A cross-country bicycle tour by two friends trying to raise enough money to buy 1,000 bikes for the children of military families has been side-lined in Portland for a few extra days.

You guessed it. Someone stole one of their bicycles.

Paul Lebelle and Adam Burkowske pedaled themselves and their gear 3,500 miles across the U.S. from their homes in Baltimore on the trek they dubbed BikeFree. Along the way they spoke to organizations and raised funds to buy bicycles for the children of military families. Their destination is San Diego.

Buttercup

The two arrived in Portland over Labor Day weekend, and Monday afternoon Lebelle's green Cannondale T2 bicycle - nicknamed Buttercup (above) - was stolen from the front porch of a house where they were staying in north Portland. Lebelle told KOIN.com:

"We were going to head out to one of the arts festivals here on Labor day, then decided we wanted to eat a bagel first so we made the bagel, popped back outside and the bike was gone."

The two Marylanders kept a good attitude about their loss, however, and pretty soon someone stepped forward and offered to help. It's very reminiscent of the North Bend, Wash., cross-country bike traveler whose ride and gear was stolen in Hannibal, Mo., and many in town lent a hand.

Bicycle gift

Portland resident Debbie Amara told KGW-TV that she thought giving Lebelle her bicycle was was right thing to do. Although she used to ride it, she has switched to a recumbent bicycle for her rides lately.

"I wanted the bike to go to someone who would really appreciate it and ride it."

Lebelle said he thinks the bike will work out just fine for him.

Bikes for children

If you browse their website at BikeFree.org, you'll see that Lebelle and Burkowske are riding for a worthwhile cause.

Although neither has served in the military, they both have family members who have done so. They both get great joy from bicycling and want to spread that feeling to children who have a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. They write at the website:

"As fortunate as we were to have a bike growing up, we knew that there are so many kids today who aren’t as fortunate. With both of our families having military backgrounds, and our country’s increasing involvement in the Middle East and Afghanistan, we knew that children of our military could really use a bicycle.  We believe that being outside in the fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity not only raises your heart rate, but also raises your spirit."

Wake-up call

When things get squared away in Portland, the two will be heading down the coast to their destination in San Diego. They'll be speaking and soliciting funds at gatherings along the way, hosted by the Rotary Club and Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurants, a chain where the two got together in Baltimore. We wish them a lot of success.

If you aren't lucky enough to meet up with Paul and Adam on their trek, you can go to their website'sdonation page.

This story of the BikeFree bicycle travelers and the bicyclist marooned in Missouri should serve as a wake-up call to any touring bicyclists to make sure their bicycles and gear is secure.

When my friend and I bicycled across country, we didn't even carry a lock. At first we would hide our bicycles or park them where he could always keep an eye on them. After awhile we lost our urban paranoia and would often leave our bikes sitting out while we shopped or camped.

In the years since our trip I've thought about just how stupid, and lucky, we were. These stories reinforce the need to lock-up your ride.