Defective Quick Release Levers Trigger Trek Bicycle Recall
It’s spring, which means we Texans will spend more time outdoors with our bicycles, which means more cyclists on the road, many of them riding bicycles that are either defective or that haven’t been properly maintained.
With that in mind, one of the largest bicycle manufacturing companies in the world, Trek, has announced a voluntary recall for one million bikes in the U.S. and Canada, due to an issue with a quick release lever, or skewer, which is used to easily remove the wheel from the frame for repair or security. According to Trek, the quick release lever can interfere with the disk brakes, because it can open to more than 180 degrees, and the skewer is too long. If the quick release is not properly adjusted or is left open, it can become caught in the disc brake assembly, which can cause a bicycle accident where the front wheel comes off, or cause a sudden stop, in which case the cyclist can lose control of the bike.
According to some cycling experts, the problem shouldn’t be worrisome to most cyclists, if they keep their bicycle properly maintained and are careful when attaching the front wheel. They point out that there have only been three reports of accidents causing injury. Unfortunately, however, one of those injuries left the victim a quadriplegic.
The recall covers Trek bicycles with quick release levers and disc brakes that were manufactured between 2000 and 2015. Consumers are being asked to take the bicycles into a Trek dealer to have the skewer replaced for free.
This quick release feature is common on many brands of bicycles, not just Trek, so regardless of the brand, if your bike has one of these, it would be a good idea to learn how to properly use the feature before taking your bike out to ride. And it is always a great idea to keep your bike properly maintained, which would also prevent many problems such as this.
If you have a Trek bicycle equipped with a quick release lever and disc brakes, you should follow the instructions in this recall and take the bike in as soon as possible. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident, and you believe one of these bicycles, or any other defective consumer product, is at least partly to blame for the injury, please contact the experienced Defective Product Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm, so that we can investigate and help you protect your rights.