CPSC, Rolf Prima Inc. Announce Recall of Bicycle Wheels

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05217) was formally reported on July 6, 2005. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Rolf Prima Inc., of Eugene, Ore. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 870 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The rear wheel freehub mechanism can malfunction, causing no resistance when pedaling. The bicycle rider could lose balance, fall and suffer injuries. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Contact your local bicycle retailer to have them inspect your wheels to determine if they are included in the recall. If so, the dealer will provide a free repair. Repair kits will be available in 6 … — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 21 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.