Belcycle.be › Bike stolen? What to do now
Has your bike just been stolen? It is infuriating, and it is common: the police recorded 23,688 bike thefts in Belgium in 2025. Here is what to do, in order, to improve your chances of getting it back and of claiming on your insurance.
Updated 26 October 2026 · 6-minute read
Collect everything that identifies your bike: brand, model, colour, frame size, accessories and distinguishing marks (sticker, scratch, replaced part). Add the purchase invoice, photos and, above all, the frame number.
The frame number is usually stamped under the bottom bracket (under the frame, between the pedals). It is also on the invoice, and the shop that sold the bike usually has it. If your bike is registered on MyBike, note its ID too.
A police report lets the police match your bike if it is found, and your insurer will ask for it. You have two options:
MyBike is Belgium’s official, free bike register, managed by the FPS Mobility and Transport together with the Regions; the police and the justice system can consult it. Log in (eID or itsme) and mark your bike as stolen. Anyone who scans its QR sticker or types in its ID will then see it has been reported stolen, and can contact you anonymously. You can also generate an identification sheet there to help with your police report.
One year after MyBike launched, stolen bikes registered on it had been returned 3.5 times more often than others.
On Belcycle, post an alert with photos, a description, the frame number, the municipality, and the place and time of the theft. Members who follow alerts for that municipality get an email: extra eyes in your neighbourhood, at flea markets and on second-hand sites. You can add your police report (PV) number: it is stored but never shown. If you get your bike back, mark the alert as “Recovered”.
The police point out that thieves use second-hand sites to resell bikes. For several weeks, check 2ememain / 2dehands, Facebook Marketplace, local “stolen bikes” Facebook groups and flea markets regularly. Search by brand, model and colour, and include neighbouring municipalities. Be wary of cropped photos and suspiciously low prices.
In Brussels, the police’s Veloflic @ Brussels Facebook page posts recovered bikes whose owner is unknown. Once you have filed a report, you can send the page a private message.
Found or abandoned bikes are kept for a limited time (often at least three months) by the police or the municipality. Ask the lost property service of your municipality or police zone and bring your certificate of complaint. If someone else collects the bike for you, they need a signed authorisation (proxy).
Check whether your bike is covered: dedicated bike insurance, home insurance or another policy. Report the theft within the deadline set in your contract. You will usually be asked for the certificate or PV number, the invoice and the frame number. Keep copies of everything.
Source: Federal Police, data as of 24/04/2026. Fewer than half of victims report the theft (48% according to the Security Monitor, cited by Vias), so the real number is higher.
Belcycle is free, ad-free and Belgian. Post your alert in two minutes: cyclists in your municipality are notified by email. You can also get an email whenever a theft is reported near you.
Yes, with Police on web (my.police.be), using your eID, itsme or a token, if the theft happened in Belgium, the thief is unknown, there was no violence or threat and nobody was hurt. The portal is in Dutch, French and German. Otherwise, go to a local police station. In an emergency, call 101.
It is usually stamped under the bottom bracket, under the frame between the pedals. It is also on the invoice, and the shop that sold the bike usually has it. Photograph it when you buy the bike.
Yes. Registering on mybike.belgium.be is free and voluntary, from age 13, with your eID or itsme. You then receive a free QR sticker by post (usually within two weeks). Some municipalities also hand out stickers.
Do not put yourself in danger and do not buy it back. Take screenshots of the listing and contact the police with your PV number. If you see someone with your bike, call 101 and do not intervene.
It depends on your policy (bike insurance, home insurance or another contract). Report the theft within the stated deadline and include the certificate or PV number, the invoice and the frame number.
Your alert (photos, place, frame number) is published for free and members who follow alerts for your municipality get an email. It complements the police report and MyBike; it does not replace them.
The police recorded 23,688 bike thefts in Belgium in 2025, compared with 34,557 in 2015. As fewer than half of victims report the theft, the real number is higher.
This guide is for information only. Belcycle does not replace a police report or MyBike: it adds the community’s vigilance to them.