This is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard: Lawmakers in New Jersey are considering banning the sale of mountain bikes with quick release axles due to reported injuries to children. The bill would require a secondary safety mechanism and the “fork tips” on most forks don’t seem to satsify the bill’s proponents. Meanwhile the National Bicycle Dealers Association is throwing around big bucks to lobby NJ lawmakers ($15,000 so far – about the cost of 5 high end mountain bikes).
Passing this law in New Jersey would have a huge impact on the industry so it’s a bit odd that only $15K has been spent so far. Perhaps it’s because the law doesn’t seem likely to pass but still – is it worth risking the loss of a such a great mountain bike feature? New Jersey riders would have to go outside the state to buy bikes but more worrisome is that other states could follow suit with similar bans. Or bike manufacturers could simply eliminate quick release axles from all bikes since it wouldn’t be cost effective to produce models just for the NJ market.
The worst part about this whole thing is that the idea was touched off by injuries sustained by kids riding Wal-Mart bikes, not mountain bikes from reputable bike companies like Trek or Specialized. Take a look at this “adult” full suspension bike from Wal-Mart – How much do you think this baby retails for? $200? $100? Nope, try $69.94. No wonder these quick-release axles are failing – they’re probably made out of plastic and cardboard!
Hey New Jersey: Don’t outlaw the quick-release – outlaw Wal-Mart bikes instead!
