Specialized Bicycle is recalling nearly 7,000 bikes sold in the U.S. last year and this year due to a defect that could cause the bike's frame to crack, according to a safety notice on the company's website.
The recall, first reported by industry news site Bicycle Retailer, involves all Tarmac SL7 models, the Morgan Hill-based company said. About 6,900 of the bikes were sold across the U.S. from July 2020 through August 2021, according to Bicycle Retailer.
Specialized retailers will contact affected customers via email, and the dealers will replace expander plugs and upgrade compression rings on the Tarmac SL7 bikes, Specialized founder Mike Sinyard wrote in the safety notice.
The safety hazard lies in severe frontal impacts, such as hitting a pothole, that could cause a crack in the fork's steerer tube, the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. A damaged fork could break after further use and lead to falls and injuries to riders.
The company said it had not received any reports of injuries as a result of the defect.
Tarmac SL7 bikes have the word "Tarmac" written on the back of the bicycle’s seat tube and can be distinguished from older generation Tarmac models by their hidden cable routing through the headset, the company said.
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