When Chris Chambers lost his sole means of independent transport, the community responded.

As a result, the Port Townsend man is now biking to his job at the Bayview Restaurant in Port Townsend on a bright orange Raleigh Misceo flat-bar road bike, complete with fenders and lights to make him visible at night.

Kelly Anthony, co-owner of the Bayview with her husband, Gerry, noted that donations from customers have been flowing in since The Leader’s story on Chambers was printed Jan. 25.

“Seeing his face light up since he got his new bike has been wonderful,” Anthony said. “There’s no more stress there.”

Bob Chung, owner of PT Cyclery, said several prospective donors offered to give Chambers their own bikes, but because Chambers relies on his bike so heavily, Chung believed he needed something tailored to suit his needs as much as possible.

“What Chris has right now is good for commuting to work and cruising around town,” Chung said. “It’s very similar in handling to what he had before. I deeply appreciate the kind, generous people who were so willing to give of themselves, but giving someone else your bike is kind of like giving them a pair of your shoes. It really has to work for you.”

Chung has worked with Chambers to tweak his bike to make it as comfortable and useful as possible for the 46-year-old man with disabilities. Candy Kerr, Chambers’ job coach, added that Chambers’ parents wanted to stick with Chung for their son’s new bike, because of how well he’s served the family over the years.

“The money came in through the Bayview, PT Cyclery and a fundraiser that Chris’ sister started online,” Kerr said. “It wasn’t just Port Townsend, but Port Hadlock and the rest of Jefferson County, if not beyond. When Chris heard how quickly people stepped up, he was overwhelmed, but I told him, ‘These people have seen you go to work on your old bike for years. This community loves you.’”

While the Bayview considers the possible addition of a bike rack, Chambers can barely put into words how grateful he feels toward the community.

“Thank you to everyone,” Chambers said, a broad grin breaking across his face as he straddled the seat and took hold of the handlebars. “I just like everything about it.”