We answer an open problem of the first author and Zhang (see Open Problem 6.4 (3) in Math. Z. 258 (2008), 565-585) and prove that, for any nonsingular projective $3$-fold of general type with the geometric genus greater than 201, the bicanonical system is not composed of any pencil of surfaces.PDF: On the bicanonical map of algebraic threefolds of general type.pdf