Trek Serial Number Database

Find the model year of your Trek bike. Bicycles Bikes: Bike Riding And Repair: HOME. Categories: Bikes Supposedly Trek frames have a serial number on them.

Find the model year of your Trek bike

Trek bicycle frame serial numbers SNs are stamped into the bottom of the bottom bracket, or more rarely at the lower end of the seat tube. The dates coded in the.

I'm not sure what information you are seeking. The number is generally on the bottom bracket. But the old Trek bicycles are the only ones you can use the number to find information. Dec 25, 2004 trek serial # database? I got a 520 and i'm wondering what model year it is. It's a double-butted cromoly frame, but it's in rainforest green. I got a serial number of BS 6102 from the bottom bracket. Is there some sort of database where i can find the year my bike was made?

TREK SERIAL NUMBER DECODER. Where do i find bike serial numbers online. Trek Mountain Bike Serial Number Search What model mountain bike is it.

The majority of serial numbers are located under the bottom bracket where the You need the manufacturer s serial number to register your bicycle. underside of.

to Late 1980 Late 1980 to Late

Foreign Built After 82 Jazz by

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

Many early 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. On some bottom

brackets there are two codes: one indicating the maker of the main triangle

and the other for the maker of the rear triangle or perhaps the person

who cut and shaped the tubing, if not done by the framebuilder. If you

know which mark was used by a particular craftsman, please let me know.

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.

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:

Serial Number highlighted with

red wax. Click on image to see an enlarged version. Photo by

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

The serial number descriptions are divided into five

categories. Click on the link below to go to the appropriate category.

Foreign Built After 84 Jazz by

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:

Serial Number Decoding Project

Nearly two hundred Trek owners submitted their

frame s specifics to help decode Trek s first serial number system.

Our thanks to these generous cyclists. Trek used this system from

A variant of this first system was used in 81

and perhaps 82 for some frames. See

These serial numbers have seven characters, in

the form L N L N L N N, where L is a letter and N is a number.

The first letter is the model designation.

The letter code indicates frame model, which would include bike

models made from that model of frame.

year exception D below. This numbering system

was used for custom 950s. This letter may also have been used

for custom 750 frames. If you have a leading O Oh serial number

on a frame with Reynolds 531 stickers, please contact me Skip.

This applies only to serial numbers in the form LNLNLNN where

the first letter is an O Oh. This does not apply to the all-numeric

serial number form that began in late 1980. These begin with

a zero not an Oh. For these all-numeric numbers with a leading

A couple of serial numbers have been submitted

that are missing the first letter. This letter designates the

model. The remaining six characters are typical. It appears

that some custom frames were built that did not fit within the

standard model description. For example, a 710 frame made with

Columbus tubing instead of 531. What leading letter to use.

Perhaps it was just left blank.

The first number is the frame size, where

6 57.5 cm ctc or indicates a custom size. See Year Exception

7 59 cm ctc or indicates a custom size. See Year Exception

9 63.5 cm ctc or indicates a custom size.

The second letter represents the month

The second number is the last digit of the

year, 6, 7, 8, 9 for 197X and 0 for 1980. See

for year exceptions. Again, this

is the date of serializing, not necessarily model year.

The last three characters - The final letter

ranges from A to Z and the final two numbers go from 01 to 99.

The last letter might be a run designation, with the last two

numerals the frame number in that run. Alternatively, the letter

extends the range of the character from 0 to 9 if a number to

Trek Serial Number Search

1 to 26. This gives a range of 2600 for the 3 characters. Any

other ideas for these last three characters.

The rest of the code defines time to a month.

Perhaps once Trek was nearing more than 2600 bikes/frames of a

given model per month, a new serial number scheme needed to be

developed. Hence the change to the sequential system that was

is no Model 310 in the brochures on the site; however, a frame

has been reported that has Ishiwata high tensile double butted

main tubes with the SN A4F9H67. It has touring length chainstays.

According the the SN, it apparently was made in June 1979, after

the TX300 is no longer in the brochures, but no similar frame

is listed. Another small mystery; for now we ll call it a 310.

variant of the SN code has been submitted. It has a leading

B and has eight characters instead of the usual 7 B4K6B109.

It has SunTour dropouts, and had a partial tubing sticker that

included the text TENSION BUTTED. The date from

the SN is Nov. 76. Probably a TX200 with an extra character

frames with a leading serial letter of G have been reported

with Columbus tubing stickers. TX700 frames were available as

special order, with Columbus tubing instead of the specified

Reynolds 531. These bikes were designated as Model TX770. However,

this model did not appear in any of the Trek brochures on this

A. Serial numbers beginning with M or

N 41X and 61X bikes or frames seem to have a different meaning

for what normally is the year digit. The year digit is the fourth

character in the number. In the 50 M and N serial numbers that

have been sent in by owners, the year numbers go from 0 through

9. The remaining part of the serial numbers seem normal.

According to the brochures, Trek did not make

41X and 61X bikes or frames during 76, 77, 78, and 79 and also

not in 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, or 89. These serial numbers apparently

do not follow the year convention used for other Trek models.

It is likely these frames, SNs beginning with M or N Models

41x and 61X, were contracted out or were made in a separate

Trek facility, and were given the old serial number form so

as not to interfere with the sequential numbers being assigned

by Trek in their main shop, which began in late 1980.

