If you call Fisher they should be able to tell you based on the serial number. Whether they're willing to take the time to research it, I don't know. I do know that a lot of the time the serial number masks other information such as the date of manufacture. Have a question about any Trek bike built within the past few years? Your answer is just a few clicks away. Sep 04, 2003 I recently sold a Gary Fisher frame on Ebay and the buyer is disputing the frame size as I listed it (I believe he is measuring the frame center-center instead of center-top). The only proof I have that the frame size is indeed the size I listed is a bill of sale with the serial number of the.

• Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Chart
• Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder
• Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Calculator
• Fender Serial Number Decoder
• Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder For Car Batteries 12v
• Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Free

By Year/Model

1970's
Redline Squareback

First production bike was serial number 100. A low number bike would be early 1974.
By the 500-600 range somewhere begin the 1975's.
1974-1975 Front gusset had no hole
1976-1977 Front gusset had two holes

1978-1979 MX-II - 4130 frame/fork. Used the Squareback front end & the now familiar MX-II rear end on early models.

1978-1979 Proline - 4130 frame and fork.

1980's
Japanese made frames started in 1979
RI 79
RJ 80
RA 81
RB 82
RC 83

1980

RJ 09623

1981

1981 700 MX-II 4130 frame & down tube decals, Vbars & Redline stem, Suntour VX alloy 3 piece cranks.
1981 600 MX-II 4130 frame & down tube decals, Vbars & Redline stem. Only difference from the 700 is the 1 piece
cranks.
1981 520 MX-II 4130 frame & down tube decals, Vbars but cheapo slant stem & Coaster brake Tuff Wheels.
All three came in your choice of Red, White or Blue.

1981 700 MX-II 4130 frame & down tube decals, Vbars & Redline stem. Sugino Maxy-Cross alloy cranks, Suntour seat clamp & hubs, National skinwalls & KKT alloy pedals.
1981 600 MX-II 4130 frame & down tube decals, same as 700 but came with Sugino 4130 1 piece cranks & KKT steel pedals.
1981 520 unknown specs.
All three came in only Blue, Red, Black & White. Chrome would come to the lineup in spring of 1981.

Late 1981/1982
The new bikes appear in the Oct. 81 issue of BMXA. Since the Advertisement had to be shot & submitted before print deadline it probably means the bikes were out at the end of summer of 1981.
They feature the long huge Redline logo in red with white or black trim. As in the earlier years no decal Identifying the bikes as 600 or 700 etc is on the bike yet. The new blocky RL logo is on the seat mast sides & headtube.
1981/1982 PL-20 Carrera uses a Proline frame, flight cranks & still using Vbars.
Available only in Chrome at first with red or blue parts packages.
1981/1982 700 Now using a first generation MX-III frame which is really a MX-II. Sugino Maxy-Cross cranks. Everything else same for 600.
1981/1982 600 Now using a first generation MX-III frame which is really a MX-II. 4130 1 piece cranks.
Both available in Chrome, Red, White, Blue or Black.

MX-II vs. Series-III
Early MX-III were the designation for complete MX-IIs from Japan. The first MX-III frames confused people so Redline also called them Series 3, ST(as in ST-20), Series Three etc.
Late 1982 the first Series-III based bikes rolled out the 600a & 700. Here is how to tell if you have a MX-II or Series-III based frame. Bottom Bracket height(center of BB to ground)MX-II, 11 3/8' . MX-III, 10 3/4' Remember wear & tear on the tires and tire design will affect the BB height slighty.
MX-II Top Tube(TT)is 18'
MX-III Top Tube(TT)is 18 3/4'
MX-II weighs @ 4 lbs 8 ounces
Series-III weighs @ 4 lbs 1 ounce(Dont forget to weigh clean with no headset or BB cups in.)
Series-III have larger then normal drilled out holes on the BB(4 holes)& HT(2 holes), which are covered up by the main tubes.

