Police have been criticized for failing to help cyclists recover their stolen bikes.

This has meant that some cyclists have resorted to “dangerous” methods to recover them themselves.

Two victims in Bristol said they located their own bikes after police said they could not help.

Fiona Ryalls, 33, located her stolen bike after seeing it had been put up for sale on social media.

Josh Steven, 29, said he had used a tracking device to find his bike but was threatened when he tried to get it back.

Duncan Dollimore, spokesperson for Cycling UK, told the BBC: “We have been lobbying the police to examine the specific focus on second-hand bike sales for some time.

“If those who steal bikes realize that it is quite difficult for them to sell them online, that will affect their decisions.”

He said he hoped that would stop people. taking dangerous measures themselves.

In early 2024, Home Office data revealed that more than 365,000 bicycle thefts reported to the police had remained unresolved since 2019, accounting for 89 percent of all cases.

This adds 200 bicycle thefts a day – more than eight per hour – have remained unresolved in England and Wales for the last four years.

Of the 365,706 robberiesonly 8,437 (two percent) resulted in arrest and charges in the year to June 2023.

Avon and Somerset Police advised against people taking action themselves, saying it could put them at risk and prejudice a police investigation.

I found it for sale

Ryalls told the BBC she was “heartbroken” when she received a call saying her bike had been stolen in August.

After scrolling through social networksShe found it on sale for £55 and agreed to meet the seller, bringing her fiancé and a friend as backup.

She told police her plan and said they did not dissuade her from going.

“I asked to try the bike and I went with it,” he said. “I would have felt much safer if there was had police support or even if they had offered to come with me.”

Avon and Somerset Police said it prioritized assistance in line with operational demand and when the risk to the public was high.

“Unfortunately, there are often very few lines of research provided continue and, as a result, the chances of solving the robbery are low,” he said.

The British crime survey, which asks people about their real crime experienceIt is estimated that there are about 300,000 bicycle thefts a year.

Steven, whose bike was stolen in December 2023, used a GPS tracker hidden in the frame to find it and was able to see it inside a property.

He said when he called police they told him they would send an officer if he “could go to the property and keep an eye on the bike.”

Steven said when he knocked on the door of the house, a man initially threatened to stab him.

After a heated conversation, another family member returned the bike.

The case did not result in a prosecution, Steven said.