Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., a U.S.-based company that manufactures and markets bicycles and bicycle components, recently announced a recall of several of its bikes because of a crash and injury hazard. All affected models have the Future Shock sprung bars and stems, and have a defect that may lead to a sudden loss of control while riding.
One of these bikes was involved in a crash back in 2017 at the Paris-Roubaix race. That particular bike had been specially designed for the race.
Specialized Recalls Bikes for Faulty Steerer Tube
According to the company’s website, the steerer tube collar on select Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge, and Sirrus bikes may be “susceptible to stress corrosion cracking.” If this occurs, the driver may lose control suddenly while riding, increasing the risk of a crash and injury.
Included in the recall are 2017–2019 models of these bikes, though not all bikes from all model years are affected. Specialized has a list of the specific models affected here. Consumers who own one of these four bikes with the following models should check with Specialized for more information:
- S-Works
- Pro
- Expert
- Comp
- Elite
- E5 Comp (2018-2019 only)
- Sport (2018-2019 only)
- Elite (2017-2018 only)
- Base (2018-2019 only)
The company received reports from the field of the steerer tube collar cracking due to stress corrosion. “We are voluntarily recalling the steerer tube collars on these bicycles and are replacing them with a new, improved collar which, together with an adjustment to the torque setting, will significantly improve the collar’s resistance to stress corrosion cracking,” they stated.
If you find you have one of the recalled bikes, Specialized states that you should stop riding the bike immediately and contact your local authorized Specialized retailer. They will replace the faulty steerer tube collar for you at no cost.
The company is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to publish a press release through them soon.
Specialized Takes Blame for Paris Bike Race Crash
Back in 2017, Specialized took the blame when Niki Terpstra crashed in the Paris-Roubaix race. (He had won the race back in 2014.) They had just released their revamped Roubaix prior to that, which was specifically designed for that race. A key feature on the new bike was the Future Shock, a design component that protects the rider from the vibrations and impacts coming through the wheel.
Terpstra, however, wanted a more rigid version of the bike, so Specialized accommodated him and replaced the Future Shock with a more rigid steerer cartridge. Due to a miscommunication, the pre-production rather than the fully tested part was used in the race, and the handlebars came off, causing the crash. Fortunately, Terpstra was not seriously injured.
Specialized accepted blame for the crash and noted that because the failed component was specially made for Terpstra, it wasn’t found in any other models of the bike.
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