Diamondback Takes 'Voluntary Action' with Mission Bikes

DECEMBER 06, 2006 -- KENT, WA (BRAIN)--Diamondback has taken a "voluntary action" with nearly 100 of its Mission six-inch travel mountain bikes due to a potential flaw in the bike's top tube.

According to Diamondback marketing coordinator Trevor Knesal, the problem occurred when a customer rode a test bike off a loading dock. The result was a crinkled top tube.“This only occurred because of the tight tolerance the Mission is built with,” Knesal said. “The top tube is triple butted, so if someone were to sand the top of it too much—like the one confirmed frame—the center of the top tube would become very thin and would crinkle after an unknown number of drops.” Knesal wanted to stress that Diamondback took a “voluntary action” regarding this situation, and that this isn’t a recall. “It may seem like nit-picking, but there is a very big difference between a recall and what we’ve done with the Mission,” Knesal said. “A recall takes place when the CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] deems a product unsafe. We have brought all Missions back in to replace their front triangles, the CPSC didn’t force us to.”

Knesal said there is a very good chance that what occurred was an isolated incident involving one frame. “But we didn’t want to take any chances with our customer’s safety nor the bike,” he added. Since Diamondback discovered the potential frame flaw so early, less than 100 were shipped, and less than 10 were sold at retail. “All who bought them are now riding loaner bikes we provided them and anxiously awaiting the return of their Missions in January,” Knesal said.