Oct 30, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Reka Szekely

AJAX -- His bike helped him recover after malignant brain tumors robbed him of his mobility, but now an Ajax man has been left frustrated after that bike was stolen from outside a local grocery store.

Bill Manners, a Love Crescent resident, said he decided to stop by the south Ajax Sobey's in the Clover Ridge Plaza on Oct. 19 after a workout at the gym. He made sure to lock up his bike with a new lock he'd just bought.

"I was in the store not even 10 minutes ... I came out, there it was, an empty space," said Mr. Manners.

In addition to the brown with white lettering Trek hybrid bike, worth about $1,000, the thieves grabbed everything including the bike lock, helmet and a hat bearing the logo for a brain tumor conference.

By stealing his bike, Mr. Manners said the thieves stole his independence.

"I think people should realize it's not just a bike, that was my car."

"Plus his health," added his daughter, Hollie Pigott, a Clarington resident.

Mr. Manners said he has always been an active person. He started getting into bike riding about a year ago and also ran a marathon in October.

"In December, I started having balance problems, I was falling down and stuff," he said.

Doctors attributed it to an inner ear problem but it only got worse until one morning in February he found he had no balance at all. This time doctors suspected a stroke, but an MRI showed tumors in three areas of his brain.

He was paralyzed on his right side and spent six weeks in the hospital receiving treatment before coming back home.

"I came home basically with a wheelchair," said Mr. Manners. "They couldn't tell me if I could walk again or not."

But gradually he started getting out of bed and then worked up to walking with a cane, making the half a block trek to the mailbox.

"I started riding my bike mainly for the exercise," he said. "I fell off a few times."

Ms. Pigott added her father found a way to get on his bike by laying it on the ground instead of swinging a leg over it, which was impossible because of his balance problems.

"My balance started to come back slowly so I'd ride up to the coffee shop ... I'd have a coffee with the guys which was kind of nice," said Mr. Manners.

He is not allowed to drive because of his illness and he used his bike to run errands, go to the gym and shop daily for fresh groceries.

"It became my primary transportation, got me out of the house, got me moving," said Mr. Manners. "It was a big part of my recovery."

Ms. Pigott agreed.

"It gives him some control back, otherwise he's waiting for us to pick him up."

As to who stole it, Mr. Manners speculated perhaps someone had seen him riding it and waited until he went into the store to nab it.

"It just bothers me, I guess like anybody is upset they had something stolen," he said.

He's hoping either a witness could help by calling police or perhaps a parent had seen a new, unexplained bike and is willing to turn it in. Mr. Manners did file a police report but the chances of the bike being recovered may be slim.

According to police, 481 bikes have been reported stolen in Durham so far this year. Of those, only 23 have been recovered.

If he doesn't get it back, Mr. Manners said he will definitely buy another.

"I wouldn't be this far along if it wasn't for the bike."