1983
1983 versions of the MX-III bikes were set to arrive in showrooms, October 1982.
Was the first year of the Redline MX-III. Well sorta. Till then all MX-III series used a MX-II frame according to an interview by Len Weed from BMX Action Dec. 82. Linn Kastan stated in 1983 Redline debuted its first real MX-III. It came as a complete bike Models 700 & 600a & Frame set.
First year the complete bikes had the model (600a etc) on the frameset.
Specs. TT & DT outside diameter was 1 1/4.' Forks 1'. Wheelbase was around 36' BB height was 10 3/4'.
1983 700 - 4130 came complete with Sugino Maxi-Cross cranks & Redline stem & Vbars.
1983 600a - 4130 came complete with Sugino 1pc or Sugino GT 3 piece cranks, Mild steel Kusuki Vbar & Sugino alloy & 4130 stem.
Both available in Chrome only. Your choice of black or blue parts.

1984/1985
1984 500 A - 4130 Series III frame set(MX-III). Sugino 175 1 piece cranks. Red to Yellow fade decals.
Available in White or Chrome only. (Made in Taiwan)
1984 600 B - 4130 ST-20(MX-III? ST as in Series Three as in MX-II?)104A forks(A as in all weld instead of the three spot?).
Available in White or Chrome only. Black with some grey background down tube decal with red Redline. ST-20 on seat tube & not 600b. Vbars & same pads as the 700P. Mostly black with some grey & red Redline written several times.
1984 700 P - 4130 Proline frame, same frame that the Carerra comes with. 101A Tapered forks.
Available in White or Chrome only. PL-20 on seat tube & not 700P. These use a Red to Yellow fade. Bike has 1 piece Sugino 175 cranks.

1985
1985 500 B - Tri Moly. 4130 front, mild steel rear triangle. MX-III type frame. Fully painted finish or all chrome. Econo stem.
Available in all Hazard Yellow (not partial Chrome like the 600 C) or Chrome.
1985 600 C - 4130 Front was painted or chrome, rear was chrome. MX-III frame. Forklifter stems. 1 piece cranks.
Available in Hazard Yellow, White or Chrome. Parts all black & chrome. Rear dropouts are gnurled. (Made in Taiwan)
1985 800 P - 4130 Proline frame & fork. Forklifter stems. 1 piece cranks.
Available in Turquoise/Chrome, Yellow/Chrome & White/Chrome

1986

1987
1987 400 C - Tri-Moly?
1987 600 CXL - Available in White, Red or Turquiose

1988
1988 400 C - 4130?, Available in Chrome, Inca Red, Jaguar Black, Kiwi & Mango. Series-III frame
1988 800 PXL - 4130, Available in Chrome, & a Red & Jaguar Black. Proline 2 frame.

Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Chart

1989
1989 390 -
1989 400 C -
1989 400 D -
1989 700 EXL - Retro Inspired logos & Proline tapered type forks, 180mm 1 piece cranks.
Available in Red, Blue, Black & Chrome.
1989 800 PXL -

1990's

1990
Blue=Pacific Blue, Red=Rio Red, Yellow=Solar Yellow, & Gray=Carbon
Color was front end with Gray or Chrome the back end.
1990 Three (300) - 18th Anniversary model, uses a Series-III type frame.
1990 Three (390) - 18th Anniversary model, uses a Series-III type frame. MX-II type forks.
Available in Red/Gray, Blue/Gray, Yellow/Gray & Black/Chrome
1990 Four (400 EXL) - Series-III type frame. TRX Type, leading axle, dropout forks.
Available in Red/Gray, Blue/Gray, Yellow/Gray & Black/Chrome
1990 Seven (700SL) - Proline type frame. Proline type forks.
Available in Red/Gray, Blue/Gray, Yellow/Gray & Black/Chrome.

1991
All Have commemorative sticker stating 1972-1991
1991 320 -
1991 420 - Available in Chrome, Red, Yellow or Blue.
1991 520 - Tri-moly frame. Tapered Proline 4130 forks.
Specs: TT-18 1/4', WB-35', BB-11 1/8', RE-15 1/2', TT OD 1 1/8', DT OD 1 1/4'.
Available in Yellow/Gray, Blue/White, Red/Gray(or Chrome)
1991 720 SLX - Available in Yellow/Black, Red/Black, Blue/White(White or Black being the back end color)

1992
1992 Redline Platinum - 20th Anniversary Edition. Only 50 made. Browning front suspension.

