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Stolen Factor Bikes: UK Frame-Number Check (Free)
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Quick answer
Factor frame numbers are underneath the bottom bracket, etched or on a bonded label because the frames are carbon. Photograph the code as soon as you own the bike: high-value road frames are heavily targeted, and a light etched marking is easy to lose to grime or damage. Run it through Cyclesite's free lookup for an instant UK check against a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports.
Where Factor puts the frame number
Under the bottom bracket, etched or on a bonded label. Factor publishes no serial format, so record the complete code rather than looking for a prefix. Black Inc wheels are fitted to many Factors and carry their own serials, which are frequently offered as the bike number by sellers who do not know the difference; wheels are among the easiest components to move between bikes, so a wheel serial proves nothing about the frame.
Factor on the UK used market
Factor sits at the top of the road market, with complete Ostro and O2 builds routinely five figures new and holding strong four-figure used values. Bikes at this level are stolen deliberately rather than opportunistically, most often from vans, garages and event car parks, and are usually broken up for parts. A complete Factor offered well below the going rate without purchase history is the pattern to be cautious about.
FAQs
- Where is the frame number on a Factor?
- Underneath the bottom bracket, etched or on a bonded label. Photograph it early, because a light marking on a high-value frame is exactly what gets obscured.
- Is the Black Inc wheel serial the frame number?
- No. Black Inc wheels carry their own serials and wheels move between bikes easily. Only the code on the frame identifies the bike.
- Should I record the number before anything happens?
- Yes. Photograph it while the bike is clean. A light etched code on a high-value frame is exactly what gets obscured or damaged, and you cannot report what you never wrote down.
Police datapolice.uk releases
Most stolen bikes are never traced back to anyone
Police recorded 28,531 bicycle thefts across 44 UK city centres over three years. A suspect was identified in 10.1% of closed cases, and 1 in 33 reached a charge. Pick an area for the local picture.
Jun 23Down 25% in three yearsMay 26
- 8,221
- thefts recorded in 12 months
- −12%
- change on the year before
- 10.1%
- of closed cases had a suspect identified
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