A serial # won't get you any info about your frame
02-23-21, 07:45 PM
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A serial # won't get you any info about your frame
In most cases it's useless to ask for info and only provide a serial #. The rash of these threads has got me wondering if it has anything to do w/ stolen bikes. Unless it's starting w/ 'WTU" (Trek) or "WSBC" (Specialized) you're not going to learn much. To give you model/size/year info someone would have to have access to the (known) manufacturers b2b site.
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02-23-21, 07:47 PM
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Those threads do seem fishy.
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02-23-21, 07:59 PM
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If you want to know what bike it is get good pictures of the bike usually on the downtube it will have a company name or maybe a head badge or something somewhere. If not at least some good clear pictures will help better identify.
If you are new here and cannot post pictures it is simple you just need to make a choice, do I like bikes and want to be around people who also like bikes and talk about bikes and other related topics or did I mistake Bikeforums.net for Google, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, DuckDuckGo or some other search provider and really just want to ask a question and leave. If you like the bikes then you just need to join the forums and explore around and post in some other topics and pretty soon you will be able to post your own photos without issue. If you thought we were just a search engine, then bye Felicia (as the kids say) we are an active forum not Yahoo! Answers!
People need context to help you out. Bike and random letters and numbers mean basically nothing. With some context especially those pictures we talked about earlier would help but if you don't want to provide those then what is your end goal?
If you are looking at a bike on Craigslist or some similar website and the seller is not telling you much, MOVE ON! The bike is potentially stolen and ain't worth the risk. Also if it was poorly painted do you really want it anyway. What if it is hiding rust underneath or cracks?
If you are new here and cannot post pictures it is simple you just need to make a choice, do I like bikes and want to be around people who also like bikes and talk about bikes and other related topics or did I mistake Bikeforums.net for Google, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, DuckDuckGo or some other search provider and really just want to ask a question and leave. If you like the bikes then you just need to join the forums and explore around and post in some other topics and pretty soon you will be able to post your own photos without issue. If you thought we were just a search engine, then bye Felicia (as the kids say) we are an active forum not Yahoo! Answers!
People need context to help you out. Bike and random letters and numbers mean basically nothing. With some context especially those pictures we talked about earlier would help but if you don't want to provide those then what is your end goal?
If you are looking at a bike on Craigslist or some similar website and the seller is not telling you much, MOVE ON! The bike is potentially stolen and ain't worth the risk. Also if it was poorly painted do you really want it anyway. What if it is hiding rust underneath or cracks?
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02-24-21, 12:04 PM
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Those posts bother me less than the "what year is this bike" posts here and ******.
Last edited by Trsnrtr; 02-25-21 at 08:37 AM. Reason: invoking the censor
02-24-21, 01:41 PM
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Some things do decode from the serial number but it's true the most serial numbers are just a number.
My Schwinn Paramount SN says a lot. Though it's nice to know, it's still mostly gee-whiz info.
https://waterfordbikes.com/w/culture...amount-dating/
My Schwinn Paramount SN says a lot. Though it's nice to know, it's still mostly gee-whiz info.
Self-Describing Serial Numbers
This system started in use during the mid- to 1994’s. It consisted of six components:
This system started in use during the mid- to 1994’s. It consisted of six components:
- Size Code: The size code represented the center to top seatmast measurement, rounded to the nearest 5mm. For example, a 55cm frame had a serial number starting with 550. Mountain bikes required rounding since they were built in one or two inch size increments. Occasionally, custom frames might not have the same size as indicated by the serial number.
- Product Code: This was not applied consistently. Up to some point in the early 90’s, it designated the fork length with forks short bikes getting an “A” progressing to large forks getting an “E”. Later, it was used to designate the kind of frame: A=Road, B=Off-Road, C=650C Road, E=Track.
- Company Code: In the 80’s the code indicated the type of bike, where K=road bike. Later, especially after the formation of Waterford, this letter indicated the company. K was for Paramount and L was for Waterford.
- Factory Code: A W followed to indicate a bike coming from the Waterford factory.
- Month Code: This one letter code corresponds to the month with A=January, B=Febuary and so on. Because I is not used, September=J and December=M.
- Year Code: This two digit code is the last two digits of the year – 96 is 1996.
- Sequence Number: This three digit number represents the nth frame and/or fork scheduled during the month.
