A quadriplegic Newmarket man who is currently in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime cycling trip across Canada hit a bump in the road over the weekend when one of his handcycles was stolen off of the back of his RV.

At the end of May, Kevin Mills, 43, started his cross-Canada adventure in Cape Spear, Newfoundland to raise awareness about the importance of recreational activity in the disabled community.

This past weekend while in Quebec, his team discovered that one of his difficult-to-replace handcycles had been stolen off of the back of the RV they were travelling in.

He said on Saturday night they decided to stay at a hotel and when they were told the RV was too big to park on site, they were directed to another lot nearby.

“When we went to pick up the RV the next morning, we noticed… it was gone,” Mills told CP24.com on Tuesday, adding that the parking lot was right next to a police station.

He said they did file a police report but it doesn’t seem likely that the bike, which costs about $9,000 to replace, will be located.

“The thing that baffles me the most is I don't know how they would use it,” he said. “It is such a specific piece of equipment… it would need to be used by someone in a wheelchair.”

Mills, who uses his biceps and shoulders to operate the equipment, took two bikes on the trip and has been alternating between them when one goes down for repairs.

He said he hopes to replace the stolen bike so as not to slow down the group, which includes his good friend Nikki and his personal support worker Candice.

“We are still moving,” he said. “If something happens we are basically stuck where we are until we can get it repaired.”

He noted that it may be difficult to get another bike quickly.

“It’s such a specialized piece of equipment. It's hard to keep so many in stock because it is for a quadriplegic, which isn't as common as say someone biking who is a paraplegic,” Mills said.

Mills suffered a spinal cord injury 14 years ago after he was hit by a big wave while swimming in the ocean during a vacation in Cuba.

“When I first came to Sunnybrook, the surgeon told me that I'd be lucky to shrug my shoulders,” Mills said.

He said his athletic nature pushed him forward and cycling quickly became an essential activity for his physical and mental health. He subsequently launched the not-for-profit organization Pedalling Possibilities in an effort to promote activity-based therapy and chart an accessible biking route across the country for others to follow.

“These bikes are so important to me. Not only is it my main mode of transportation, this is how I get around everywhere… it gives me exercise, which is hard to get as a quadriplegic, but it also really helps with my neuro pain and spasms,” he said.

“This is why we want to promote activity-based therapy because for people who've had an injury. There's so many ways it can benefit them in terms of feeling healthier, feeling better. It helps me with depression so it definitely can change your outlook on life.”

He said helping businesses across Canada learn how to become more accessible is another goal of his trip, which is expected to take about four months to complete and will end in Tofino, B.C.

“Honestly, it’s been a really great response,” he said.

Mills said that if his stolen bike is not recovered, he hopes it ends up in good hands.

“The only consolation I have is maybe it ends up in the hands of someone with a disability who needs it and they get to use it,” he said.