Portland thief derails South Korean cyclist’s trip

PORTLAND – Good Samaritans have stepped up to help a South Korean man whose dreams of a two-year bike trip were seemingly dashed by a Portland thief.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Minhyeong Kim was 35 days into his Canada-to-Argentina trip when someone stole his bike outside a southeast Portland supermarket.

The 25-year-old planned to return to his country because he didn’t have the money and gear to complete the trip. But Portlanders heard about what happened and decided to help.

Bryan Hance of the stolen bike recovery nonprofit Bike Index organized a gathering Thursday evening to help Kim out. Money started coming in before the event and at least five people offered bikes.