Buying used? Ask the seller for the frame serial before you pay. It's usually stamped under the bottom bracket, where the pedals meet. We check Pacific Northwest reports here and the national Bike Index registry.
It's free and nonprofit, and takes about two minutes. If your bike is ever taken, police, shops and buyers can match the serial back to you. Most of the bikes on this page had no serial on file.
Meet somewhere public in daylight. Ask for the serial and a receipt or proof of ownership. Be wary of a too-good price, a seller who can't say the size or brand, or cut-lock marks. If it doesn't add up, walk away and send a sighting.
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