It’s getting dangerous out there, kids. In the last two weeks, there have been at least four recalls of outdoor gear announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including a BowTech bow, Marzocchi bike forks, Mavic wheels, and Nordica skis.

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BOWTECH

Okay, so maybe there aren’t a lot of bowhunters in this crowd (“Paging Mr. Nugent, Mr. Ted Nugent”), but when this thing goes south, it really goes south: The $800 BowTech “General” compound bow is, well, exploding. Aw heck, the copy writers at CPSC nailed it:

“The ends of the bow’s limbs can unexpectedly break during use and send fragments of the bow in the direction of the user or bystanders, posing a risk of injury. The firm has received 255 reports of the bow’s limbs breaking, including 11 reports of lacerations, abrasions, or contusions when pieces from the breaking bow struck the user.”

The recall actually dates back to summer 2008, so it’s not real clear why the CPSC didn’t announce it until February 18, 2009. “I guess our government works slow,” said Nick at BowTech.

Contact: BowTech Archery, 877.447.0293, www.bowtecharchery.com.
BowTech recall page: http://www.bowtecharchery.com/latest_news/2008/08/general-08-factory-modification.html
CPSC recall page: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09132.html
CPSC recall hotline: 800.638.2772

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MARZOCCHI

It sounds like a Wile E. Coyote moment: Certain Marzocchi suspension forks don’t return to their original state after being compressed. After a recent high-speed downhill ride, I can see where that might be a problem. Here’s the catch—when you go to repair it, the fork can spring back without warning. Er, ouch. That might be a problem, too.

Uncle Sam says: “The suspension system on bikes with the recalled forks could become completely compressed and fail to return to its original position after a forceful landing. This can cause riders to lose control of the bicycle and crash. The forks can also expand forcefully if repair is attempted by the consumer, posing a risk of serious injury.”

The $1,000 to $1,700 forks are from 2008 and include models 888RC3 and 888RC3WC suspensions with date codes beginning with T07D07, T07D08 and T07D09. The forks are white or black with red and black artwork on the legs.

Contact: Marzocchi, 800.227.5579, e-mail techinfo@Marzocchiusa.com, or www.marzocchi.com.
Marzocchi recall page: http://www.marzocchi.com/spa/mtb/pdf/Recall-Letter.pdf
CPSC recall page: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09125.html
CPSC recall hotline: 800.638.2772

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MAVIC

Check your bike now. Approximately 12,000 are rolling around out there with defective front Mavic road wheels. Carbon spokes can break—have broken, obviously—on the $700-$750 R-SYS front wheel.

Mavic will replace the front wheel AND give you an Aksium wheelset (that’d be front and rear, that’s what they call a set) for your troubles.

Uncle Sam says: “Mavic USA has received one report of an injury involving broken teeth.”

Contact: Mavic, 800.664.9228, www.mavic.com
Mavic recall page: http://www.mavic.com/road/news/neews.762.aspx
CPSC recall page: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09116.html
CPSC recall hotline: 800.638.2772

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NORDICA
As if Euro-carving weren’t hard enough without the indignity of premature ejectulation. 4,500 pairs of Nordica skis are causing trouble on the hill: The XBi binding plate is breaking. Nuts.

But it apparently took ’em a while to notice: Models extend back three years ago and include…2006: Mach3power. 2007: DOBSPIT, MACH3POWER, MACH3, MACH2, HELLCAT, FIREFOX, DOBPROSL. 2008: FIREFOX, DOBPROSL, DOBPROGS.

Contact: Nordica, 800.892.2668, www.nordica.com
Nordica recall page: http://www.nordica.com/site/recall_usa.php?site=2〈=1
CPSC recall page: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09127.html
CPSC recall hotline: 800.638.2772

Tagged as: cycling, skiing