Bike QR ID: anti-theft + recovery in one sticker

Bicycle theft is brutal: 1.5 million bikes stolen yearly in the US alone, and only 5% recovered. Most stolen bikes resurface on second-hand marketplaces. A free hidden QR tag turns a stolen bike from anonymous loot into a flagged item the moment anyone takes it seriously enough to scan.

The two-layer strategy

Tagging a bike works best with two layers — one visible, one hidden:

1. Visible "if found, please scan" QR sticker on the top tube or seatpost. For honest finders. Just like a luggage tag — gets the bike back if you forget where you parked it or it’s recovered after a crash.
2. Hidden QR sticker under the saddle, inside the bottom-bracket shell, or beneath the seatpost. For forensic recovery. A thief won’t check; a police investigator or a careful second-hand buyer will.

Why this works against theft

Pawn shops, online marketplaces, and even casual second-hand buyers increasingly check bike serials. A QR sticker makes that check trivial. The sticker links to a Tagback page that, if the bike is marked stolen, displays a red banner and a "report to police" button.

Pair the Tagback record with the bike serial number. Many police departments and registries (Bike Index, 529 Garage) accept linked Tagback IDs as supplementary proof of ownership.

Setup in 60 seconds

1. Open Tagback dashboard, "Create tag" → Item → Bicycle.
2. Add the bike serial number (under the bottom bracket, you’ll have to flip the bike). Photo of the serial.
3. Add make, model, frame size, colour, distinguishing marks (a sticker, a scratch, a custom paint job).
4. Print two QR copies on weatherproof vinyl: one for the seatpost, one to hide under the saddle.

"My bike was just stolen, what now?"

Three actions, in order:

1. In the Tagback dashboard, toggle the tag to "Stolen". Anyone scanning sees the red banner.
2. File a police report. Add the report number to your Tagback record.
3. Cross-post to Bike Index and your country’s national registry. Link the Tagback URL.

If the bike resurfaces and someone scans the QR — buyer, mechanic, or new owner — you get notified instantly.

FAQ

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FAQ