Picture: My old Specialized bike - still going great after many years
Factory recalls are things that we have unfortunately seen commonly in products such as cars or electrical goods. This week Specialized look likely to join the trend, issuing a recall for one of their popular road bike models. Check out the full article here, but this might prompt some of you to think things like “Should I avoid Specialized bikes? Are they dodgy? Specialized’s SL7 road bike was released to much fanfare in July 2020, so after 15 months in the marketplace, there would generally be several thousand bikes affected, although shipping limitations during the Covid-19 pandemic might have limited the spread of distribution globally. However, similar to the rush of people that buy the latest Apple iPhone, Specialized have created a following of loyal consumers who will eagerly add the latest model to their collection or trade in their existing model for a new one upon release. So what if you’re thinking about buying one of Specialized’s other bikes? Should this recall steer you away to another brand? Let’s dig a bit further to see what it’s all about. Firstly, the recall relates to the potential for the steering tube to crack under significant pressure. If you’re not familiar with one, the steering tube runs inside the frame and connects the top of the front fork to the stem that supports the handlebars. I’ve had perfectly good frames and components crack before and if the force is significant enough, any part of a bike could crack normally – I also experienced this first hand when I was hit by a car where the driver fell asleep at the wheel and my bike was scattered all over the road. So this recall is relatively minor overall and the article notes how Specialized recommend users get their bikes checked over by a dealer after a significant force or crash anyway – this is the sort of thing a dealer would find pretty quickly. So I would only see this as a major problem If the cause of this recall was from general riding or storage, which are much more passive events and would suggest a more significant quality concern. Additionally, Specialized’s recall is voluntary, so it hasn’t been mandated by a regulator, which shows the brand is being proactive and that the potential fault has been identified through user/dealer networks, rather than the court system. Furthermore, the recall is conservative and recommends people don’t ride an affected bike until it has been rectified by a dealer. This also emphasises the brand’s consideration of customer safety. You might not see many recalls for bikes. That’s likely because Specialized is such a big brand, it has a dedicated R&D department and stands to lose plenty if they sell an inferior product. Lesser brands wouldn’t necessarily have the resources or networks to identify these issues and it would be easy to blame other causes for accidents, such as traffic collisions - particularly if the impacts were as significant as my own accident. So I think this recall is a good thing – it shows Specialized are prepared to do what’s right to ensure their product remains high quality, while considering their social responsibility. If you’re looking for a great new road bike, consider joining the queue for a Specialized SL8 when it’s released!! Top tip: if you’re looking for a used bike, a late model Specialized road bike can often be great value for money as they’re popular (i.e. they don’t have a rarity ‘premium’), well-made and depreciate as soon as the next model is released.
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AuthorHi folks, I’m David and I’ve loved riding bikes ever since I was old enough to do so. I’ve ridden for fun, fitness, competition and charity on all sorts of bikes from mountain bikes and road bikes to time-trial machines. Some of my favourite memories include riding the iconic climbs in the French Alps of le Tour de France on race day, or competing in grueling endurance mountain-bike events, but I still get the same buzz I had as a child, blasting through a series of sweet corners on my local trails with my kids. ArchivesCategories |