02-26-21, 06:59 AM
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I wonder though, if a thread that collected formats and lengths of serial #s from bikes where the manufacturer/year were known, could be of value?
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
02-26-21, 07:07 AM
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I wonder though, if a thread that collected formats and lengths of serial #s from bikes where the manufacturer/year were known, could be of value?
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ber-guide.html
02-26-21, 08:14 AM
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I wonder though, if a thread that collected formats and lengths of serial #s from bikes where the manufacturer/year were known, could be of value?
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
For example, sorted by character length, starting with with alpha vs numeric. If anywhere in the string of characters the year or frame size is obvious, it could be called out.
A post contribution might look like below (completely made up btw). YY = Year, SZ = Size. X = alph letters and # = numerics
13 chars Fuji ModelX 2010: Ser #: YYXXX###### SZ
02-26-21, 10:03 AM
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I think you need more than the number for that though (T-Mar's list). Like, if you knew it was a Nishiki, you could then source the serial info.
In this case one doesn't even know if its a Raleigh or a Flying Pigeon.
In this case one doesn't even know if its a Raleigh or a Flying Pigeon.
02-26-21, 10:52 AM
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I collect BMX bikes and you see this all the time on those forums. I don't know if they think it's like a cars VIN#? I think there's a big interest in making a few extra bucks off craigslist flipping bikes. People are pulling them from dumps and all sorts but they are afraid of selling their 1 million dollar antiques road show bike for $50 
.
.
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02-26-21, 11:37 AM
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Vintagely speaking, a serial number may tell you more than anything else present on the bike. Especially if the frame has been repainted, re-decaled and/or rebuilt with non-original parts.
As for the problem of stolen bikes on the Forum, it has to be a tiny tiny tiny fraction of the bikes presented and discussed. It's the Internet for appropriate discussion - you folks are Forum members, not investigators, accept your role on the Forum and just roll with it.
Bike thieves are criminals and that's garbage - but that doesn't logically lead to making assumptions about anonymous people with unknown bikes suddenly being identified as criminals because they want info about a bike from a cycling forum - Where they have to register to post!
IMO.
As for the problem of stolen bikes on the Forum, it has to be a tiny tiny tiny fraction of the bikes presented and discussed. It's the Internet for appropriate discussion - you folks are Forum members, not investigators, accept your role on the Forum and just roll with it.
Bike thieves are criminals and that's garbage - but that doesn't logically lead to making assumptions about anonymous people with unknown bikes suddenly being identified as criminals because they want info about a bike from a cycling forum - Where they have to register to post!
IMO.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
02-26-21, 03:51 PM
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Vintagely speaking, a serial number may tell you more than anything else present on the bike. Especially if the frame has been repainted, re-decaled and/or rebuilt with non-original parts.
As for the problem of stolen bikes on the Forum, it has to be a tiny tiny tiny fraction of the bikes presented and discussed. It's the Internet for appropriate discussion - you folks are Forum members, not investigators, accept your role on the Forum and just roll with it.
Bike thieves are criminals and that's garbage - but that doesn't logically lead to making assumptions about anonymous people with unknown bikes suddenly being identified as criminals because they want info about a bike from a cycling forum - Where they have to register to post!
IMO.
As for the problem of stolen bikes on the Forum, it has to be a tiny tiny tiny fraction of the bikes presented and discussed. It's the Internet for appropriate discussion - you folks are Forum members, not investigators, accept your role on the Forum and just roll with it.
Bike thieves are criminals and that's garbage - but that doesn't logically lead to making assumptions about anonymous people with unknown bikes suddenly being identified as criminals because they want info about a bike from a cycling forum - Where they have to register to post!
IMO.
02-27-21, 06:30 AM
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Serial number can tell you a lot on certain vintage bikes. On my Higgins/Sears Flightliner, the number told me the year and trim level. Mine is a 1961, originally equipped with a rat trap springer fork and 2 speed kickback hub.
The number can tell you a lot on a vintage Schwinn Stingray too. You can determine year and month of production. You can determine whether it was originally a ss, 3 spd or 6 spd.
Unfortunately, the number does not reveal much on most makes.
The number can tell you a lot on a vintage Schwinn Stingray too. You can determine year and month of production. You can determine whether it was originally a ss, 3 spd or 6 spd.
Unfortunately, the number does not reveal much on most makes.
