Originally Posted by
wgscott
The simplest explanation is he didn't pay for the bike.
Yes, though I'd consider that fairly improbable. The thief likely didn't give it away for nothing on Offerup.
My guess would be the guy did buy it, and upon learning it was stolen he realized he couldn't ask for money without risking trouble for possession of stolen property. He might well be pissed off at himself but chose to do the right thing.
IMHO if he was the thief (or was connected to the thief) he wouldn't have contacted the owner - and if he was having trouble selling it he'd just throw it in a ditch or off a bridge somewhere.
Glad the bike found its way home. That's pretty rare AFAIK.