When you buy a bike, most shops include the frame number on the receipt. If you kept the receipt, that is the first place to check. You can also ask the bike dealer whether they registered it in their system.
The frame number may be listed as the manufacturing number or serial number. If it is listed as a serial number, do not include S/N or SN – only the characters that follow.
Where is the frame number?
If you don't have the receipt, you can read the frame number yourself. These are the most common locations:
- On the frame up by the handlebars
- On the frame around the crank
- On the frame underneath the bike, between the pedals
- Somewhere on this part of the frame, e.g. on the chainstay
- Somewhere on this part of the frame, e.g. on the seat tube
Steel and carbon bikes
- Steel bikes: The frame number is usually engraved and can be anywhere on the frame. Most often it is between the pedals underneath the bike or up by the handlebars – never on the wheels, pedals or handlebars.
- Carbon bikes: The frame number is usually printed on a label on the frame, since carbon cannot be engraved. The label is attached so it cannot be removed without leaving marks in the paint.
Characters that are easy to confuse
- 0 (zero) ↔ O as in Oscar
- 1 (one) ↔ I as in India
- 5 (five) ↔ S as in Sierra
- 8 (eight) ↔ B as in Bravo
Numbers you should not register
You may find several numbers on the frame that are not unique:
- S/N + digits is the serial number – the frame number is the characters after S/N or SN.
- ISO + digits is a quality standard.
- EN + five digits is a quality mark shared by every bike of the same model.
- SEC + digits are old Falck Sykkelregister numbers and are not the frame number.
Still unsure? Search the number on Google. If it turns up as a known number, such as a model number, it is not your bike's unique frame number. You can also ask a bike shop that sells your brand.
What is a bike frame number?
The frame number (also called manufacturing or serial number) is a unique identification number that manufacturers are required by Norwegian regulations on bicycles to mark every bike with. It must be clearly visible and not easy to alter or remove. In Norway it may only contain letters and digits – no special characters or spaces. The structure varies between brands and models.
How BikeMember checks the frame number
Every time a bike is registered, we check that the frame number matches known frame number structures. If we find an error, we contact you to correct it – so the bike can be found through search if it is stolen.