> There is no national database of bicycle serial numbers
> like there is of VINs for motor vehicles, so how can knowing
> the serial number of a stolen bike even be helpful?
=v= The FBI maintains such a database, known as the National
Crime Information Center (NCIC). However, it is only effective
if the bike theft victim/reporter provides the serial number,
the police enter the serial number into NCIC, and the police
who process a recovered the bike check it against NCIC. Not
all police actually bother with this, but if Madison PD are
urging that you know and report your serial number.
=v= Outfits like the National Bike Registry charge an annual
fee to keep your bike's make, model, and serial number in a
database and to enter them into NCIC if your bike is stolen,
and they've had deals with Kryptonite so that the Kryptonite's
"guarantee" only applies if you've paid that fee every year.
Some free alternatives to the National Bike Registry have
sprung up, though nothing's really central.
=v= (This guarantee has actually always been a problem since
it only applies is the very rare case where a thief leaves the
defeated lock behind. Now that angle grinders are so easy to
obtain, Kryptonite has downgraded it from a "guarantee" to an
"anti-theft offer" to pay an annual fee to the National Bike
Registry.)
<_Jym_>
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