handed me his bike that he could no longer use due to an injury and with very little fanfare just let me on my way with my jaw all the way on the floor Sean donated his bike to me for reasons not entirely clear to me at the time. I am not sure if, after reading my post, maybe he gleaned that cycling is how I earn a reliable income during the pandemic. The truth is, acquiring a new bike is a bit tricky at the moment due to my finances and the fact that most bike shops lack stock to sell anyways because everyone bought bikes during the lockdown. What he may not know is that cycling is my key to life in Vancouver (and even beyond). Cycling is my means of transportation, exploration, fitness, and how I maintain my mental health. It’s freedom on two wheels! If you ever see me around town, I’m almost always on my bike! It was thanks to his contribution on the morning of September 1st that I was able to find Apporonia by the evening of that very same day. While riding the bike Sean gave me, I found Apporonia! How I found Apporonia I was heading home after spending the entire day at The HiVE in Gastown. This space just happens to be right next to the DTES flea market on Hastings street. I’d been checking there periodically to see if my bike had turned up but to no avail. On that evening though, I spoke with an aboriginal artist who is usually posted around that market. He suggested I try Olympic Village and so I rode over there. Still nothing. So I made my way up Main street and randomly rode to Trillium Park at National and Station streets, by Pacific Train Station. It was dark and I didn’t realize there were a few tents set up. I had just gotten off the phone with Ofra and was on another call with my girlfriend (who also came through for me big time during this ordeal) when, mid-speech, wouldn't you know it, I stumbled across Apporonia tied to a makeshift dwelling made up of tarps and umbrellas! I quickly got in contact with the police and after a little while they showed up and retrieved the bike from the bike thief. It was a peaceful conclusion and I was just happy to get my bike back. But it would later turn out it wasn’t without a casualty. Epilogue ** There is a little sombre update to this story that became known to me on Thursday the 3rd. It turns out Apporonia sustained fatal frame damage somewhere in the midst of this ordeal. I noticed something was amiss while out for a ride on her that day. She didn’t feel quite right (you tend to notice these things when you’ve been riding the same bike for over a decade). So I took her to Arsim again and he discovered her frame was broken in a critical spot and so, unfortunately, she’s no longer rideable unless I can weld and restore the frame (according to Arsim. He’s not one to give up on a good bike so easily either!). Currently, I’ve no idea where to even begin and how much that would cost in terms of money and time. So for now (maybe forever) she’s out of commission and that saddens me But I’ve decided to not lose the lesson here. I put a lot of intention into recovering Apporonia. And, really, so did everyone reading this post. Had I lost faith I don't think I'd have ever have found her again. You and everyone mentioned above helped to keep me going. Even if I hadn’t found Apporonia, I think I gained something even more precious: The realization that, even now, despite all the negativity and bad news that we keep getting inundated with from the media, by and large, we all just want to help each other. That’s what is in our nature and that is why we can have neighbourhoods. I moved here because I like the beach, the park, and all the restaurant options but I never expected to find such an inspiring bunch of folks in downtown Vancouver of all places. I feel like there is this stereotype I keep hearing that goes along the lines of it’s hard for people to make friends in Vancouver. But in my time here, I’ve never really seen anything to prove that. It’s been my experience that if you’re willing to put yourself out there, somebody will almost inevitably want to make a connection. Maybe me getting my bike taken away was what was needed to really show me the true heart of this great city. Sure, it has its dark side but I find those elements are far outweighed by the kind and bold people who choose to not just live in this place, but also choose to make this place livable. Broken bike or not, I might never have had this important reminder if it never happened. The gift I received in exchange for Apporonia's "life" was this realization. For this I am grateful. In the meantime, I have another bike to keep me rolling for now (thanks once again to good samaritans like Sean). Time will tell if this bike will be suitable for my needs as I’ve barely ridden it but it’s all I’ve got right now and I'm pretty grateful. It's not Apporonia the Red Racer, but it does have a nice blue paint job. Maybe the Blue Bomber? To be continued... With Love, -Ryan (and Apporonia!) PS: I’m looking forward to sharing my learnings about what you can do about bike theft. Stay tuned for that one! But for now, keep riding and enjoy your long weekends! Honourable Mentions I'm adding this because there are more people who really showed up for me but if I had included it above this would really have been a far too long read but these people are certainly no less pivotal and crucial to this story. Rachele Kehler - Holistic Life Coach & Counsellor Rachele was the first to know about my bike being stolen. She was also the first to offer help by suggesting I borrow her car so I could see if I could catch up with the thief. That didn't work out but she did console me with treats and some encouragement and that went a long way. I was absolutely a wreck that day and I'm glad she was there. If you need a good listener, go and check out her practice. The Staff at Copper Branch - Copper Branch - 280 Nelson Street When the staff inside (who are very friendly!) noticed my situation, one of the employees came out and did whatever she could to help me! She proactively one two check the security camera footage and even exchanged contact info with me in case she spotted my bike! I’ll definitely be going back there to sample some of their vegan burgers and offer my gratitude! The VPD I dealt with two pairs of police the day I found my bike. The first pair were bicycle cops who I met while snooping around the southern part of Downtown Granville Street (one of several spots I checked. I’ll share my recommendations for places to check in the next post). These officers were very kind and very happy to help! They were the ones who stressed the importance of filling out a stolen property report and they even had me AirDrop pics of my bike to their phones so they could share it with other cops on the beat. The other pair of cops (the ones who recovered my bike after I made the call), while I appreciate them doing their job, when I asked them if they could ask the thief to return my bike’s accessories, one of them got aggressive and in my face. He was pretty threatening. After I booked an Evo Car to take the two bikes back home with me, they followed me for a while which was weird. I don’t know what the deal is with some cops acting that way to law-abiding citizens. It’s a shame since my earlier interaction was the total opposite. DoorDashers - Lance Love I needed more eyeballs on the street keeping a lookout for my bike and who better than other dashers? They are crisscrossing town all day making deliveries so they have a good chance of spotting things. Lance is like the mayor of Doordashers in downtown Vancouver. Friendliest guy and tends to cross paths with other dashers all the time. We’ve become mercenary colleagues in my time on the road. All I needed to do was tell him my situation and it was only a matter of time before every Doordasher in Vancouver got the memo. If I hadn’t found Apporonia myself I wouldn’t be surprised if another Dasher did! My friends and family back in Toronto Unbeknownst to me, my brother Michael, started a GoFundMe campaign in order to help me purchase a new bicycle. I was really moved by the people who donated (you know who you are). The next morning, after finding my bike and before I discovered it was fatally damaged, I called Michael to let him know and it was decided then that the campaign should be cancelled and the donations refunded. Unfortunately, I did not get to review all the donors as I was out looking for my bike at the time but, I still want to express my gratitude! It's not only my local neighbours who are willing to come through for someone in a pinch. We are all neighbours at the end of the day and I feel so fortunate to have in my life as well, even if we're on opposite sides of the country!

Bruno and his favourite bike Specialized Roll. #specializedbikes

#bikeride #vancouverbikenights #ebike #coalhourbour #hybridebikes #specializedbikes #westendvancouver Joyful bike ride at Stanley Park. ... Freedom Bike Rentals

Beautiful bike ride around the park. #bikelife #stanleyparkvancouver #stanleyparkseawall #specializedbikes #freedombikerentals #freedombikerental Freedom Bike Rentals

A friendly customer brought in this gorgeous bike to build up. As always Arsim was excited to put this beauty together!