Dennis Abbott

When you’re known in Lawrence for riding your bicycle around town, any time spent without your wheels is too long. Fortunately, Dennis Abbott was without a bicycle for only a few days.

Abbott, a longtime fixture of downtown Lawrence, reported on Sunday morning that his bicycle was stolen in front of Jefferson’s Restaurant, 743 Massachusetts St.

Since that initial report, there has been an outpouring of support for Abbott.

Tim Barnes, a manager at Jefferson’s, said Abbott has worked there and other downtown establishments for many years and folks around these parts are quite fond of him.

“He’s super nice,” Barnes said. “I mean, he gets grumpy and grouchy, but he’s walking around in the heat all day, I’d be grumpy too. He’s a loveable guy and definitely a fixture in this town.”

Tuesday night Barnes said he received a phone call from a manager of the Wal-Mart near Sixth and Wakarusa streets. They said the store would like to give Abbott a brand new bicycle.

“Our store manager knew of Dennis and was like ‘this is pretty disgusting that somebody would do that to him,'” said Angie Meyer, assistant manager at the Wal-Mart. “He said ‘go ahead and we’ll get him a bike and a lock.'”

So, Wednesday, Abbott caught a ride to the store and began to snoop around for some new wheels.

And that’s when he noticed a shiny green Huffy, Meyer said.

As if it were meant to be.

The woman he was with asked Abbott if he wanted to keep looking, Meyer said.

“And he said ‘no, this is it, this is the one,'” Meyer said.

Now, Abbott is back in action and as mobile as he ever was, Barnes said.

“As long as he continues to lock his bike this won’t happen again,” Barnes said with a laugh.