🚨 What Do I Do After a Theft?
Whether you’re a BackPedal customer or not, having your bike stolen is a gut punch. But the steps you take in the first few hours can make all the difference.
Here’s what to do—with or without BackPedal.
🧭 If You’re a BackPedal Customer
We’ve designed the experience to be as stress-free as possible. Just report the theft, and we’ll take care of the rest.
1. 📞 Call the BackPedal Theft Hotline
0800 8611 959 – it’s free and open 24/7, every day of the year.
(You can also report via our website or by emailing team@backpedal.co.)
2. 🧾 We Handle the Police Report
We log the crime with the police and get a crime reference number—so you don’t have to.
3. 🕵️♀️ We Get to Work
Our team will:
Access your bike’s tracker data
Analyse where it’s gone
Deploy a trained recovery agent (or multiple if needed)
Work with local police if needed
We’ll send you updates as things progress.
4. 🚚 We Bring Your Bike Back
If we recover your bike (and we usually do—80% within 72 hours), we’ll return it directly to you.
Expect hugs, relief, and a little happy dance.
5. 🛠️ If It’s Damaged?
We’ll assess the damage and coordinate with Sundays Insurance to either:
Repair the bike
Replace damaged parts
Or sort a replacement
6. 💸 If It’s Not Recovered
If we can’t get it back, you’re still covered:
We help you initiate the insurance claim
You can start the claim as early as you like if recovery looks unlikely
Payouts are typically made on a “new for old” basis if you bought the bike new
🧍 If You’re Not a BackPedal Customer
Recovery is still possible—but you’re going solo.
Here’s what to do:
1. 🛂 Report the Theft to the Police
Use 101 or your local force’s online portal.
Be prepared with details: serial/frame number, photos, and how the bike was secured.
2. 📄 Make an Insurance Claim
Submit your police report and any photos, receipts, or lock evidence.
Brace yourself for admin and processing times.
3. 📡 Use Your Own Tracker
If your bike has a tracker, log in and see if you can get a location.
Share the info with the police.
4. 🧑💻 Monitor Stolen Bike Marketplaces
Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay and Craigslist are common places stolen bikes pop up.
Use Google image search or Bike Index to spot matches.
5. 🤞 Hope
Unfortunately, most stolen bikes without recovery support don’t make it home. You might get lucky—but the odds aren’t great.
🧠 TL;DR
Step | BackPedal Customer | Non-Customer |
Theft reported | Via hotline 0800 8611 959 | Report to police |
Police involvement | BackPedal handles it | You report |
Tracker monitoring | Done by BackPedal | DIY |
Recovery agents | Deployed by us | ❌ |
Insurance help | Yes, with support | Self-managed |
Bike returned | ✅ Delivered to you | ❌ |
Emotional damage | 😢 mitigated | 😢 deepened |
Need to report a theft right now?
Call 0800 8611 959 or email team@backpedal.co.
If you’re not a customer but want to be, join us here. Recovery isn’t just for the lucky—it’s for the prepared.
Ready to get started?
Interested in getting BackPedal protection?
You get tried-and-tested tracking kit installed by one of our mechanics plus the assurance of knowing the BackPedal team is there to get your bike back.
