Pagina 1 van 1

Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: za 18 sep, 2021 23:16
door Sweet Valentine 99
Hello,

My girlfriend bought a very nice second hand bike for a very good price.

I got suspicious and tried to check the bike's frame number.

It seems though there is no frame number anywhere that I looked.

In your experience, is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

I am worrying that she bought a stolen bike, however I cannot be 100% about it.

What would you advise us what is suitable to do in this case?

Thank you in advance/

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: zo 19 sep, 2021 15:58
door jaccow
What brand and model is it? Some have it in weird places like the rear dropout.

You should be worried if you see any clear sanding in an area where you would expect a frame number like on the bottom bracket.

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: zo 19 sep, 2021 18:00
door Shadow
On the underside of the bottombracket usually...

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: zo 19 sep, 2021 22:08
door non-fixie
I wouldn't worry, unless something has clearly been removed, like @jaccow says.

BITD it was customary for bike shops to buy "blank" frames which they then would build up and brand with their own decals. Some would stamp a serial number in the BB shell, but most didn't bother.

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: zo 19 sep, 2021 22:17
door Leon
On some frames, like VSF Fahrradmanufaktur, the number stamped into the steering tube, is hardly visible, even when the bike is brand new.

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: za 25 sep, 2021 16:22
door Sweet Valentine 99
Hello, thanks for the replies.

The bike brand is L' avenir. I looked everywhere but there is no frame number. There doesn't seem to be a sanded or covered part. A bike shop employee suggested that the frame number might have been on a sticker which could have been removed.

What I am thinking is that since there is no frame number, it is not possible to search the number on the database.

Therefore, since there is no frame number I understand that it is not possible to find out whether it is stolen or not?

Is there any other way to identify the bike?

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: ma 27 sep, 2021 17:58
door non-fixie
Sweet Valentine 99 schreef:
za 25 sep, 2021 16:22
(...)
Is there any other way to identify the bike?
Post some nice big pictures of the bike, starting with an overall view of the bike from the drive side.

Someone may recognize it immediately, and if not we should at least be able to point you in the right direction.

Close-ups of the seat cluster, fork crown, dropouts and fork ends often help as well.

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: ma 27 sep, 2021 18:52
door Carl
non-fixie schreef:
ma 27 sep, 2021 17:58
Sweet Valentine 99 schreef:
za 25 sep, 2021 16:22
(...)
Is there any other way to identify the bike?
Post some nice big pictures of the bike, starting with an overall view of the bike from the drive side.

Someone may recognize it immediately, and if not we should at least be able to point you in the right direction.
Ehm - isn't it a bit far-fetched to think readers of this forum can identify the bike as stolen or not from photos? What are the chances of someone on this forum having their L'avenir stolen, reading this thread, and not having reacted here already?

Kind regards,

Carl

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: ma 27 sep, 2021 19:29
door non-fixie
Carl schreef:
ma 27 sep, 2021 18:52
Ehm - isn't it a bit far-fetched to think readers of this forum can identify the bike as stolen or not from photos? What are the chances of someone on this forum having their L'avenir stolen, reading this thread, and not having reacted here already?

Kind regards,

Carl
Of course. But I understood the question to be about the bike's ID, i.e. brand, model and build year.

But I may have been wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. :(

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: ma 27 sep, 2021 19:38
door Leon
Sweet Valentine 99 schreef:
za 18 sep, 2021 23:16
My girlfriend bought a very nice second hand bike for a very good price.

What would you advise us what is suitable to do in this case?
Was the deal really that good? All too good? L'Avenir bikes are quite cheap and low-end bicycles, so even after a few years of use it will be hard to sell them second hand.

For location of the frame numer maybe you can ask https://www.lavenir.be ? :idea:

Re: Is it normal that a bike doesn't have a frame number?

Geplaatst: ma 27 sep, 2021 19:39
door Grandonneur
post some nice pictures anyway.