A bike has a serial number. It should have a history.

Why IDbike exists

A bike is easy to recognize in a photo — and very hard to identify with certainty after a repaint, changed parts, or a resale. Receipts get lost, paper warranty cards stay with the previous owner, and listings disappear from the internet quickly.

But most bikes have something that lasts for years — a frame number.

IDbike brings the frame number, photos, specs, and ownership history together in one record. That record helps confirm you're looking at this exact bike, not just a similar model in the same color.

Our goal is to make checking a bike as natural a habit as checking a car's VIN before buying it.

How IDbike works

1. Create a profile

Sign up and add contact details people can reach you at. It takes a few minutes.

2. Add your bike

Enter the frame number, brand, model, color, and key specs. Upload photos of the bike and, if you have them, documents proving ownership.

3. Get a digital passport

Once registered, the bike gets a unique IDbike code, a protected digital passport, and a public card with a permanent link. The card can be opened from a phone, sent to a buyer, or used to identify the bike.

4. Manage its status

If the bike is stolen or lost, the owner can change its status to "Wanted." The card appears in the public Wanted section, where other cyclists and anyone checking a frame number can see it.

If the bike is listed for sale, the matching status helps a buyer confirm the listing is tied to a registered card.

What registering your bike gets you

Unambiguous identification

The model, color, and parts can all change. The frame number and its saved history help tell one specific bike apart from thousands of similar ones.

Proof of ownership

Photos, the registration date, and supporting materials form a consistent history for the bike — especially useful if documents are lost or the bike is resold.

A permanent card

Every bike gets a unique IDbike code and a permanent link. The card doesn't disappear along with an old listing — it stays reachable for the bike's whole life.

A better chance of getting it back

A found bike, or one listed for sale, can be checked by frame number or IDbike code. If it's marked Wanted, that will show right on its card.

A safer purchase

Before buying a used bike, you can check its status and compare the seller's details against the card's history. No match doesn't mean the bike is stolen, but a match found helps you make a better-informed decision.

History that survives a change of owner

A bike can pass to a new person without its identity starting over. Keeping the ownership history makes the secondhand market more transparent and protects future owners.

If your bike is stolen

Act fast — that matters most.

1. Change the bike's status in IDbike to "Wanted."
2. Check the photos, frame number, description, and contact details on the card.
3. Save the permanent link and use it in posts, communities, and your police report.
4. Watch for listings and ask people around you to check suspicious bikes through IDbike.

IDbike isn't an insurance company, doesn't replace a police report, and can't guarantee a bike's return. But an accurate card, the frame number, and an open Wanted status give others a way to recognize the bike and reach the owner.

If you're buying a used bike

Ask the seller to show you the frame number and its IDbike card. Compare the model, color, photos, and distinguishing features. Check whether it's marked Wanted.

If the details don't match, the frame number is damaged, or the seller won't let you check, it's better to stop and ask more questions.

Responsible checking doesn't just protect the buyer — it makes reselling stolen bikes harder and reduces the payoff from theft as a business.

If you found a bike

Check the frame for its serial number — usually stamped under the bottom bracket, on the underside of the frame. Enter it in IDbike's search.

If a card turns up and the bike is marked Wanted, use the contact method the owner provided. Don't post the full frame number or anyone's personal details publicly — leave the owner a way to confirm the bike is really theirs.

Data you can trust

The public card is meant for identifying the bike and reaching its owner. Supporting documents are never made public — they're used as a protected part of the digital passport.

A bike's record and its status history keep their value even after a change of owner. It's that continuous history that helps tell a genuine resale apart from an attempt to hide a bike's origin.

Built by cyclists

IDbike started in 2015 as a simple way to keep a bike's data on file and find its card by frame number. Over time it grew into an international registry with public cards, digital passports, and Wanted and For sale sections.

We want to build a place where:

• owners register a bike right after buying it;
• buyers check the frame number before handing over money;
• a found bike can be identified quickly;
• history doesn't disappear on resale;
• a stolen bike becomes harder to sell as "clean."

The more bikes are registered, and the more often people check frame numbers, the more useful the registry becomes for the whole community.

Start with your own bike

Registration takes a few minutes, but the card it creates can stay with the bike for years. Add the frame number, photos, and key specs now — while all the information and documents are still on hand.