Berliner finds her stolen bike online, police arrange to meet seller

A woman in Berlin happened to recognise her stolen bike in an online advertisement and informed the police, who arranged to meet the seller.

Berlin woman tracks down stolen bike

Six months after it was stolen, a woman in Berlin recognised her bike, with its scratches, clipless pedals and out-of-place reflector, in an online advertisement.

The Berlinerin informed the police of her discovery, who then posed as an interested buyer and met the seller. Police arrested the man and returned the bike to the woman.

Following the arrest, the police searched the man’s flat and found more stolen bikes, bike locks which had been sawn through and mobile phones.

Stolen bikes are rarely returned in Berlin

It was a twist of fate uncharacteristic of Berlin that the woman got her stolen bike back. According to the German National Cyclists’ Association (ADFC), only 4,6 percent of Berlin bike theft cases are solved, and the majority of recovered stolen bikes are never returned to their owners. 

This is because - like the woman in question - most Berlin cyclists do not register their bikes, so even if they find the bike, the police are often unable to identify the owner. Police urge cyclists to register their bikes. Cylists are given a barcode sticker for their bike, which is supposed to deter thieves.

If you don’t want to register it with the police or your bike is stolen before you have the chance to register it, you can also check Berlin’s lost-and-found bike database.