Dangerous Children's Trailer Bicycles, the Novara Afterburner, Recalled

Approximately 5,200 Novara Afterburner children's trailer bicycles have been recalled, due to their dangerous potential to separate from the adult bicycle they are attached to. Customers are urged to stop using them immediately.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these trailer bicycles were distributed by REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.), which is based in Kent, Washington. They were sold at REI stores throughout the nation during February-June 2007, and were priced at approximately $160 dollars. They were manufactured in China. The bicycles have a single wheel and have to be attached to an adult's bicycle to be used. There has been one report of the bicycle separating; fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

Customers are urged to stop using the bicycle trailers and either contact REI or visit their nearest REI store. They will be supplied with a full refund, a replacement part to fix the problem, or store credit. The press release indicates that consumers can contact Recreational Equipment Inc. by telephone at (800) 426-4840 (4 AM-11 PM Pacific, any day of the week) or by visiting their web site at rei.com.

The REI web site provides additional information on the recall. It indicates that Novara Afterburner bicycles they are currently offering for sale have had the replacement part installed, which prevents this problem from occurring. It also provides a video regarding the replacement part, and requests that customers return the old part to REI after replacing it, so as to prevent it from being used again by anyone. The stores have their technicians replace the part free of charge if the customer desires this.

According to REI's web site, the company was founded in 1938, has more than eighty stores, and has over three million members. REI offers a one-hundred percent satisfaction guarantee on all of its products. It gives millions of dollars in donations to assist in conservation efforts, and provides volunteers to clean beaches and create trails. REI's store locator web page indicates that they have stores in most of the western states, along with some states which are located in the eastern and mid-western regions.

Other Novara products include various types of two-wheeled bicycles, backpacks, clothing, and water bottles. In addition to children's bicycles, they offer mountain, touring, women's, and other types of bikes, ranging from about $115 to almost three-thousand dollars.

Sources:

1. Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07578.html
2. Recreational Products Inc, http://www.rei.com/shared/help/recall/afterburner.html
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