Archival illustration: an Urban Arrow cargo electric bicycle photographed in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 24, 2019. This European bicycle has not been verified as a recalled U.S. unit. Photo: Bigral / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A new recall of older Urban Arrow cargo electric bikes focuses on a small connection with an important job: keeping the saddle secure. Gazelle USA’s October 1 action covers about 1,032 bikes in the United States, plus approximately 134 in Canada. Owners of affected bicycles should stop riding them and arrange the free repair.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s notice says the front bolt in the seat-post clamping mechanism can break, allowing the seat to loosen and creating a fall hazard. Gazelle has received nine reports of damage or wear at the saddle-to-seat-post connection. No injuries are reported in the recall notice.
The affected model families are Urban Arrow Family, Shorty and Cargo L/XL, each in black or white, and the Tender 1000/1500 in white. The bikes have aluminum frames, reinforced-foam cargo boxes and Urban Arrow branding on the bottom of the box. The recalled seat posts have two silver bolts. These identification details matter more than simply recognizing the brand.
Urban Arrow’s North American safety announcement says the recall concerns cargo bikes produced between the third quarter of 2016 and the third quarter of 2022. It explains that the front clamp bolt can break when appropriate torque is not maintained. The remedy is a replacement seat post and saddle, available through the linked registration form. Owners may install the replacement themselves without special tools or have an Urban Arrow dealer install it free of charge.
For questions, Gazelle USA lists 800-838-5388, with recall-contact hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific on weekdays, and [email protected]. The company’s page also links to its dealer locator. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News independently reported the recall on October 1.
If a cargo bike anchors a daily routine, arranging the repair may take a little planning. Keep its identifying information handy when contacting the company, and ask the dealer how to get the bicycle to the workshop without riding an affected model. Checking the current notice first can also help owners avoid confusing this seat-post repair with a different recall listed on the same company page.
