Tour of South America stalled for Montreal-based cyclists after airlines lose bike, gear: reports

“We’ve arrived in Argentina to start a six-week cycling trip,” said Shea Mayer, who runs a Montreal-based touring company called Fitz Montreal Bike Tours”, in a video recently posted to YouTube. “But there’s one major problem.”

As Mayer’s friend and cycling companion, Jesse Herbert, added, “Yeah, my bike got lost by Air Canada and Tam Airlines and they won’t help me navigate the situation.” Mayer and Herbert recently departed for South America to begin a six-week cycling tour of the continent, but upon arrival, the most important gear for the trip went missing: not just Herbert’s bike but also his touring gear, both of which are estimated to cost about $4,000 together.

The all-important gear was supposed to arrive on Dec. 31, in time for the two riders to begin their ambitious tour. It didn’t.

“It’s not like we just lost a t-shirt and a pair of shorts,” Herbert said. “It’s a mode of transportation, really.” As of press time, the two riders are in something of a limbo as a result of the missing gear, waiting for answers from either airline about what happened before they can begin their tour. So far, details have come up short. But Herbert is keeping up the heat, he told CTV.

“I’ve been spending two to four hours a day on the phone with Air Canada and Tam Airlines trying to see what’s going on,” Herbert, who designs bike accessories for Oopsmark, told reporters. “It’s pretty hard to interface with the airlines here because they mostly speak Spanish.” Air Canada representatives, meanwhile, told the same media outlet that they’ve been in contact with Herbert via social media as often as twice a day, trying to help. His bike and gear would be with Tam Airlines, Air Canada said. Representatives, the airline added, are speaking with Tam on Herbert’s behalf, trying to make sure he gets his bike back in a timely manner.

Further, CTV noted, Air Canada has also offered to front the price of a rented bike. Given the magnitude of Herbert’s and Mayer’s trip, though, it would have to be a bike capable of holding up on a trans-continental trip. What’s available in Buenos Aires won’t cut it, he said.

But it’s not just that.

“The thing is,” Mayer said, “it’s not just Jesse’s bike that’s in a big cardboard box, but all of his camping gear ,all of his clothing. We spent a lot of time preparing for this trip.”