Frame number

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Frame number with barcode on the seat tube

The frame number is a specific code for bicycle frames , consisting of a combination of letters and / or numbers that are stamped by the bicycle manufacturer or attached to the bicycle by means of a varnished label. It is the most important criterion for assigning a bike to its owner and is the most important basis in the event of theft in order to be able to verify ownership.

placement

In most cases, frame numbers are stamped on the bottom bracket shell. Other locations are the seat tube, the down tube, the top tube, the head tube, the seat stay bridge, the pletscher plate and occasionally even the dropouts . Paintwork and cable / cable guides on the bottom bracket shell hinder legibility in some cases considerably.

Length and content

The number should consist of at least six numbers and characters. This requirement was contained in DIN 79100, which has since been withdrawn. This has been replaced by several European standards such as B. EN 14764 City and Trekking Bicycles - Safety Requirements and Test Methods .

In practice, not all manufacturers adhere to standardization. In some cases, identical serial numbers are assigned for several frames instead of individual frame numbers.

multi-line frame number under the bottom bracket shell

Competing alphanumeric sequences make it difficult for the layperson to recognize which of them represents the frame number. If the frame number is separated into two or more lines for reasons of space, the correct order is often difficult for the layperson to recognize. Likewise, the differences between a model number and an actual frame number are hardly comprehensible for him.

Frame numbers are neither standardized nor necessarily unique. The so-called Bicycle Equipment Ordinance (FAusüstV) required clear identifiability. This legislative initiative was rejected in the Federal Council in 2006.

theft

With the help of the frame number, the bike can be registered on the Internet after purchase. It should be archived in a bicycle passport, especially if it is not noted on the receipt.

In the event of a theft report, the data collected during registration can be transferred to a police wanted file ( e.g. POLAS ).

Since the frame number is not always unique, the bike owner can have a bike code attached himself.

history

Frame numbers have been stamped consecutively since the 1950s. They started at 0 and were carried forward, sometimes in the millions. Frame numbers can also be used to clarify the age of a bike. However, the frame number alone is not always clear: for some companies, when the first million was exceeded, they started again at 0.

Other manufacturers start again with number 1 with each new model series.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bicycle Equipment Ordinance. Accessed August 30, 2020 . , § 9 identification of bicycles
  2. ↑ Bundestag: Bicycle Equipment Ordinance. Accessed August 30, 2020 . , Printed decision of 7 April 2006
  3. ↑ Fahrradnummer.de. Accessed January 31, 2018 .

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