Jacky Chen, round-the-world cyclist, reunited with bike stolen in Vancouver

A Taiwanese man cycling round the world has been reunited with his bike, which was stolen in Vancouver, after a CBC reporter made enquiries with police.

JackyChenwas 5,000 kilometres into his trip when his bikewasstolen from a backyard at Oak Street and 16th Avenue,where it was chained up overnight last Thursday.

Chen, 37, reported it missing on Friday, but to no avail until Thursday, when CBC reporter Belle Puri called Vancouver police for response to Chen's story.

Officers realizedthey hadstopped a 24-year-old man riding the same bike last Friday night. They hadseized the bike, but had been unable to identify it as Chen's becausehe hadn't provided them with a serial number.

Afterthe connection was made, Chen was overjoyed to retrieve his bike. His pannier racks are gone and his tire is flat, but over all, he says, it's all good.

"It's just like my partner, a portion of my trip. So, many thanks."

Chenhas been cycling round the world since June, when heleft his job as an electrical engineer in Taiwan and started his pedalling trek in Anchorage.

Inspired by the writings of a Japanese man who cycled the globe Chen says his trip has been three years in the making.His goal is to show his friendswho can't travel, the world through Facebook.

"I hope I could visit over 100 countries," said Chen."I always update what I see, the view and the people I meet and anything I experience."

Chen expects to finish his journey in three to five years.