Wellesley Cancer Survivor Pleads For Return Of Stolen Bicycle

WELLESLEY, Mass. (CBS) -- A cancer survivor who rides his bike to raise money for cancer research is pleading for help finding his stolen bicycle.

Angus McQuilken of Wellesley is training for his fifth Pan Mass Challenge, a grueling 192-mile journey across the commonwealth.

But on Friday night, someone stole his bike. It was strapped to a bike rack on the back of McQuilken's SUV in his driveway.

The bike had been a survival gift from McQuilken's wife after he beat colon cancer at age 38. He had hoped to ride the bike across the PMC finish line to celebrate five years cancer free.

"I want to cross the finish line five years out from that cancer diagnosis on the same bike that I started with my first year," McQuilken told WBZ-TV.

The bike is a Trek 1.5, model year 2009. It is black and white and has serial number SWTU172C2088D.

McQuilken has logged more than 10,000 miles on the bike including four Pan Mass Challenges, raising more than $30,000.

"I want the person who took that bike to know that I use that to raise money for cancer research. That's what it's for. I want my bike back," he said.

McQuilken went out and bought a new bike so he wouldn't miss any training time. It isn't the cost of the new bike that he is most concerned about, it's the intrinsic value and what it symbolizes.

So, while McQuilken continues to train, he is also reaching out to his neighbors in Wellesley and the cycling community, using crowd sourcing to try to find his treasured Trek bike.

He hopes that just maybe whoever took it will realize the bike's true worth is far greater than it's dollar value.

"Do the right thing and return it. Right back to me, no questions asked," he said.

McQuilken and that bike still have a lot of road left to travel.