LAURA DRAKE

September 5, 2007

VANCOUVER -- After 10 weeks riding a tandem bike from Penticton to St. John's for charity, Dave Cleveland and Stacey Butterfield flew back to Vancouver last weekend to complete the final leg of their journey. When they arrived at the airport, however, they found their bike's frame had been crushed during the flight - along with their dream of crossing Canada on a bicycle built for two.

"To see it look like that was pretty upsetting. To see the bent steel was devastating," Dr. Cleveland said yesterday.

"It wasn't even really the end of the trip. To make it a true coast-to-coast trip we were supposed to bike home from Vancouver."

The couple set out on June 23 from Penticton on their new tandem bike, hoping to raise $10,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation by cycling across the country. Ten weeks later, the couple had reached their financial goal and the trip hit its high note - two days before their flight back, the couple got engaged off the coast of Newfoundland.

'It looks like a forklift crushed it against something'

Here is a photo taken on Saturday of Dave Cleveland and Stacey Butterfield outside the Vancouver_airport with our damaged bicycle. Some close-ups as well of the damage.__Handout bc-bike05nw2 0

This photo shows the bent frame on the tandem bicycle belonging to Dave Cleveland and Stacey Butterfield.

First, however, they had to complete their trip by flying from St. John's to Vancouver and cycling the remaining 400 kilometres to Penticton.

Instead, the two cyclists had to rent a van to transport their twisted bike frame back home as they contemplated what to do about the $3,000 worth of damage.

Dr. Cleveland said an Air Canada employee at the airport told them that the company was not responsible for the cost of the bent frame and twisted back wheel, which the official told the couple was probably caused by luggage being pushed up against the bike in transit.

"To look at the bent steel, it's not like something you could possibly do with a couple of 50-pound suitcases," Dr. Cleveland said. "It looks like a forklift crushed it against something."

The couple checked the bike in at the St. John's airport with the pedals removed and the handlebar turned sideways, as they had been instructed to do.

Air Canada's website says bikes are supposed to be transported in a hard case to prevent damage and if they are not, owners are meant to sign a waiver releasing the airline from any responsibility. However, Dr. Cleveland and Ms. Butterfield said they were never offered a waiver to sign and were never informed of the hard-case requirement.

"I don't even think there is such a hard thing as a case for a tandem bike," Dr. Cleveland said yesterday, adding that even if there was, the couple wouldn't have been able to bring one across the country with them.

Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah refused to comment yesterday on the couple's statement that they were not given a waiver to sign, adding the company is in contact with them to discuss the circumstances surrounding the damage. Ms. Mah called the incident "regrettable and unfortunate" but noted that passengers should always follow packing recommendations.

Dr. Cleveland said the bike's destruction has tarnished the memory of an otherwise remarkable trip.

"It makes it end on a sour note," he said. "The trip was a grand success, but it does leave a bitter taste at the end."