GT Bicycles Recalling 10,000 BMX Bikes Over Frame Cracks

GT Bicycles Inc. said Thursday that it is recalling about 10,000 Speed Series, Robinson Pro and Amtrac bicycles and frame sets made and sold over the past four years.

The company said it learned of 17 reported cracks in frames, resulting in two injuries, when the BMX bikes were used for rigorous jumps and the related stresses of “more aggressive” riding.

The bicycles and frames were sold between November 1994 and last month for $300 to $450 for frame kits and $600 and $1,450 for bicycles.

The Santa Ana maker of mid- to premium-priced mountain and juvenile BMX bicycles, said its warranty and other reserves should cover the costs related to the recall, resulting in minimal financial impact on the company.

The recall affects less than 1% of the about 2 million juvenile bikes sold since 1995, GT said.

“Although all of the recalled frames passed our rigid standards for BMX racing bikes, we became aware of 17 reported cracks in frames when the bikes were subjected to the jumps and related stresses of today’s more aggressive BMX riding,” said Michael Haynes, the company’s president.

As part of the recall, the company said it will send frames and a staff of mechanics to a bicycle event in Phoenix this weekend, where the company expects to replace 200 to 300 frames. Haynes asserted that the newer Speed Series frames are “twice as strong as anything currently on the market.”

The recall, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers XL and XXL model GT Speed Series, Speed Series Team and Speed Series Cruiser frames and bicycles made from 1995 onward, as well as 1997 and 1998 models of Robinson Pro, Pro XL, Pro Team, Pro 24, Amtrac and Defender frames and bicycles.

The company urged consumers to stop using bicycles equipped with these frames immediately and to call their local GT dealer to arrange for a free replacement. The model name can be found on the bicycle frame.

The company’s shares fell 63 cents a share Thursday to close at $6.13 in Nasdaq trading.