1993
1993 RL 340 -
1993 RL 440 -
1993 RL 540 - 4130 frame/fork. Two tone paint & chrome finish.
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By Serial Number
Early USA made bikes may have had a code like this:
RA = 81 Then run number is 5 digits.
RB = 82
RC = 83 etc...

**However bikes in the Museum throw that formula in the trash** (I will leave it up for now. The second letter may mean something, but its not the Formula people have been saying.

RA 04320 - 1982 Redline MX (Made in Japan, Redline Hotdog stamp)
RB XXXX - 1982 Redline MX-II
RB 01382 - 1984 Redline 102b (May possibly be a 82 or 83) (Redline Hotdog stamp)
RB 01693 - 1982 Proline II (has No gusset behind seat, CS bridge)
RC 01878 - Unknown Year, (maybe 600a) MX-II or III (Redline Oval stamp)
RC 06430 - 1984 Redline 600b
RC 07870 - 1984 Redline MX-III(ST-20), (has gusset behind seat, Redline Oval stamp)
RC 07631 - 1984 Redline 600b (Redline Oval stamp)
RC 09325 - 1984 Redline Proline (Redline Oval stamp, CS bridge)
RC 09858 - Unknown Year, Redline Proline (has NO gusset behind seat, Redline Oval stamp, CS bridge)
RC 13645 - 1984 Redline 700p
RE 00533 - 1985 Redline 800p
RH 00726 - 1983 Redline 600a (Redline Oval stamp, NO CS bridge)
RH 07118 - 1983 Redline 600a
RH 00250 - Unknown Year, Redline 102b
RI 0394X - Unknown Year, Redline MX-II or III (claims top tube is 17' but they only came in @18 & 18 3/4)
RI 05788 - Unknown Year, Redline MX-II or III
RJ 00829 - Unknown Year, Model
RJ 02630 - Unknown Year, Model
RJ 03295 - Unknown Year, Model
RJ 05818 - 1980 MX-III (MX-III was a MX-II frameset sold as a complete bike that came from Japan)

RJ 09623 - 1980 MX-II/MX-III

9 Digits, Letters & Numbers
WA9F01870 (1999, June)
WN0C05414 (2000, March) Redline 340
WN0C07804 (2000, March) Redline 340
WV9G05080 (1999, July)

The third number appears to be the year in this case 1999. The letter that follows that may be the month.
This is speculation based on the bikes age.

Someone posted a RMCF80257. Perhaps the C was actually a 0, then it would fit in with the above structure more.

8 - 7 or 6 Digits year stamped
866814 1986 Redline 500c (Redline Oval stamp. Trimoly stamp)

8609340 1986, September, bike number 340. Or maybe a typo & it is supposed to be 8 digits.

85021290 1985 Redline 600c
85050047 1985 & 05 the month
92081262 1992 & 08 the month
92081370 1992 & 08 the month

6 Digits
Some bikes have the Oval Redline stamp & some dont.
Speculation is that if it has the stamp it is made overseas. That isn't confirmed.
118468 (No Info)
341200 (No Info)
346386 (No Info)
370904 (No Info)
373568 (No Info)
494904 (No Info)
496287 (No Info)

109891 1984/85 Redline Proline (700p or PL-20) Frameset

**It is my opinion that these bikes were simply stamped in order, with no date coding put into them. The lower the number the earlier it was made, starting in 1979. Some model years started earlier & this throws off the fluid look. Also some bike owners may confuse the year of the date it was originally purchased with the model year which in some cases could be different**

