Bike theft: Where does your bike disappear after theft?

Many people in the Netherlands believe that stolen bicycles are disappearing en masse abroad, especially to countries such as Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe. While this idea is widespread, it is mostly based on speculation and stories, with no solid evidence to fully support it.

Research shows that a large proportion of stolen bicycles actually remain within the city limits, as the report shows. Tracking Stolen Bikes in Amsterdam. This study revealed that stolen bicycles are often resold locally and that only a small percentage ends up across borders. This partly refutes the idea that stolen bicycles automatically go abroad, although there is some truth in the stories about Poland and Eastern Europe.

Bike theft: Misunderstandings and reality

The story that a stolen bike often goes abroad is understandable given the complexity of the bicycle theft markets. However, without reliable data, it remains difficult to say exactly what happens to stolen bicycles. Some bicycles end up in Poland or Eastern European countries, but there is little concrete data to determine how much this actually occurs. Local sales and trading of stolen bicycles is still the biggest factor in cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam (Tracking stolen bikes in Amsterdam).

BIKEBAZE's role in combating bicycle theft

Because there are so many stories but little data, BIKEBAZE plays a crucial role in generating insights about bicycle theft. By registering your bike in our database and using our SafeTags, you're not only helping yourself to better protect your bike, but you're also contributing to collecting data about bike theft. This information helps us understand bicycle theft patterns and combat them more effectively.

With your registration in BIKEBAZE, we work together to finally get answers to questions such as: will bicycles go abroad? Where do they really end up? How can we structurally reduce bicycle theft? Together, we make bicycle theft transparent and combat it better.

Register your bike now!

Do you also want to contribute to reducing bicycle theft while protecting your own bike? Register your bike with BIKEBAZE now, use our SafeTags and help us stay one step ahead of thieves. A sticker makes a big difference!

Register your bike here!