An Ontario man whose beloved bicycle was stolen during a cross-Canada trip can now resume his journey thanks to the generosity of some locals in Regina, Sask., who came together to buy him a new ride.

Sudbury native Peter Ledingham set off on his coast-to-coast adventure from Vancouver, B.C., last month, hoping see Canada in its entirety.

But earlier this week, his bike, which his father bought him 24 years ago, was stolen while Ledingham was staying at a hostel in Regina.

“The thought of not being able to go the rest of the way on it, I have to admit, kind of bothers me,” he told CTV Regina.

Determined to get his ride back, the 41-year-old stayed in the city for more than a week after the theft. He filed a police report and posted an ad online asking if anyone had seen the bike. The posting quickly went viral, leading to an overwhelming amount of support from locals.

While the bike hasn’t been found, it didn’t take long for community members to step in, offering to help Ledingham get some new wheels and complete his adventure.

“People came down and said, ‘We’d like to do something to help him,’ and that’s how it all started,” said Fred Vandelinden, the owner of local bike shop, Dutch Cycle. “It’s great to help (Ledingham) out and get him going. I can tell he’s really excited about this.”

Nothing can quite replace his old bike, but Ledingham said he’s thankful to be able to complete his adventure.

“It’s not anything I expected,” he said. “I sort of feel like I’m starting this whole trip over again. It’s like all the nerves that I had before I left Sudbury -- I’m kind of feeling that same thing again.

“It’s a new bike, a new chapter. It’s pretty exciting.”

While Ledingham is glad to be able to continue his travels, he said there are many memories attached to his old bike and that he’ll return to Regina if it’s ever found.

With a report from CTV Regina’s Jessie Anton