340790 1980 Redline Proline (PL-20)
341692 1978-80 Proline (has No gusset behind seat, No Redline stamp)
343277 1979 Redline MX-II (has No gusset behind seat, No Redline stamp)
348647 1982 Redline MX-II (600 or 700) Frameset.
349470 Unknown Year Redline MX-II or III
350291 1981 Redline Proline 2 (had No gusset behind seat, & No CS bridge)
350294 Unknown Year, Redline Proline
354065 Unknown Year, Redline MX-II
357485 Unknown Year, Redline Proline (No CS bridge)
363127 Unknown Year, Redline Proline (Redline Oval stamp)
375830 Unknown Year, Redline Proline 2 frame (has gusset behind seat, CS bridge, Redline Oval stamp)
375996 1982 Redline Proline 2 (has the gusset behind seat, CS bridge, Redline Oval stamp)
499612 Unknown Year, Redline MX-III frame
502365 1984 Redline MX-III frame (has gusset behind seat, CS bridge, Redline Oval stamp)
502867 Unknown Year, Redline Proline (CS bridge)
505092 Unknown Year, Redline MX-III frame (has gusset behind seat, No CS bridge, Redline Oval stamp)
507159 Unknown Year, Redline MX-III frame (has gusset behind seat, No CS bridge, Redline Oval stamp)
510537 Unknown Year, Redline PL-24 (CS bridge)

5 Digits
08453 1978-79 Redline Proline.
15188 Unknown Year Redline Microline

Assorted Codes

Giant Made
Giant made should have two separate code areas, 1 on each dropout.
G0684 (on one side) First two digits are month, last two digits are year.
4673620 (on the other dropout) Run number

G0684 4673620 Giant made, June 1984
G0684 5676717 Giant made, June 1984 1984 Redline MX-III (Redline,Hotdog stamp
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R88041521 - 1988 Redline Proline (800 PXL - April, 1988)
R87112584 - 1987 Redline (November, 1987)

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85 RL REO 03155 (1985, Redline, Built by Code, run number) ???
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DBSN 401Q7687 (Built by code, came with 401's, Q cause they look cool & run number) ???
Or did he write it down wrong was the Q actually a 0? That would work with the below bikes sequence.

DSRM 40110554 This bike is a survivor. Owner cant remember the exact year but it was 1984/1985ish. It is a white 500a.
The 500a used a MX-III frame. Well the owner thinks it may be an 1984 & the code starts with 4 so maybe that was the year & the 01 is the actual month. the rest 10554 could be the run number.

DSRM 40555038 Only certain info is it is a MX-II or III frame.

DJBM 4020463 Perhaps 4 is 1984 & 02 is for February.

**Sure looks like the 4 is for 1984 & the 01,05 etc for the month, with the run number following**

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Third digit is last digit of year. The 4th digit is most likey the month of production.

IS7K0384 1997 Redline Cruiser (The bike seems to also have date codes on the seat tube & forks)
IS7J0211 1997 Redline 20

-----------------------------------
ACX0G0461 Unknown Cruiser code. 0 may be for 1990 & G for July.
-----------------------------------
ACR2K00### 1993 Redline RL340 (Serial number stamped on BB)
ACR3A00### 1993 Redline RL340 (Serial number stamped on BB)
ACR4J05213 1994 Redline Cruiser (Serial number stamped on BB, Redline Oval stamped)
ACR5B00094 1995 Redline Cruiser (Serial number stamped on BB, Redline Oval stamped)

RLW0050#### 1991 Redline RL320 (Serial Number is stamped on seat tube)

RMCF802527 Unkown Year, Redline RL 340 [1 1/8 head tube]
RMCH023215 Unknown Year, Redline RL 340 (perhaps H is for August & 02 is the year)
RMCH00287 Unknown Year, Redline RL 340 [1 Inch head tube] (since these two appear to be numbered same series but one has 1 less digit a error reading the serial numbers may have occured)

L90050069 1990 Redline Proline (700) (Full Chromoly stamped and Redline Oval stamped)

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Will try to dig deeper. If you can add to this, make corrections please do.
Unfortunately almost no one posting serial numbers posted pics or posted bike that posted the serial number.

Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder

Gork Informed me Redline has no Records of those early Invoices or Serial Numbers.

