WASHINGTON, D.C. – THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, IN COOPERATION WITH THE FIRM NAMED BELOW, TODAY ANNOUNCED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONSUMER PRODUCT. CONSUMERS SHOULD STOP USING RECALLED PRODUCTS IMMEDIATELY UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED.
NAME OF PRODUCT: 2009 SIX 5, SIX 6, SIX CARBON 5 AND SIX CARBON 6 BICYCLES
UNITS: ABOUT 1,300
IMPORTER: CANNONDALE BICYCLE CORPORATION, OF BETHEL, CONN.
HAZARD: THE BICYCLES FAIL TO MEET THE FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARD FOR BICYCLES. SPOKE PROTECTOR DISCS, REQUIRED ON BICYCLES TO PREVENT THE BICYCLE CHAIN FROM INTERFERING OR SUDDENLY STOPPING THE WHEEL, ARE MISSING FROM THESE BICYCLES. THIS POSES A FALL HAZARD TO THE RIDER.
INCIDENTS/INJURIES: NONE REPORTED.
DESCRIPTION: THE FOLLOWING CANNONDALE BICYCLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. “SIX” IS PRINTED ON THE BICYCLE’S TOP TUBE AND “CANNONDALE” IS PRINTED ON THE DOWN TUBE.
| BICYCLE NAME (2009 MODELS) | BICYCLE MODEL NUMBER |
|---|---|
| SIX 5 COMPACT | 9RCT5C |
| SIX 5 | 9RCT5D |
| SIX 5 COMPACT | 9RCT5C |
| SIX 6 | 9RCT6D |
| SIX 6 TRIPLE | 9RCT6T |
| SIX CARBON 5 | 9RSX5D |
| SIX CARBON 5 COMPACT | 9RSX5C |
| SIX CARBON 6 COMPACT | 9RSX6C |
SOLD AT: AUTHORIZED CANNONDALE DEALERS NATIONWIDE FROM OCTOBER 2008 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2009 FOR BETWEEN $1,500 AND $2,100.
MANUFACTURED IN: TAIWAN
REMEDY: CONSUMERS SHOULD STOP USING THE RECALLED BICYCLES IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT ANY AUTHORIZED CANNONDALE BICYCLE DEALER FOR A FREE REPAIR.
CONSUMER CONTACT: FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT CANNONDALE AT (800) 245-3872 BETWEEN 9 A.M. AND 5 P.M. ET MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OR VISIT CANNONDALE’S WEB SITE AT WWW.CANNONDALE.COM
Help! I’m a moron that just spent over $1700 on a bicycle, and can’t figure out what “L” means on my rear derailer. I just bought my $1700 bike so I could wear spandex and a bike helmet as I sit outside at Star Bucks sipping coffee and pretending I know anything about a machine that I don’t know the most basic principles for maintaining safely.
Thank goodness for the Federal Government. Perhaps next they need to start mandating that training wheels be put on all bicycles, because, I hear they can fall over if you try to ride them and don’t maintain balance.
Help is on the way, moron. Being such a moron that you spent $1700 on a bike and can’t figure out what “L” means on your derailleur, you probably are also unaware that in the normal course of using your bicycle, a number of situations could easily occur, such as the low-end stop screw (that screw with the “L” next to it) can move on its own, just due to having something smack it repeatedly, plus mechanical vibrations of the road surface can also cause it to move. Other things can occur too, such as while you are inside a store or restaurant, while your bike is locked up outside, someone can come along and maliciously or as a badly reasoned practical joke, readjust the stops for you. Another possibility is that if you change the tire, or the wheel isn’t held quite tight enough, the wheel can shift between the dropouts. If the bottom end shifts to the right, the chain can brush right up against the spokes if that guard is not in place. But the most likely circumstance is that the bike will fall down, or someone will bump another bike into it, kick it, step on it, etc., bending your rear derailleur hanger/bracket. A small change in the angle of that assembly (which trust me, it doesn’t take much force, someone trying to shove by your bike to get to his own lock so he can get HIS bike out of the rack can EASILY bend it with a single misplaced step!)
The end result is that the chain as it leaves the derailleur can be pushed past the low gear, and the edges can catch the spokes as they go by. The spoke guard prevents this eventuality by having a barrier between the chain and spokes, without which the chain could jam the rear wheel, LOCKING IT UP.
So as for your smartass remarks about training wheels, you can be reasonably proficient at bike operation and maintenance, and still have the derailleur push the chain into the spokes if they’re exposed. While you’re at it, why not ask snarky questions about why you have to wear a seatbelt, since you’ve never been in an accident before, and are surely such a GREAT driver.