Irishman who rode through Europe and Africa has bike stolen in Namibia

An Irishman who had spent so long riding his custom-made bike that he at one point thought he would be cremated with it has been left dejected after it was stolen in Namibia. Terence O’Reilly has offered a reward and ‘no hard feelings’ if it is returned to him so that he can complete his dream journey from Dublin to Cape Town.

The Namibian reports that O’Reilly was on his way to South Africa having already ridden through France, Italy, Greece and Turkey from Dublin, and then through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.

On his way back to South Africa, he stopped to post a package from Windhoek and despite his bike being locked and left unattended for under an hour, thieves took it.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime purchase,” he said of a bike he has owned for around ten years. “I don't even own a car. I use that bicycle every day, whether I'm going to buy groceries or going on an 18,000km adventure from Dublin to Cape Town. It has huge sentimental value.”

Made of heavy steel and with an internal gear system, O’Reilly says the bike is likely to stand out should it appear in any local bike shop.

The painter and decorator is offering a reward in euros to anyone who can help him get it back. “No questions, no hard feelings,” he said.

“Look, I understand life is hard and someone saw an opportunity, so I'm not mad at them. I just appeal to the person who took it or anyone who can help get my bike back to contact me, so that I can continue my journey. You have the power to let me finish my dream. There'll be no hard feelings, and I'm offering a reward so that everyone wins and can live happily.”

o'reillyterence [at] hotmail.com