How to Tell What Year a Schwinn Sting-Ray Bike Is?

There's an easy way and a more time-consuming method to find out the year your Schwinn Stingray was made. Modern Stingrays -- those made in the 21st century -- have a date code stamped into a specific area of the bike. Date codes, if you know how to read them, will tell you what year Schwinn manufactured the bike. Older, classic Stingrays do not have date codes. Instead, you will have to find and use their serial numbers to determine their manufacturing year.

21st Century Stingrays

Flip your bike over and look for a date code imprinted in the metal of the frame near the left pedal.

Wipe dirt and oil from the date code, if necessary, so you can read it accurately.

Check the last two characters in the date code. If they are "JD," Schwinn manufactured the bike in 2004. If they are "JG," Schwinn manufactured the bike in 2007.

Classic Stingrays

Locate the bike's serial number. It will be on the head tube, the A-frame or the seat tube.

Wipe dirt and oil from the serial number, if necessary, so you can read it accurately. Write it down.

Call a Schwinn representative and tell her the serial number. She will be able to tell you the year the bike was made. Otherwise, you can find online databases that match Schwinn serial numbers to manufacturing dates.