Ritchey Seatpost and Crank Arm Recall

On January 28th, Ritchey design announced a voluntary recall of a very small number of seatposts and crank arms.  The crank arms affected are the left, non drive side, of the pro model and WCS cranks.  The seatpost in question is the one-bolt WCS model carbon seatpost.  If you have one of these items, stop riding until you know whether or not your specific component is part of the recall.

From Ritchey:

Crank Arms
CS and Pro crank arms have a forged channel running the length of the outward facing portion of the arm. Due to an out of specification forging at the deepest part of the channel, a crack may slowly form near the midpoint of the left arm. If a crank arm breaks or cracks during cycling, the cyclist may lose control of the bicycle, which could lead to serious injury.”

Models affected include:

· Pro Road 130 bcd in black only (39/53 chainring combination)
· WCS Road 130 bcd in black w/ silver machined face only (39/53 chainring combination)
· Pro Compact Road 110 bcd in black only (34/50 chainring combination)
· WCS Compact Road (110 bcd in black only (34/50 chainring combination)

· Pro Cross 130 bcd in black only (38/48 chainring combination)
· WCS Cross 130 bcd in black only (38/48 chainring combination)

Consumers who are concerned that their crankset might be part of the recall can download the WCS and Pro Crank Arm Recall Notice form from http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/main/LatestNews/all_news/21676/29964/29965.html. The document outlines how to identify a recalled arm and the contact information to receive a replacement. Ritchey requires that all defective arms be returned to its office for replacement.

WCS One-Bolt Seatpost
Affected WCS carbon single-bolt seatposts were a result of an improper layup method used during the manufacturing process. The deviation from standard procedure resulted in potential product failure and safety concerns for approximately 150 seatposts.

“In September of last year, we were notified of some breakages through a European distributor.” said Parke.  “Given the safety concerns with a seatpost breaking, we froze sales of all inventories in early October and were able to track down a large portion of the goods still unsold at the US distributor level.”

Models affected include:
27.2 - all lengths
30.9 - all lengths
31.6 - all lengths with this serial number present on product: G707049. All other lengths of the 31.6, having a different serial number than the one list above, are safe to use.

Customers who are concerned their seatpost are part of the recall should contact the Ritchey warranty department by calling 650.368.4018 ext. 1878 for an RA number (Return Authorization number) and further instructions. Replacement products are in stock and ready to be shipped as needed.

29 January 2008 | Industry News | Comments