Some models of the Brompton electric folding bicycle are being recalled because of fears that the mudguard could cause injury.
According to the Office for Product Safety and Standards, it has been identified that if an object of a certain size were to become trapped between the bike's mudguard stay and tyre, it can result in the mudguard getting caught on the tyre. This would then lead to the bike's wheel rotation becoming "inhibited" or stopping suddenly.
In a notice posted yesterday (April 4) the Office for Product Safety and Standards also advised that it would be possible for the rider of the bike to "fall and injure themselves" and adds "the product does not meet the requirements of the Supply of Machinery Regulations 2008".
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The product recall applies to those products with serial numbers less than 2111030089. Brompton says that, at the end of 2021, the company initiated a process of upgrading all Brompton Electric bikes with two design upgrades that were developed following customer feedback and, since then, there have been reports of issues with the mudguard on some bikes.
Brompton has said that all incidents "have occurred with bikes that have not been fitted with the new mudguard upgrade" and that the issue "has resulted in injury" in some cases. Brompton's website states: "Although the risk of an accident occurring is very low, the safety of our customers is of the utmost importance to us, and we have now begun a programme to repair all affected bikes as part an official recall.
"Only electric bikes require the repair, but customers who have already had a new mudguard stay and battery catch fitted in the Brompton Electric Upgrades Programme do not need to have a new mudguard stay fitted. An easy way to spot if the bike has been upgraded is by following the guide here."
The new Brompton upgrade will include a new mudguard stay fitted, increasing the clearance between the mudguard and tyre, as well as a new battery catch that reduces the movement between the battery and the bike - minimising battery disconnections when riding over uneven surfaces.
Cyclists can get an upgrade to their Brompton Electric by booking an upgrade appointment with any local Brompton Junction or Brompton Electric accredited retailer. Brompton will be compensating retailers to perform these upgrades, though adds that provision of this upgrade will be at the discretion of your local retailer.
Brompton will also be giving £20 worth of credit for each affected bike to customers, redeemable from the Brompton.com site. The site also has an interactive tool through which customers can check if their model needs upgrading.
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