Dutch bicycle brand Babboe, working with the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, has narrowed down the models of cargo bicycles subject to recall, and is recommending inspection of others.
An official investigation was launched in the Netherlands after Dutch news outlet RTL reported extensively on the safety issues relating the the bicycles’ frames. One Babboe employee told RTL: “I have often seen emails from customers stating that there has been an accident.” Another is quoted as stating: “I’m surprised there have been no deaths yet.”
Babboe is a budget cargo bike brand owned by the Accell Group, which owns a range of well-known brands including Raleigh, Batavus, Lapierre, Haibike, Winora, Ghost, and Koga.
The warning and recall do not affect cargo bikes made by the other brands or by other manufacturers, and now many of the Babboe models which were thought to be affected by the recall notice are now covered by only an inspection warning.
As reported last month, Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) asked owners of Babboe bikes to register at checkyourframe.co.uk.
An update was posted on its website in Dutch, and IrishCycle.com is also aware that a cargo bicycle owner who registered with the company’s English language recall website has also been contacted by the company to arrange the recall of the bike.
In a statement today in Dutch — the following is a machine translation — Babboe said: “Today we can finally give you clarity about your cargo bike. We are happy about that. In mid-February we had to ask you not to use the cargo bike for the time being. We have asked for a lot of patience from you. Babboe, in coordination with the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), is in the final phase of research into the safety of all its models.”
Regarding the bicycles which should be inspected, the company said: “The research shows that in the Netherlands the models City Mountain (production from 2020), Max-E, Carve-E, Carve Mountain Curve-E, Curve Mountain, Big (E), Dog (E), Go (E), Go Mountain, Flow E, Flow Mountain, Pro Bike (E), Pro Bike Midmotor, Mini Mountain and Curve may be used again after an inspection/repair. If you have one of these models, you can register via the website www.controljebakfiets.nl from April 10. An appointment will then be made with a mechanic who will visit your home to check/repair your cargo bike. This may take some time. After the inspection/repair you can get back on the road.”
On the bikes to be replaced, Babboe said: “The safety of City Mountain (production before January 2020), Slim Mountain & Transporter and the Pro Trike (E), Trike-E, Pro Trike XL Motor cannot be guaranteed. These models are being replaced in a recall. This has already been decided previously for the City (E) and MINI (E). We expect that from April 10 you will be able to see what this means for you at www.controljebakfiets.nl.”
The Dutch website, controljebakfiets.nl, currently only has the text “From April 10 you can visit this website to see what the arrangement is for your cargo bike.” As far as IrishCycle.com can tell at this point, cargo bike owners in Ireland should still use checkyourframe.co.uk to check if their bicycle is affected.
The CCPC said last month that consumers can contact Babboe directly by email at service.uk@babboe.com and that it would provide further information when available.
It is unclear if the exact same terms will be offered to custmers in Ireland or elsewhere but the company said that if owners the Netherlands have owned a cargo bike in “up to 5 years old” they “will be offered a new, higher-quality cargo bike as partial compensation” with a possibility an electric cargo bike.
For bicycles older than five years the company said that “the current value is taken into account” and “you can use this current value when purchasing a new cargo bike. We ensure that you are always offered a new regular bicycle.”
Babboe said that the returned cargo bikes will be “collected by a certified party and dismantled in a sustainable manner.”
There will also be compensation, including for owners who will not need the bikes replaced. The company said: “All Babboe owners, whether your cargo bike needs to be checked/repaired or is recalled, will receive compensation for the inconvenience in the form of free maintenance and/or accessories.”
It is expecting to start collecting the cargo bikes in mid-April. It added: “It is a huge logistical operation. We ask for your understanding and thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation.”
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