Cyclist who sold bikes to pay for surgery gifted replacement

Sean Quarmby, from Norwich, had been cycling for more than a decade when his pet dog, a Springer Spaniel named after bicycle brand Rapha, suddenly fell ill.

At first Mr Quarmby wasn’t sure what was wrong with the pooch, but after days of her acting off he took her to the vets, where she was diagnosed with having a grass seed on the lung.

The life-threatening condition required immediate surgery, wracking up a bill of more than £6,000.

Despite the traumatic experience, Mr Quarmby’s long-time friend Matt Watts said the cyclist kept the incident to himself.

Matt Watts (right) manager at Pedal Revolution in Norwich, gifted man who sold his bikes a replacement bicycle (Image: Submitted)

It wasn’t until friends spotted his four bikes up for sale on Facebook Marketplace that anyone realised what had happened.

He said: “Sean is a wonderful character with a warm heart. He’ll do anything for anyone and is so very generous with his time.

“It was heartbreaking because you know what those bikes mean to Sean. They were his pride and joy and he saved hard to buy them. It would have been a really hard thing to do.”

But luckily for Mr Quarmby, the Norwich cycling community had his back.

READ MORE: Norfolk bike shops see drop in sales after Covid boom

Unbeknownst to him, a friend secretly purchased the bike, gifting it back to the cyclist just days later.

And Mr Watts, who manages Pedal Revolution on Bethel Street, was also on hand to provide him a second bike, free of charge, to allow him to continue with his hobby.

He said: “10 years ago, when I was just starting out, he gave me so much help and guidance, and has always been there on my cycling journey.

“It’s not going to bring the other bikes back, but at least now he can still ride with all his mates and doesn’t have to give up the sport.”