On August 30, 2012, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Meijer Inc., of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is voluntarily recalling approximately 68,000 youth and adult bikes. The recalled products include various models of Huffy, Iron Horse, Mongoose, Pacific, Razor, Northwoods and Schwinn bicycles. The affected bikes were sold in Meijer stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky from March 2012 through August 2012, costing anywhere between $60 and $300 each.Meijer stores located in Cadillac, Gaylord, Petosky, and Traverse City are not affected by this bike recall. Defective bikes pose a fall hazard for the rider due to faulty pedals. Meijer is offeringa full refund or replacement bike of the same type and equal value and a $10 store coupon.
The problem arises when the bike pedals loosen while the owner is riding the bike. If the pedals come loose, they may entirely detach from the bicycle. Twenty-nine faulty pedals have reportedly become loose or fallen off during use, resulting in sixteen incidents with minor injuries. The affected two-wheel bikes all measure twenty inches or more, and were assembled on-site in the Meijer stores by Serv-U-Success of Grandville, Michigan.
Meijer wants to be clear that owners of the defective bicycles should stop using them immediately. Consumers may contact Meijer toll-free at 800-927-8699 or visit Meijer.com for additional recall information.
This is not the first time Meijer has recalled its products. For instance, in March of 2010, Meijer recalled 240,000 Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds due to strangulation risks. About ayear and a half later, Meijer recalled another 3,200 units after additional retail sales occurred without a repair kit despite the initial recall notice.
In November of 2010, Meijer voluntarily recalled 6,700 of their Touch Point Oscillating Ceramic Heaters due to a fire hazard. Unfortunately, Meijer again faced problems with additional retail sales after the first recall announcement. Approximately 13,000 of the same ceramic heater units were voluntarily recalled in July of 2011. Additionally, Meijer recalled 6,102 Touch Point Forced Air Heaters in February of 2012.
Meijer isn’t the only company recalling bicycle-related products. CPSC announced that Eecycleworks of California is recalling 400 of their Bicycle Brakes after two reports of brake bridges cracking. Only minor injuries have been reported.
Shimano American Corporation, another California company, recalled sixty-seven PRO VIBE Carbon Bicycle Handlebars. While there have not been any reports of incident or injury to date, the affected handlebars may break while riding. This presents a fall hazard for the rider.
Specialized Bicycle Components is recalling approximately 100 of their Bicycle Brake Levers. This follows an initial recall of 600 Bicycle Brake Levers back in April 2012. The brake cable and an adjuster cap may slide out of place while the bicycle is ridden, causing the brakes to stop working. This poses a crash risk for the rider. Specialized Bicycle Components is based in California as well.