Jan 11, 2008 Mr cheese, I've just acquired a gazelle cyclocross frame and fork with the serial number: 4005737. Any idea of the date of manufacture from this number? Can you post a picture or a link to a pic please? Gazelle did not make that many CX after 1990. If you search for 1234, you will only find bikes with serial numbers of 1234 and serials close to that - not a bike with serial number of 12345689. Okay, fine, so maybe there are a few bikes without serial numbers, but this is rare and typical only on hand made bikes or really old bicycles.

Frame numbers

The frame number of your Champion Mondial can be found hiding underneath the bottom bracket.

Before 1974 the Champion Mondials appear to have been numbered in conjunction with the 'ordinary' Gazelle bicycles, as this graph shows. In 1974 the Champion Mondial continues this sequence while the other bicycles adopt a new numbering scheme. The frame numbers before 1974 in the table below are approximations taken from a special edition of the magazine 'de oude fiets'. The frame numbers from 1974 onwards are the actual numbers from the files at the Gazelle factory.

frame numbers	year	additional information
1985001 - 2096000	1966	Gazelle 'Race' model
2096001 - 2213000	1967
2213001 - 2335000	1968
2335001 - 2463000	1969	the name 'Champion Mondial' appears after Harm Ottenbros took the 1969 world championships on the Zolder circuit on a Gazelle Race
2463001 - 2597000	1970
2597001 - 2737000	1971
2737001 - 2885000	1972
2885001 - 3040000	1973
3040001 - 3172301	1974	the earliest registration still on file at the factory dates from the 20th of august 1974: nr. 3170693
3172302 - 3177611	1975
3177612 - 3186884	1976
3186885 - 3201295	1977
3201296 - 3216704	1978
3216705 - 3242099	1979
3242100 - 3259884	1980
3259885 - 3271845	1981
3271846 - 3276827	1982
3276828 - 3281506	1983
3281507 - 3285387	1984
3285388 - 3293780	1985
3293781 - 3298623	1986
3298624 - 3314981	1987
3314982 - 3322041	1988
3322042 - 33……	1989
0………	1990	in 1990 Gazelle changed the numbering system, the first digit of the frame number refers to the last digit of the year
1………	1991
2………	1992
3………	1993	frame numbers starting with '3' could also date from before the 1990's, check frame details for the correct construction year
4………	1994
5………	1995	the last year that the frames wear the 'Champion Mondial' name on the top tube
6………	1996
7………	1997	the last year that the 'Champion Mondial' name is mentioned in the brochure
1998	from 1998 onwards, a combination of frame number and type determines the year of construction*
1999
2000
2001
2002	the last year that Gazelle had a steel racing frame in their line-up
* for more information please consult the brochures section on this site or contact Gazelle at info@gazelle.nl

Finding the frame number

The frame number of a Gazelle Champion Mondial is on the underside the bottom bracket shell as seen on this frame dating from 1979.

The frame in the first picture is exceptionally clearly marked. More often than not are one or more digits barely visible. Frames from the mid seventies are notorious for a next to invisible second digit '1'. The 1975er frames in these two pictures demonstrate this fault.

Bike Serial Number

Gazelle Bicycle Serial Numbers

My decals and paintjob do not match the frame number!

Gazelle Bicycle Serial Number Database

If your Champion Mondial has an earlier frame number than the decals and paintjob suggest then it was probably repainted at some time. It was very common practice back in the 1980s, early '90s to have your frame repainted at the Gazelle factory after a couple of years use. Sometimes the opportunity was seized to add some braze-ons that were not available at the time of original purchase such as cable stops or a front derailleur boss.