Making a list of your bikes & serial numbers etc

daniel_b
daniel_b Posts: 11,606
edited September 2013 in Commuting chat
Evening all,

been taking some care this year to get the house insurance right, as are household bikes have crept into double figures, and there are the odd high value one in there.

I think I need to keep a document with details of each of the bikes, this is the kind of info I am thinking of, have I missed anything?

Make and model of bike
Year of manufacture
Year purchased and for how much - any receipts?
Add pictures to the document of each bike
Any distinguishing features/marks, scrapes etc
Any customisation, wheels, bar tape, saddle etc etc
Frame serial number - I have not investigated these yet, but do all bikes have them, and are they always under the bottom bracket, or do they tend to be elsewhere?

Anything else I have missed?

Does anyone bother with any other kind of security, I'm not talking about ground anchors and locks and what have you, I'm thinking of getting the bikes marked up by your local plod, and isn't there some stuff you can brush into the seatube or something that you can get made up with your post code on, but is impossible to see with the naked eye?
Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 18

Comments

  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    http://datatag.co.uk/bicycles.php

    Most bikes have the serial number under the BB, but it may not be there. I have a bike with it on the inside of the left dropout. Took me ages to find it.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

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  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Daniel B wrote:
    ...and isn't there some stuff you can brush into the seatube or something that you can get made up with your post code on, but is impossible to see with the naked eye?

    Smartwater - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartWater
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Police do regular BikeRegister events. I've had mine done, it adds an extra number and they load the data onto BikeRegister for you. Simples.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,357
    Definitely get the police to mark them. When my bike was nicked I was told frame numbers of stolen bikes do not go on any sort of national database, but the Bike Register they mark them with does.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • davis
    davis Posts: 2,506
    I've got these in the "expensive" bikes. They can't hurt, I suppose.

    Note: Immobilise seem to "run" the UK National Mobile Property Database, but you don't need to buy stuff from them in order to create an account/register your stuff. The best use-case seems to be if stuff (not just bikes) gets nicked you can hand a print-out to plod and say "this is what was nicked". I still use ground anchors though!
    Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
  • Colinthecop
    Colinthecop Posts: 996
    I would say the best thing you could do is have a good photo of your bike with a list of upgrades/mods. Even detail them on photoshop with an arrow,

    Eg - ' Quick release seatbost clamp replaced with single red bolt'

    Should your bike go walkabout, just hand the pic to the Police (or probably e mail it nowadays).
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Wrath Rob wrote:
    Police do regular BikeRegister events. I've had mine done, it adds an extra number and they load the data onto BikeRegister for you. Simples.
    I had my bike registered by the police, they were up in Crystal Palace outside the bike cafe there. I registered my bike and they told me I'd get an email etc confirming it but I never received it and there was no record of it being registered. The bike was stolen shortly afterwards and registration was utterly pointless, I told the officer who came round after the theft and he showed no interest when I told him it'd been registered...
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Indeed, had a frame taken from the back garden (live in the arse end of nowhere so it was a surprise) but the frame was worthless. Tried to register it stolen but needed a police reference. Filled in a load of forms online for my local police and no number ever appeared. Not going to bother next time I come across one of these events..

    If you are really worried, do all the things you said and insure them.

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