Schwinn Serial Number Chart

This tool searches a database of Schwinn serial numbers and if it finds a match to your serial number then it will display the information available for your bike. Notes: This tool works for Schwinn bikes from 1948 to 1982. All serial number records before 1948 were lost in a factory fire. C 44299 is the serial # located on the rear fork. Here are two Schwinn serial listings that come close to C 44299 Not sure if it's a '52 or a '57 frame! Also, there is no built-in kick stand like my '56 phantom. Any clues to what year:confused.

AGE / VALUE: 1986 Schwinn Madison Serial Number. AGE / VALUE: 1987 Bridgestone Grand Velo 3000. AGE / VALUE: 1988 560 Trek. AGE / VALUE: 1988 peugeot chorus. Being the the serial is under the bottom bracket, it has to be older than 1952 (before Schwinn moved the serial #s to the rear dropout) and being that you are unable to find record of that number, other than 1957, it's more likely that frame of yours was built before the August 1948 fire that destroyed the records prior to the fire. The earliest number I have seen (I own the bike) is 1898 on a Model 22 Gents Roadster. This serial number runs parallel to the bearings (Fig. I am unsure how long this continued but I suspect not too much past the turn of the century. Certainly by the teens Schwinn was stamping their numbers in line with the crank.

All bikes¹all have unique serial numbers.

Finding a bicycle serial number

Most bicycles have their serial number engraved beneath their bottom bracket, but sometimes serial numbers are found in other places. Here are some examples of where and what to look for:

The bottom bracket (where serial numbers are typically located) is circled.
A serial number on the underside of a bottom bracket.
Another serial number beneath the bottom bracket, aligned parallel to the frame.
Rad Power bikes have their serial number on the head tube. This is on the front of the bike.
Some Schwinn bicycles also have the unique identifying number (their serial number) on the head tube.
A serial number located on a rear dropout. Some BMX bikes and a few Schwinn bicycles place the serial on the rear dropout. On older Schwinns there are numbers stamped on both the drive side and non-drive side rear dropouts; the one on the non-drive side dropout is the serial number.
Some bikes have multiple serial numbers.²When adding a bike to the Index, it's best to enter all the groups of numbers and letters separated by spaces.

Hopefully you can find the serial number on the bicycle you're looking at - email contact@bikeindex.org if you're having trouble.

Searching serials on Bike Index

Finding bicycles by serial number on Bike Index is a critical part of our functionality. When searching for a serial number, use our serial search bar - it's the second bar on our search form.

We've done a few things to make it more likely that you'll find the bike you're looking for.

Certain numbers and letters are difficult or impossible to distinguish between (e.g. 0 and O, S and 5). We treat all these numbers the same way - a search for 005LLL will match a bike with the serial OOS111.
We split bike serials up by spaces and store each separately. If you see multiple numbers on a bicycle - such as in the photo of the Look bike above - try searching for just one of the numbers at a time. Searching for eitherM4106I9CA1 or 200910427-2A will find the bike.
We do close serial matching - bikes with serial numbers that are close to the serial you entered are shown below the matching results under the heading 'Serial Numbers Close to...' - given a search of a serial number with a couple numbers/letters that are different or missing.
We do not currently do partial serial searches. If you search for 1234, you will only find bikes with serial numbers of 1234 and serials close to that - not a bike with serial number of 12345689.

Okay, fine, so maybe there are a few bikes without serial numbers, but this is rare and typical only on hand made bikes or really old bicycles.↩
In this picture 200910427-2A is a manufacturer number and not a serial number. However, to make bikes as easy as possible to find, feel free to enter all numbers you encounter.↩