How to Find Out How Old Your Bike Is and Its Value
If you’re curious about the age of your Schwinn – or wondering what it might be worth – here’s what you need to know.
Schwinn has been around since 1895 and has changed hands a few times along the way, so if you're lucky enough to have a vintage bike, decoding can be tricky. There are enthusiast forums and resources like bikehistory.org that may be able to help if you run into a dead end.
Locate Your Date Code
Your bike’s date code is the key to identifying its age.
Pre-1948 Bikes:
All Schwinn serial number records before August 18, 1948 were lost in a factory fire. For these bikes, you may need to remove the crankset to check for a stamped date code inside.
1948–1969:
Serial numbers were typically located on the rear dropout (where the rear wheel axle attaches). Example: A letter and number combination often indicated the month and year.
1970–late 90s:
Serial numbers moved to the head tube (the front of the frame near the fork) for most bikes. Starting in 1976, some bikes also had a four-digit Julian date code on the head badge (first three digits = day of the year, last digit = year).
To distinguish between decades, you'll need to do some serious research into decals, paint schemes and features.
Some bike from the 80s had date codes that started with "G" followed by 4 numbers where the numbers represent the month and year (MM YY)
Late 90s–2001:
Identifying the age of a Schwinn during this time period is a bit of a scavenger hunt because the company went through significant ownership changes and moved production overseas.
Your best bet is to check for a date code on the crankset or the derailleurs, which may get you within a year of the frame's production.
2001 and Newer
Pacific Cycle acquired Schwinn in 2001 and introduced a new alpha-numeric date code system where the last two letters indicate the year and the four number preceding the year represent the date (DD MM). To find the date code, look for a small silver sticker on the non-chain side of the frame, near the crank arm, just above the pedals.
2019 = AI
2020 = BJ
2021 = BA
2022 = BB
2023 = BC
2024 = BD
2025 = BE
What About Value?
Unfortunately, we can’t give you an official appraisal. Value depends on condition, demand, and what buyers are willing to pay.
Your best bet? Check out: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy or other vintage, collector forums and enthusiast groups. And, congrats on owning a sweet piece of Schwinn history!