Trike stolen from South Etobicoke Ontario, owner 'hoping for a miracle'

Etobicoke resident Judi Bachmann's recumbent Tricycle was stolen on June 11, 2020.
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Owner of trike stolen from south Etobicoke 'hoping for a miracle' Toronto.com

South Etobicoke Ontario resident Judi Bachmann has been in tears since her custom recumbent tricycle was stolen from the underground parking lot of her apartment building.

Bachmann, who has lived in the Mimico neighbourhood for three years, noticed someone had removed the trike’s cover and cut the lock Thursday, June 11 morning.

The theft has been reported to police.

Bachmann has owned her Greenspeed GT3 touring tricycle for more than 14 years. She’s ridden it across Canada, in more than 20 American states, and in Australia and New Zealand.

Highly recognizable, it has a bright fire-engine red frame, a blue mesh seat, and purple aluminum alloy wheels. The trike also has two mirrors, a pannier rack, and a bottle cage. What makes the foldable tricycle especially unique is its short boom, smaller frame, and 16-inch wheels. It’s the perfect size for Bachman, who is under five feet tall.

Purchased in Australia for about $3,000, the tricycle is one of about only 15 in the world and it is no longer being produced.

Bachmann’s husband Len Ashby also has one of these low-ride trikes. The couple was often seen zooming around the area.

Until she was laid-off recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bachmann rode her trike regularly on the Martin Goodman Trail to get to her downtown job at Mountain Equipment Co-op. Her plan was to ride to work again once she was called back.

“It was my means of transportation. I was eager to use my trike. I’m so frustrated,” she lamented.

“It’s so senseless. I just don’t understand why they took it. Only a small person could use it.”

Bachmann said her extra small trike couldn’t be easily sold. She’s hoping the person who stole it will come to realize that and ditch her trike – hopefully with minimal damage – somewhere nearby.

“I’m hoping for a miracle. … Finding another trike that will fit me is going to be hard,” she said.

“It’s a very unique piece of equipment.”

Yesterday, Bachman reached out on social media to see if anyone has seen her trike. She also posted about the tricycle on Nextdoor, Kijiji, and Craigslist, and is offering a $200 reward to anyone who returns the tricycle in good working order.

Today, Bachmann contacted all the bike shops hoping someone might have brought in the trike for servicing or tried to sell it.

“I don’t hold out much hope for a response but feel that I have to try everything that I can,” she said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Bachmann’s tricycle is urged to contact her directly at 416-551-3494 or by email at judi*ashbybachmann.com.

People can also contact police at 416-808-2222, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com

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