Help us fight bicycle theft—Index your stolen bike. The Bike Index makes stolen bikes harder to sell and easier to recover by making it possible to find and contact stolen bike owners. The process is simple, secure, and free. Register your stolen bike. We've registered 212,617 bikes and recovered 5,341 stolen bikes. Locating your Bicycle Serial Number The best chance at recovering a stolen bicycle is having a registered serial number. These numbers are used by police across the nation.
I've looked everywhere I can for an immobitag or some similar product, even using a snake scope inside the frame, but there is none. Also, there are no distinguishing marks on the bike as far as hand done numbers, names, scarring, laser etching. Nothing. The frame is pristine and the only issue is the serial has been removed, but I sincerely feel rotten that someone more than likely doesn't have a bike now and I do. Is it illegal to own a bicycle in the UK without a serial or serial obviously removed?? What should I do? I contacted the person I bought it from, have known this guy for a while as he's a friend of my in-laws, is in his 60's and always been straight up, but definitely know he wouldn't have bought this without the number if he knew where to look, he said he bought it in a car boot sale a few months back so trace back is probably futile. Advice please!!! Are you looking to purchase a bicycle? The steep prices of new bikes can deter people from entering the world of cycling. Getting a good deal on a second-hand bike is a viable option. There is nothing inherently negative about getting a used one. A simple tune-up can usually fix the wear and tear. The only potentially negative thing about getting a used bicycle is the chance it is stolen. Bike theft is a big problem, especially in a big city.
Read the SellerTake a good account of the person that is selling you the bicycle. Is it the right size for him or her? Could it even be a possibility that this person was the previous owner? Take note of the words the seller is using when describing different aspects of the bike. Feel free to ask very specific questions about it. If the person owned the bike, they should have no trouble answering these types of questions. You can even do a little research beforehand to help verify if the seller knows what he or she is talking about. Serial NumberEvery bicycle has a unique serial number. To find the number you must look on the underside of the bike, underneath the pedals. The number is engraved on the bottom of the frame. If the number has been scratched off, good chances are the bike has been stolen. If the number has not been scratched off, be sure to write it down. There are websites with databases filled with bicycles and their serial numbers. Run the bike’s serial number through some online databases in your country to see if the bike was ever reported stolen. If you are in the United States, check out bikeregistry.com or bikeindex.org. If you are in the United Kingdom, check out checkthatbike.co.uk. Unusual StickersSometimes police will engrave a police number on the cycle, to help track it if stolen. Keep an eye out for unusually placed stickers on the frame. People will use inconspicuous stickers to cover up these police numbers. Spray PaintBicycle Serial Number Lookup TrekBe weary of it being re-painted. People will spray paint a stolen bicycle to help conceal its identity. The paint not only hides the model and make of the bike but also the serial numbers and rust. A good indicator that it has been spray painted is to look on the frame. If the frame looks as if it has a bumpy texture in some spots, it was probably spray painted. Stolen Bicycle Serial Number Lookup FreeLook at the areas that are difficult to spray paint. The areas in which two parts of the frame meet. Damage from ThievesThe first step in stealing a bike is breaking the lock. Thieves are not particularly gentle when breaking locks. Sometimes they will bend the frame for leverage when cracking a lock. When locks are broken off, it can cause damage to the frame or the spokes of the wheel. Keep an eye out for damage in these areas, as it can be an indicator that it has been stolen. Post-PurchaseStolen Bicycle Serial Number Lookup NumbersAfter you get the used bicycle, feel free to contact your local police department. Explain to them your situation, and have them run your serial number through their local database. It can’t hurt to see if something comes up in their records. You should also be able to register it in their database in case it gets stolen in the future. Bicycle Serial NumberContents
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