Trek, one of the country’s largest bike sellers, has issued a recall of nearly 1 million bikes due to a safety issue related to the front wheel’s quick-release skewer attachment. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that Trek bikes with a “quick release” lever on the front wheel can interfere with the disk brakes and cause the wheel to stop turning or separate from the bike frame and cause serious accidents and injuries. It could bring the bike to a sudden halt and flip the rider over the handlebars, or cause the front wheel to eject. Both cases will almost certainly result in a crash.
Trek said it is aware of three incidents where the problem caused riders to be injured, including one that resulted in quadriplegia. The others involved facial and wrist injuries.
Which Trek Bikes Are Being Recalled?
Three conditions must apply for the bike to be included in the recall:
- Any Trek bicycle model from model years 2000 to 2015
- Front disc brakes with a silver or black quick-release lever
- Articulates more than 180 degrees when flipped from locked to open
Trek bikes not affected are:
- Bikes with rim brakes
- Disc bikes with through-axle wheel attachments
- Disc-equipped bikes but the quick-release lever stops short of 180 degrees at open
The spokesperson for Trek, Eric Bjorling, noted that the quick release part is a vendor-supplied part used by different bike brands. When a recall is due to a part supplied by a vendor, there’s a good chance that the recall may affect other brands using the part too. It brings to mind the recall affecting defective air bags.
The law offices of Wolf and Pravato will stay on top of this recall and note any other bike manufacturers that are added to the recall.
If you’re unsure if your Trek bike is part of this recall, the Wisconsin-based bike company encourages you to bring your bike to a dealer for inspection. They said that they will replace the quick release lever free of charge. Trek is also offering a $20 coupon good for bike accessories made by Bontrager.
