Edmonton gets tourists back in the saddle after bike theft
Strangers bought new gear for a South Korean couple after one of their bikes was stolen near Wabamun Lake
A South Korean couple cycling across Canada is gearing up to hit the road again after a roadside bike theft on June 12.
Mulkyeol Choi said someone stole her bike when she turned her back and walked about 10 metres away from it on the Yellowhead Highway near Wabamun Lake.
Choi said her Facebook messenger account erupted with offers to help following CBC's initial coverage of the theft.
Within 24 hours, strangers pulled together all-new gear for the couple, including the same make and model of Choi's original bike.
"They are very generous," Choi said about the donations. "I was very overwhelmed that somebody was out there helping me ... Alberta is great."
While the couple waits for their new bike to arrive in Edmonton, they're touring the city with the locals.
Edmontonian Bashir Mohamed donated his time to show them the Alberta Legislature building on Friday.
Thank you is all I have right now. I just so appreciate it. There are always bad people, but there are always more nice people.- Mulkyeol Choi, South Korean cyclist
Mohamed recently completed his own cross-country bicycle tour through South Korea, and said he wanted to repay the kindness he experienced in the couple's homeland.
"To think that someone coming to my country and doing the same thing is getting robbed just made me feel shocked," he said. "It kind of felt like it was a little personal because it happened in our backyard, and I think we just wanted to show a positive side to our province.
"Edmontonians have really big hearts."
Couple quit jobs, sold home for bike trip
The two are on a three-month trek from Vancouver to Quebec, after which they plan to cycle through the United States to South America.
Choi said she worked as an engineer in Seoul, South Korea's capital, for five years to save enough money for the trip. She and her husband then quit their jobs, and traded their home for two bikes.
Almost everything they owned was strapped to Choi's bike when it disappeared, including their passports.
Choi said she wasn't able to afford anything as expensive as her last ride, a $3,000 touring bicycle, so she's grateful for the donations.
More importantly, she added, they need to pick up new passports from the South Korean embassy in Ontario. Choi said she'll use her new bike to get there.
After a shaky welcome to Alberta, she said she'll ride out of the province with nothing but goodwill for its residents.
"Thank you is all I have right now. I just so appreciate it," she said.
"There are always bad people, but there are always more nice people."