Has this idea already been tabled? I did a search and couldn't see anything, but if I wasn't thorough enough please excuse me. I think it would be a good things for a few reasons:

1.) Less newbie traffic on main boards.
2.) Seems like it's a lot of the same people doing the IDing, so wouldn't it be nice to have a central forum for them to congregate in?
3.) Good place to post if you want to avoid stigma and just find out what your bike is.
4.) Sub-forums could be devoted to serial number registries etc.
5.) Less confusion about where to post. I recently wanted an ID on an 80s mountain bike... is that C&V or Mountainbiking material? (question is rhetorical)

All in all it just seems like an efficient idea. However, as I post I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach that says "this idea's already been beaten to death long before you came around." Yes, it's a pretty specific feeling. Feel free to lock/delete if this is just clogging stuff up.

It sounds like a good idea, but--

Newbies like, and need, interaction with the more experienced, older members. It's what makes BF a community, after all...

Some people are specialists in the ID department. Miamijim does Peugeots. T-Mar can identify virtually anything. They like older steel bikes.

A great place for a new person to ask about their bike is in Introductions . I am always happy to try to help, and if it's beyond my limited capacity, I usually know where to send someone.

We have threads going in C & V for some makes which involve serial numbers.

It's not that it's been beaten to death at all. But for most people, if they aren't sure--General Cycling will fit the bill. If a member suspects that a thread would do better in another forum, you can always use the 'report this post' and ask that a moderator move to a more logical forum.

East Hill