Islabikes is trying to locate owners of its Beinn 24, 26 and 27, and Creig 20 children’s bikes purchased between 5 October 2019 and 16 May 2022, as part of a voluntary recall to replace the forks.
The beloved children’s bike brand says it has had a single report of the lower part of the fork of a Beinn 26 separating from the bike, so the fork dropped out of the frame when the bike was lifted off the ground.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but in 2022 Islabikes issued a voluntary recall notice for all the above bikes. It is replacing the forks free of charge, even if the bike has been acquired second-hand. You can read more about the recall on Islabikes' site.
Islabikes says of 7,677 bikes affected by the recall, it has replaced the fork on 6,261. That leaves 1,416 bikes with the fork not replaced, where Islabikes hasn’t been able to contact the owner or they haven’t replied.
It says it initially offered a temporary repair, replacing the fork-crown bolt, but it now needs to make a permanent repair by replacing the fork completely.
Which bikes are affected?
Islabikes says the following bike models, colours and frame numbers are affected by the recall.
- Beinn 24 in matt teal, matt charcoal, matt orange and gloss orange
- Beinn 26 and Beinn 27 in matt teal, matt charcoal and matt orange
- Frame numbers: AA90502551 to AA9121841; AA00129855 to AA10555391
- Creig 20 in matt dark teal and matt charcoal
- Frame numbers: AA90600696 to AA90600765; AA01072634 to AA01072737
The frame number is stamped on the underside of the bottom-bracket shell, where the pedal cranks are housed.
How can you tell if a bike has had its fork replaced?
Forks in need of replacement have a pattern of a series of dots near the top of the fork legs.
In contrast, forks that have been replaced have a pattern with a coloured band at the top of the fork legs.
What to do if you think your bike may be affected
Islabikes asks any owner of a bike potentially affected by the recall to stop riding it immediately and contact info@islabikes.co.uk. You can also contact Islabikes by phone on: +44(0)1584 708 383.
When contacting Islabikes, it asks you to provide:
- Your address
- Mobile phone number
- Photo of the whole of your bike from the side with the chain
- The frame number of the bike (it is stamped on the underside of the bike). Sometimes it is a little difficult to read, so please send a couple of photos that show all the digits
Islabikes ceased volume sales of its children’s bikes in 2023, citing the state of the cycling industry, with owner Isla Rowntree also wanting to downsize after 20 years in business. However, Rowntree says Islabikes is still working to contact owners and she'll keep the recall open for as long as necessary.
It still provides spares for its bikes and offers a more limited range of new children’s bikes, with the Cnoc currently available in 14in, 16in and 18in wheel sizes, and aimed at children from three years old.
Islabikes has also launched the Rosetta, a flat-bar gravel bike with a step-through frame to make the frequent dismounts needed for gates easier when riding off-road.
