For example my 1986 Mongoose Expert has a serial number M6EG0652. Generally the year and month of build was stamped as the first part of the serial number. Older Mongoose bikes made through the 1980’s had pretty easy serial numbers. If you have mongoose this may be if some help. How much your bicycle is worth depends on the location of the buyer and seller, how much the buyer wants the bike, etc. Note that bicycles.stackexchange does not do valuations of bicycles. These tend to have modern rims and brakes as a giveaway. Dutch bikes, trendy coffee cruisers, and beach cruisers may be modern but appear to be 1950s styling. Low-end manufacturers may continue using technology that is severely outdated (such as one-piece cranks, freewheels, or quill stems) because it is cheaper to do so.Ī number of bikes are built in a Retro style, but with modern components. There is a delay between the introduction of a technology (such as indexed shifting) and when manufacturers start selling products that use it. Please edit this question if you have an answer that isn't in the index above.Ī previous owner could have replaced or upgraded components on a bicycle, so this guide only applies to original equipment By the 80's if it was clamp-on, it was a sign of very cheap models and most frames had braze-ons for all cables, with multiple bottle and accessory bosses depending on style and use.Īnd so forth. Most 60's racers and earlier had few or none with cable guides/stops, shifters, bidons, etc. Race bikes tended have less braze-ons the earlier the year of manufacture. Inspection of lug design: pantographs, cut-out, stampings, custom brazing/filing, chrome, fork crow n sweep, etc.įrame/Fork Braze-ons. Number of gears (shift from 2x5 ten-speed to 3x8, 2x9, 1x11, etc.) Manufacturing method (shift from lugs to TIG welding, for example)Ĭassette vs. Presence or absence of CPSC reflectors (USA only) Most bikes lost their metal badges in the 60's and early 70's, although some brands still have actual badges to this day, but in general a real badge indicates an earlier model bike.ĭropout style (including the later inclusion of lawyers lips) Headbadges: most early bikes had actual 'badges', often quite detailed and fancy, made of metal, then plastic, and finally just using decals on the headtube. Earlier bikes tended to have less fancy, less colorful, less quantity of decals. Tubing decals (Reynolds, Columbus, etc.) also changed designs for same tubing made in different years, although the changes aren't made as often, and manufacturers didn't always put tubing Brand decals on every model. This applies only if decals are original or have been replaced with the identical design. Many changed decal design for the same model bike often yearly, with special/limited editions even more specific. can help not only determine models, but also year of manufacture. *Decals: style/design, amount, placement, color, etc. So a frame with an original 501 decal can't be from the 70', 531 decal doesn't help as much because of the range of years produced. Reynolds 531 tubing introduced around 1934, still used today Reynolds 501 tubing introduced around 1983).

Shifting ramps and pins on cassettes/sprockets and chainrings (versus flat sprockets)įrame material (e.g., shift from tubular steel to use of CF and hydroformed aluminium)įrame tubing type (e.g. Style of shifters (brifters, triggers, etc.) threadless)īraking system (especially with mountain bikes: v-brake, direct pull, etc.) How the steerer attaches to the fork (quill vs. Quick releases versus contemporary through-axles old catalogues, fan websites)Ĭottered cranks vs square tapered or splined cranks and bottom brackets The span of answers would include things such as: To some extent, these will also help you narrow down the model as well as it will tell you what distinguishing features to look at. Each 'answer' should address a different way to determine the manufacturing year of a bicycle. This is a canonical question that will hopefully encompass all of the questions we get asking us to determine what year a bicycle was manufactured (how old is my bike, how old is my frame, etc.).

Dunelt bicycle serial number chart