Is this bike stolen?

Run a free bike or bicycle stolen-check at cyclesite.co.uk/stolen-bikes. Take the frame number, usually under the bottom bracket where the pedal cranks meet, and we'll cross-reference it against a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports and Cyclesite's own community reports in seconds. Ask the seller for the original receipt and a photo of the frame number before you commit.

Yes, Cyclesite is a free bike checker for the UK. Enter a frame or serial number and the bike check runs it against an international stolen-bike registry, plus Cyclesite's own theft reports, in seconds, returning a Clear, Caution or Stolen verdict. There's no signup and no limit on individual lookups, so you can run a free bike check on any UK bike or bicycle before you buy.

A bicycle serial number lookup checks a frame's unique identifier against registered theft reports. Enter the bike or bicycle serial number at cyclesite.co.uk/stolen-bikes and Cyclesite cross-references it against a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports plus our community reports in one query. The serial is the 7-14 character code stamped into the frame, not a sticker (see "Where is the frame number on a bike?" below for the exact location).

Yes. Cyclesite's free check searches a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports. The same lookup works for any bike or bicycle and returns a verdict of Clear, Caution or Stolen within seconds. No signup, no stored searches.

Cyclesite does not have a police feed. The check runs your frame number against an international stolen-bike registry and Cyclesite's own rider-filed theft reports, and the result strip shows how many sources answered. If it comes back stolen, the report details tell you which force to call.

The frame number is stamped into the frame itself. On most bikes it is on the underside of the bottom bracket shell, so turn the bike over to read it. If it is not there, check the rear dropouts and the head tube. It is stamped or engraved, not printed on a sticker.

A bike or bicycle serial number is typically 7-14 alphanumeric characters, often starting with letters followed by numbers. They may be stamped into the frame metal, printed on a sticker, or laser-engraved. Examples: "WTU123456789", "SNFSC12345", "BC06M12345". Each manufacturer has its own format.

Yes. Cyclesite offers a free stolen-bike check (and the same free bicycle serial number check) with no account required. Enter the frame serial number and we'll query a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports and our own community reports in one go.

Always run the frame-number check before travelling. Ask the seller for proof of purchase, check the number matches any documentation, inspect the frame for tampering (grinding marks, fresh paint over numbers), and meet in a safe public location.

Call 999 if it's in progress, otherwise 101. Get a crime reference, then report it to Cyclesite and post a sighting alert in our stolen-bike-alerts community. The faster the bike is on the registries, the higher the chance of recovery.

No. A clear result means no stolen reports were found in the databases we check, which is encouraging but not a guarantee. Not every stolen bike is reported. Always combine the database check with physical inspection at the viewing.

Yes. Every Cyclesite listing with a frame number is automatically cross-checked against a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports before it goes live, and a match is flagged for our Trust and Safety team to review.

Work from the frame itself rather than the badge, which is often missing on a second-hand bike. The model name is usually printed on the top tube or down tube, the groupset is stamped on the chainset and rear derailleur, and on a few brands, Brompton among them, the serial number dates the frame. Identify the bike first, then run the frame number here to check it is not stolen.

For most brands the frame number will not tell you, because most bicycle serials do not encode a date. Look for paperwork first: a receipt, warranty card or Cycle to Work paperwork. Many Shimano parts carry a two-letter date code, where the first letter is the year and the second the month, though it dates the part rather than the frame. The brand or the shop that sold the bike can look up the frame number on its own records.