This variation to the SN system may have been

done to extend the numbering system. By using the fourth character

as an extension of the last three, the serial numbers could

be extended from 2600 possible combinations to 26,000 for a

For M and N leading serial numbers, if the TREK

letters on the seattube have no colorwrap behind, the bike is

from 1980 or perhaps 1981. If it has a colorwrap, the bike is

B. Serial numbers for four model 510 frames

with a leading F have been reported that have similar unexpected

year dates. Our thanks to Rich Ferguson, Fred Gomez, and Chris

Tank. The fourth characters are 2, 3, 4, and 5, there may be

more. The frames have the early TREK graphics on the seattube.

These frames may be related to the M and N leading serial number

C. One early TX700 leading G, an evaluation

frame sent to a bike shop, had a 4 in the year digit. Another

impossible year code. This 4 may signify an evaluation unit.

D. Trek used this form of serial number

leading O oh for their custom-made 950 frames.

The production non-custom frames were numbered using the late

1980 to 1986 system described below. Three leading O 950 frames

have been reported that contain unlikely year codes of 5, 6

and 7. Model 950 frames were not made in 1975, 76, or 77, but

only in 1980, 81, or 82, according to the brochures. Another

950 frame was reported with a 0 zero in the year code, but

was painted as a 1982. From the geometries, they all appear

When a Trek frame was repainted by Trek, an additional

set of numerals was often stamped into the bottom bracket to indicate

the frame was repainted. These numbers were usually four digits,

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

These data were mined to produce bike production by

model for each calendar year. The results can be seen on the Trek

Bike Production by Model, Late 1980 through 1986 page.

in Table I below to go to the detailed serial number information for

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

for information on this company.

This 6 digit 7 digit beginning in 1993 code extended

into at least 1999, at least for some models generally mid to upper

level and made in the US. 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

270821, 284237, 284335, 293788,

301294, 304445, 304940, 307880, 308292

309634, 316981, 319336, 335133,

346451, 347944, 356837, 360384, 364072

369203, 379079, 391236, 406793,

458184, 513747, 532881, 563678

579529, 629426, 653761, 669753,

771408., 811550, 819194, 840762,

1035688, 108.734, 1106529, 1109196, 1116394,

1164917, 1269067, 1287883, 1306226

1331934, 1383671, 1406630, 1431480,

1544446, 1649278, 1878372, 1955570

1876296., 1963294, 2008374, 2063546

2090413, 2140321, 2172336, 2195013

FOREIGN-BUILT FRAMES AND BIKES AFTER 1982

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 US 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

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 although the sticker

often is easily removed. This form of serial number appears to

have been used during the period 1987 to 93. The number leads with

a T for Trek. then a numeral, one letter or two, then five sometimes

4 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. If there are two letters after the year numeral, the

first is the month. The second runs from A through at least Y. It

might be a way of extending the 5 digit number series by a factor

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

Beginning in about 1993 model year 94, an 8 character

alphanumeric code was used for some bikes. It begins with G and

another letter e.g. GN, GQ, GR, GS, GU, GV, GW, GY and GZ. These

are followed either by: 6 numerals, or a numeral and a letter followed

by four numerals. The first numeral in the SN may be the year of

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

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,

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.

A Latitude model has a 10-digit, all-numeric serial

number: 1230707859. This number also was stamped on the bottom of

These three serial number forms may mean that Trek used

at least three subcontractors for the Jazz line.

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.

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

by Trek Missing Serial Numbers

of Trek Bicycle Corporation, Waterloo, WI

the TREK brochures, pricelists, owner s manuals and photographs displayed

on this website are the sole property of Trek Bicycle Corporation, Waterloo,

this site not copyrighted by others are Copyright 2001-2014 Skip

Echert Web Associates, All rights reserved.

Serial numbers All bikes 1 all have unique serial numbers. Hopefully you can find the serial number on the bicycle you re looking at.

Also, please see my YouTube video How To Find The Model Year Of Your Trek Bike.

I bought my Trek 700 used off of craigslist. Supposedly Trek frames have a serial number on them, usually located on the bottom bracket. And with the serial number you are supposed to be able to find the year. But I looked on the BB of my Trek 700, but I could not find a serial number. I even read that it might be hidden under the cable guide, so I removed that. But there was nothing there either. Maybe the higher level Trek s have serial s but the cheaper ones don t. I dont know.

But I still wanted to know what the model year of my Trek 700. So first I headed over to vintage-trek.com. This is a really cool site Going to the Trek Models By Year page, I found that there was a Trek 700 road bike made in 1983. Mine is not a road bike, it is a hybrid. But they made a mountain bike version of the Trek 700 from 1991 to 2001. Now I went to the Trek Brochures page. I was able to browse the brochures from 1991 to 1995. Specific models of Trek bikes come in a very limited number of colors each model year. I went through each brochure looking to see what colors the Trek 700 came in for that year. I quickly found that none of the Trek 700 s came in greem for the years. Unfortunatly, they only had brochures up to 1995. So now I went to bikearchive.com. Here they had tech sheets from 1998 to 2001 for the Trek 700. I went through each of the data sheets until I came to the 2001 tech sheet. It listed several colors, one of which was Rainforest with gold/white decals. Sounded right. I started looking through the rest of the specs. Sure enough, everything matched. So I quickly decided my Trek 700 Multitrack was a 2001 model. Much newer than I had thought. The tech sheet also gives a ton of other cool information.

Trek Serial Numbers Year

I also used this method to find the model year of my Trek 1000. It was listed on eBay as probably a 1992, but by going through the brochures, I found it was a 1990 model. The info was all on Vintage-Trek.com.

Where to find the bike serial number. You can find the bike serial number on the underside of the bicycle frame, near the bottom bracket. Look for a sticker.

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.

Trek

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

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.

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.

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

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Trek Serial Number Database