By Lynette Carpiet
JUNE 15, 2007 --
Under the bill, it would be illegal to sell bicycles with quick release wheels unless they met performance specifications that are not commercially available. Assembly bill A2686, which was introduced in February 2006, passed in the assembly with a vote of 77-3 and is now headed to the Senate Commerce Committee.
While originally drafted to ban quick release wheels on children’s bikes, the bill was recently amended to include bikes with 20-inch or larger wheels. It also stipulates that the secondary retention device on a wheel meet certain specifications, including that it activate automatically and always prevent wheel separation.
“It’s being promoted as a bill intended to protect children,” said Bob Burns, Trek’s legal counsel and spokesman for the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association. “But the language would make every bicycle with quick release currently for sale in New Jersey illegal. This bill is not intended just for children’s bikes.”
Furthermore, Burns said there’s currently no secondary retention device on the market that would comply with the bill. “No system always retains the wheel,” he said. “Even the bolted axle, if the bolts aren’t on right, the kid’s in trouble. As of right now, there’s nothing on the floor that meets this definition and nothing on the horizon that is commercially proven.”
For the past year, the BPSA had been working with Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, the bill’s sponsor, on alternate language that would not prohibit the use of quick releases. The BPSA is now encouraging all dealers to contact New Jersey state senators and voice their opposition to the bill.
While it’s likely that the bill as written would be pre-empted by federal regulations that currently define how a quick release should perform, the law would still be in effect until a successful legal challenge was mounted in the courts.
“Bicycles are regulated by the Feds. If you start getting state-by-state regulation of bicycles, it will make selling bicycles in the U.S. very burdensome and extremely expensive for manufacturers and retailers,” Burns said.
“We need to get the New Jersey Senate Commerce Committee to listen to us and get them to consider the impact the bill would have on the bicycle business in New Jersey,” he added.
I've ridden with QR wheels for more than 25 years now, and never had an incident. We sell thousands of QR equipped bikes annually, with no issues that I'm aware of. Isn't it amazing that NJ has just killed all bicycle sales with this bill?
I wonder what's really behind this?
3 comments:
I can't believe this!!!
There is another aspect that is not mentioned here. This legislation applies to wholesale as well as retail commerce. Thus, Jamis Bicycle of Northvale would be legally required to include this silly retention device on all bicycles it sells to out of state customers. This would require it to add an unwanted and useless part at some cost, thus putting this business that generates export revenue for New Jersey at a competitive disadvantage in its global market. Do you think that the Assembly thought about this when it passed this bill?
There is another aspect that has not been mentioned here. I have confirmed that this legislation applies to wholesale as well as retail commerce. Hence Jamis Bicycle of Northvale would be required to include this alleged secondary retention device in all bicycles it ships to out of state customers. The inclusion of an unwanted part at additional expense will put this legitimate business that generates export revenue for New Jersey at a competitive disadvantage in its global market. Do you think the State Assembly thought about this when it passed this legislation?
Howard Schaffer
Metuchen, NJ
Post a Comment