by brand
Stolen Orange Bikes: UK Frame-Number Check (Free)
Last updated
Quick answer
Orange frame numbers are underneath the bottom bracket, or on the underside of the down tube on full-suspension models such as the Five. The code is stamped or etched into aluminium, so it survives cleaning better than a printed marking on carbon. Run it through Cyclesite's free lookup for an instant UK check against a stolen-bike registry and rider-filed theft reports.
Where Orange stamps the frame number
Under the bottom bracket, moving to the underside of the down tube on the Five and the rest of the full-suspension range where the linkage takes up the shell. Orange welds in aluminium in Halifax, and an aluminium frame takes a real stamp, so unlike a carbon bike the code should still be legible after years of use and washing. A code that has genuinely disappeared from an alloy Orange is harder to explain away than a faint marking on carbon.
Orange on the UK used market
Orange is one of the few remaining British frame builders and has a strong domestic following, which means a stolen Five or Alpine is likely to be recognised by someone if it is relisted openly. The bikes hold value well and the owner community is well connected. Ask for the frame code before travelling, and treat a filed or ground bottom bracket area on an alloy frame as a serious warning sign.
FAQs
- Where is the frame number on an Orange?
- Under the bottom bracket, or on the underside of the down tube on full-suspension models such as the Five.
- Should the code still be readable on an old Orange?
- Usually yes. The frames are aluminium and take a genuine stamp, so the marking survives cleaning far better than an etched code on carbon.
- What if the bottom bracket area has been filed flat?
- Walk away. On an alloy frame that takes a deep stamp, a smooth shell is a strong sign the identifier was removed deliberately.
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
data.police.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0