Trek Frame Serial Numbers (Draft)

Prior to Late 1980 | Late 1980 to Late 1986 | Late 1986 to 1997+
Foreign Built 82 to 95 | Mid 90s 3-Part Numbers | Jazz by Trek
Missing Serial Numbers

Serial Number Location

Trek frame serial numbers (SNs) are typically stamped into the bottom of the bottom bracket shell. In the case of some early 80s Treks, the number is under the plastic cable guide on the bottom of the shell. Just remove the plastic cable guide to see the number. The other place Trek (or their subcontractors) stamped the SN is at the lower end of the seat tube.

Note: The SN on your original sales receipt may not match the one on your bike. Sales persons sometimes had difficulty reading the numbers.

Many Trek bottom bracket shells have a one or two letter code stamped separately from the serial number. This was made by the individual framebuilder to mark his/her work. If you know which mark was used by a particular craftsman, please let me know.

Serialization Date

The dates coded in the serial numbers, or the dates inferred from the numbers, are dates on which the new frames were stamped with serial numbers (serialized). These dates are not necessarily the same as the model year of the frame. At some time late in each year (beginning generally September or October) the frames produced were created from designs, and painted with colors, for the next year.

Hard to read?

Trek serial numbers can be hard to read. Clean the area well, and use lots of light at various angles. A suggestion by J. Hansen can help you read a serial number:

'Rub the area with candle wax of a color that contrasts with your paint. Lightly wipe it off with a rag. The wax stays in the indented area of the S/N. Now you can easily read the number. I have included a photo of the results from my bike. In this case I used a red candle to make the serial number stand out. Note that even with the serial number filled with wax, the leading '0' is almost imperceptible.'

Serial Number Descriptions

The serial number descriptions are divided into five categories. Click on the link below to go to the appropriate category.

Prior to Late 1980 | Late 1980 to Late 1986 | Late 1986 to 1997+
Foreign Built 82 to 95 | Mid 90s 3-Part Numbers | Jazz by Trek
Missing Serial Numbers

PRIOR TO LATE 1980

Before late 1980, Trek used an alphanumeric serial number scheme. Each seven-character number consists of three letters mixed with numerals. The serial number list and the code for the list are not available from Trek (but hope springs eternal). In the meantime, we have the results of the serial number decoding project:

LATE 1980 TO LATE 1986

Late in 1980, Trek changed to a new numbering system for their frames built in the U.S. The frames were numbered sequentially, beginning with number 000001. The record of the assembly runs was documented in a handwritten journal. Trek (Kevin Tita) graciously provided a copy of the journal for this web site. The list ended in November of 1986 with number 279975. This serial number system actually extended through at least 1997 (see Table II below).

The journal includes run number, model number, frame size, and serial number range. Incidental information, including dates and comments on the frames, appears sporadically through the journal. A 'run' was for a particular frame size and frame model.

We all owe thanks to Luker White who generously donated his time to convert much of the paper list to digital form.

Click on the date link in Table I below to go to the detailed serial number information for that year.

Table I - 1980 to 1986

Notes for Table I:

