Faulty bottom bracket cartridges could break during use, potentially causing a fall and injury.
U.K.-based Brompton Bicycle, a brand synonymous with folding bikes, issued a voluntary recall just before the Christmas holiday. It affects some 8,400 bicycles in the U.S. – and nearly 1,300 in Canada – made from April 2014 to May 2017.
Affected bikes possess a square-taper bottom bracket cartridge that “can break during use, posing a fall hazard,” according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Brompton Recall
The bad FAG BB66 bottom bracket cartridges could be installed on any Brompton model. So users should check their bikes’ serial numbers to be certain. Affected serial numbers range from 1403284144 to 1705150001.
According to Brompton CEO Will Butler Adams, “The part meets all the international standards. But notwithstanding that, we have seen this increase in failure.” The brand claimed the bottom brackets fail at a rate of about one in every 5,000.
To find your Brompton’s serial number, look for a curved metal plate or sticker on the back of the seat tube, near the crankset. If the number is worn off or faded, riders should email support@brompton.com with the six-digit frame number stamped behind the bottom bracket and seat tube. The company will be able to identify that bike’s serial number.
Bikes with these serial numbers retailed between $1,200 and $3,000, and sold from April 2014 though September 2017.
Riders who own a potentially affected bicycle should immediately contact their local Brompton dealer for a free replacement bottom bracket (find the nearest dealer here). For more information, contact Brompton at 1-800-578-6785.
To date, the CPSC has received no reports of injury relating to this issue.
