Nearly one million Trek bikes are being recalled after a mechanical defect let one man paralyzed forever.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, one man was left a permanent quadriplegic with two others sustaining a fractured wrist and facial damage due to the mechanical malfunction. The flaw with the bikes consist of either the front wheel completely flying off or the bike coming to a sudden halt due to a quick-release lever on the front-wheel coming in contact with the front brake assembly.
Trek is recalling 900,000 bikes sold in the U.S., and 98,000 sold in Canada, models released between 2000 and 2015 with black or silver front disc brakes and a quick-release lever on the front wheel hub. The bikes were sold between September 1999 and April 2015. Trek is advising all customers with those bikes to get a free installation of a new quick-release lever at an authorized Trek retailer. Trek is also giving $20 coupon –redeemable by December 31 2015 — to anyone who brings their bike in for an inspection.
This is not the first time the Waterloo-based bike company was under fire for how it builds its bikes. Last year, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker faced off against Trek President John Burke’s sister Mary Burke over his re-election. In July 2014, Gov. Walker released a 30-second advertisement implying Trek outsourced its manufacturing jobs to low wage workers in China and as a result Mary Burke made millions. John Burke informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was unaware of wages paid to outsourced contract work, but lamented that his sister — a founding member of Trek — “had nothing to do with sourcing decisions.”
No legal action has reportedly been taken by the injured individuals against Trek.
Ride safely.