1. Table I contains dates of frame serializing, and are not necessarily model year. At some time late in each year (generally September or October) frames were built for (then painted with colors for) the next model year. This journal information is summarized by year in Table I. The year designations in the table are approximate; not all of the runs are sequential in time. This may be a result of subcontracting some frame fabrication.
2. For some years, the model number given may be the lowest number (or an X00 number) for a series of models that have the same frame. For example, a 1981 frame appearing on the list as a Model 610 could have been built into either a 613, 614, or 616 bike.
3. Some of the Model 170 serial numbers are 6 digits but do not follow the numerical sequence. A future task is to sort 170 numbers. Some of these are presented in the 83, 84 link at the bottom of the table.
4. Some early and mid 80s bottom brackets were marked with 58TSI or 60TSI. In the early 1980s Tim S. Isaac designed new lugs and a new bottom bracket shell for Trek. The new bottom bracket shell is typically marked with 58TSI (or more rarely, 60TSI). This designation is not part of the serial number but is a model number of the shell. The TSI are Tim's initials. The 58 or 60 refer to the angle between the seattube and the downtube.
5. Some frames in this period have a leading 'A' before the 6 digit number. This may be more prevalent on lower level models. The 'A' may not be part of the SN. Just disregard it when looking up the number in the tables below.
6. Frame Sizes in the SN list below are as given on the paper copy. For some entries, only a two-digit number was given, the extra 1/2 or 3/4 inch was dropped. So - an entry of 22 inches really means a 22.5' frame size, 19 means 19.75', 25 means 25.5'.
7. The list has two major gaps, corresponding to missing pages. Page 9 ends with SN 027870 and the next page starts with 029118. Page 61 ends with 210065 and the next page starts with 215226.
8. The SN list for 1986 has some serial number ranges with annotations about POs (purchase orders) to 'Merida'. These are for Model 800, 830 and 850 mountain bikes and Model 300 road bikes. These were made late in the year, so they probably were all 1987 models. At least some of these were provided to Trek as 'frames only'. One reported SN in these ranges, for an 850, was prefaced by the letters TML. From the serial number list, the number of Trek frames or bikes made by Merida late in 86 totaled at least 8251.
   Merida is a Taiwanese bike company that was established in 1972. It is currently a major, worldwide player in the bicycle business. See http://www.merida.com/ for information on this company.

   LATE 1986 to 1997+

This 6 digit (7 digit beginning in 1993) code extended into at least 1997, at least for some models (generally mid to upper level and made in the U.S.). The number may or may not have a leading zero, making the six digits into seven digits prior to 1993. The model is not available for these numbers but the year can be determined or estimated from Table II below. The information in the table is from serial numbers submitted by site visitors. Our thanks to them. In contrast to the serial number dates in Table I above, the years in Table II represent model years, not the date the serial number was applied.

Table II - Model Years 1987 to 1997

FOREIGN-BUILT FRAMES AND BIKES 1982 to MID 90s

Three different serial number forms have been submitted for 1983 Trek Model 400 frames. One, marked 'made in Japan', begin with JS followed by six numerals. The SN was located on the bottom of the bottom bracket. A second serial number is 81765. According to the Trek-provided SN list, this corresponds to a 22' (22.5') Model 400 frame made in 1983. This SN form is for frames/bikes made in the U.S. The number was marked on the bottom of the bottom bracket. The third number is 403300950, which indicates foreign built, but the nation of origin sticker was missing. This number was marked at the bottom of the down tube. It is likely this 400 was made by the same manufacturer as the 1984 bikes described in the paragraph below. For the 1983 Model 400, it appears Trek used three sources for their frames or complete bikes.

Several 1984 Trek 460s, 420s and 400s have been reported with 9 digit numeric serial numbers stamped on the lower seat tube instead of on the bottom of the bottom bracket. These frames, or complete bikes, apparently were made in Japan by an outside contractor. The numbers submitted are in the range of 401000000 to 440000000.

An 8 or 9 character alphanumeric code was used for mid- and low-level frames subcontracted in Taiwan. Most of these bikes were labeled 'Made in Taiwan'. This form of serial number appears to have been used during the period 1987 to 90. The number leads with a T (for Trek?) then a numeral, a letter, then five numerals. Sean Hickey suggested the first numeral is the year of manufacture, and the letter is the month of the year (A - L). This is confirmed by serial numbers that were submitted by other Trek owners.

A later 8 and then 9 character alphanumeric SN scheme, used beginning in about 1989, also begins with a T (for Trek?). These later T numbers were used on lower level subcontracted frames but do not follow the 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th character date meanings above.

Beginning in about 1994, an 8 character alphanumeric code was used for some Trek bikes made in Taiwan. It begins with G and another letter (e.g. GQ, GR, GS, GV and GZ). These are followed either by: 6 numerals, or a number, a letter, followed by four numerals. The first numeral in the SN is likely the year of serialization.

