Hello all, as the title suggests I bought a used bicycle 5 years ago and have been driving it regularly. I only noticed this sticker yesterday saying "im öffentlichen Straßenverkehr nicht zugelassen" which means not allowed on public roads. Are this stickers added by someone after inspection like police or Ordnungsamt etc… or by the manufacturer. The seller didn't mention it when i bought it from him. Is the bicycle allowed on cycling lanes?
I didn't speak German when i bought the cycle and i am really hoping i wasn't taken advantage of by the seller 😅.

by Impossible_Advisor_9

8 comments

  2. Most bikes are not road-legal when coming from the factory. You have to add lighting, reflectors, a bell etc. to make it safe.

  4. Probably lacks some reflectors or lights to be road legal.

    You can visit a bike shop to find out what needs to be added.

  5. The sticker will have been a joke on the part of the previous owner.

    If a bicycle has reflectors, brakes and a bell, it is authorised for road use in Germany. At night or in poor lighting conditions, lights must be fitted and used.

    As far as I know, there are no further requirements.

  6. Don’t really know if it was added by the factory, the bike shop or an owner. However if it is not just a gag but a true statement then it is probably not difficult and not expensive to fix. Usually the reason why a bike is not deemed road worthy directly from the factory is because of the lights or reflectors not adhering to the rules. If the bike is older than from 2013 then it is even possible that the bike used to be not road worthy because it may have only battery ligthing and no dynamo light. However since 2013 there is no strict rule anymore that a bike has to have a dynamo to be roadworthy so it may be roadworthy now. But you need additional reflectors.

    [https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/zweirad/fahrrad-ebike-pedelec/kauf-ausruestung/fahrradbeleuchtung/](https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/zweirad/fahrrad-ebike-pedelec/kauf-ausruestung/fahrradbeleuchtung/)

  7. If it’s a sporting / mountain bike they often do not quite fulfil the road legal requirements for Germany – usually nobody cares especially if you got light and reflection but in some very bike-centric cities like Münster the police apparently does controls.

    for a racing bike you in theory would need a amateur racing license to drive it on the road legally

  8. by law you need: working brakes, white front light, red back light and a bell.

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