ICON Road Stem Recall

TREK (parent company of Klein, LeMond, Fisher, Bontrager and TREK bicycles) has announced a recall of stems used on many 1999 road bikes.  These stems, which can be identified as shown in the picture above (by measuring the width of the forward/top part of the hinge), have a bolt which, if over-tightened in an attempt to reduce noise (creaking), may potentially fail.  TREK knows of a few instances where this has happened.

There are many versions of ICON stems out in the field, but only those with the narrower tops are affected.  The reason (my guess here, I'm not an engineer) is that the narrower front allows the bars to exert enough leverage on the hinged part that it would more readily make noise than other designs.  In the bike world, most people associate noises with something that isn't as tight as it should be, leading people to crank that bolt down so hard that it could potentially fail, or allowing the handlebars to fatigue the bolt head, causing the bolt to break.

The easiest way to tell if you have an affected stem is to measure it, as shown above.  The good stems are significantly wider, as the photos below demonstrate.  By the way, any Icon stems with two handlebar tightening bolts (instead of one, as shown in these photos) are OK.  All two-bolt stems were made with the wider section at the top.

Hopefully these photos will help you figure out if your bike has a bad stem or not.  If it does, please stop riding it immediately and bring it into a TREK, Klein or LeMond dealership for replacement.

I've enclosed the formal notice below, but please note that this recall does not mean that all of the bikes shown have bad stems, nor does it mean that a bike not listed has a good stem.  The issue is that road bikes, if properly fit to the customer, rarely leave the shop with their original stem.

If you have any question whatsoever about the stem on your bike, PLEASE bring it into a TREK, Klein, Fisher or LeMond dealer for inspection!  --Mike--

Trek Recalls 1999 Road Bikes  

WATERLOO, WI (BR&IN)—In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Trek Bicycles is recalling 13,600 road bikes and 4,700 road stems. The bolts on the stems can break, causing the handlebars to separate from the bike.

Trek received three reports of injuries from a broken stem. As a result, two riders suffered injuries, including a concussion and a broken collarbone. Trek officials were unavailable for comment.

The Icon Havana and Bordeaux stems were sold separately and also installed on various 1999-model Trek and Klein road bikes. Only stems that measure 0.75 inches or 17 to 20 millimeters across the front of the top clamp are part of the recall.

The bikes and stems were sold through specialty retailers nationwide from June 1998 to May 1999. The stems sold separately for $70, and the road bikes with the stems sold for $1,000 to $4,000. Only road bikes are part of the recall.

The following road bikes are in the recall: 520, 2200, 2200T WSD, 2200T, 2300, 2300T, 2500, 2501, 5000, 5000T, 5200 pear white, 5200 blue, 5200T pear white, 5200T blue, 5500 black, 5500 USPS, Y Foil 66, Y Foil 66T, and Y Foil 77.

The CPSC and Trek are advising consumers to stop riding the bikes and take them to a Trek or Klein retailer for a free inspection and replacement stem if needed. For details call (800) 313-8735.