MID 90s 3-PART SERIAL NUMBERS

During the mid to late 1990s, Trek used a three-part serial number and information code system on the bottom of bottom bracket shells. This scheme seems to have been used for bikes manufactured overseas and perhaps for bikes made in the USA by Trek. The scheme of the numbers varied, perhaps as a function of the actual foreign manufacturer. Examples are given below:

Example 1

14 066 71
990 18 31 9406

The first line is the actual serial number. The information on the left lower line is model number (990) and frame size (18 inches). On the right lower line the meaning of the 31 is unknown. The 94 is the manufacturing year (1994) and the month (06 or June)

Example 2

Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Calculator

WTU 2054748N
750 17 B10407

The upper line is the serial number. The left lower line is model (750) and frame size (17 inches). The meaning of the B1 is unknown. This is from a 97 model bike, so likely the 7 is the year.

Example 3

For a 15' women's 1999 model 720, the numbers are:

T B1 0407 WTUD01330R A0199

Here the model number and frame size are absent. The center number is the actual serial number. The 99 is the year, and the 01 may indicate January.

Example 4

For a 18' 1997 Model 8000 mountain bike:

WTU 1981461
M B1 0406 8000 18

The top line is the serial number. Interestingly, the 1981461 is probably within the realm of 1997 in Table II above. The 8000 and 18 are model and size in inches. The 0406 may not be a date code, since it does not corrspond with what I believe is the year of the bike.

If you have a serial number of this form, please send it along with information about your bike. Thanks to Arnold O' Sioléir, Wayne Snyder, Christine Flynn, and bidaci for the info above.

MODERN WTU NUMBERS

Trek has used the WTU designation in their serial numbers from the mid-90s to today. Trek has used these numbers not only for Trek bikes but also for their Klein, Gary Fischer and Lemond brand bikes.

In a Safety Recall Notice dated 1 May 2009, Trek describes some features of 2009 serial numbers. It states 'The first three digits after “WTU” represent the sequential date; the number of days from the beginning of the year. The letter at the end of the serial number represents the model year.' The notice states that a final leter D indicates 2009.

For the serial number WTU301D86571D, the framewas made on the 301st day of the year. The final D indicates the bike was made for the 2009 model year. Extending backwards from 2009 one gets the following last character meanings.

Fender Serial Number Decoder

Trek 2002 4300 had no final letter in SN

JAZZ BY TREK

Jazz is a line of foreign-built, entry-level bicycles that Trek sold in the early 90s. (See the history page for a bit more info and the brochures page for a 93 catalog). There seems to be at least three serial number types:

1. A Flipside model had the serial number JT0116 stamped on the bottom bracket shell. The JT probably stands for 'Jazz' and 'Trek'. The numbers may be the sequential frame number, beginning at 0001.
2. The second type is a 10-character serial number. The first two characters are letters which are followed by eight numbers. Examples are JT09010099 and FI08003231.
3. A Latitude model has a 10-digit, all-numeric serial number: 1230707859. This number also was stamped on the bottom of the bottom bracket shell.

These three serial number forms may mean that Trek used at least three subcontractors for the Jazz line.

Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder For Car Batteries 12v

MISSING SERIAL NUMBERS

A few owners of early Treks, mostly, from 1976 through the early 80s, report their frames are not marked with serial numbers. A past Trek employee wrote that the police in the Madison and the surrounding area said TREK was famous for bikes with no serial numbers. Seems hundreds didn't get any numbers at all. The serial number guy just missed a few?

Three other possibilities: 1. In the early years Trek allowed, and even encouraged, their workers to use company equipment and materials to build personal frames after hours. These frames often were not serialized. The practice stopped after production was increased, resulting in little available down time for the equipment. 2. The serial number on a repainted frame that was not first stripped, may disappear under the new paint. 3. The number is under the plastic cable guide attached to the bottom of the bottom bracket shell.

Prior to Late 1980 | Late 1980 to Late 1986 | Late 1986 to 1997+
Foreign Built 82 to 95 | Mid 90s 3-Part Numbers | Jazz by Trek
Missing Serial Numbers

Gary Fisher Serial Number Decoder Free

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