This electric bike was sold illegally due to a simple mistake and is the subject of a recall

In a short press release, the German manufacturer Cube indicated that it was forced to recall one of its electric mountain bikes intended for a young audience. The cause: poor wheel circumference, which would directly impact the maximum speed authorized with electric assistance.

E-bike recalls are relatively common in the industry. They can concern a single model or an entire group of products in the event of widespread failure of a specific part, as was the case with Shimano last September – more than 700,000 defective cranksets were affected in North America.

This time, it’s Cube’s turn to suffer such a small disappointment. Fortunately, this is limited to one cycle in particular: the CUBE Reaction Hybrid Rookie SLX 400 Teamline 2023 27.5, in its XS version more specifically (around 2500 euros). This electric mountain bike is primarily intended for a young, novice audience, such as teenagers.

A wheel circumference problem

The press release published by the German brand explains the why and how of this recall: “The wheel circumference configured on some of the models listed deviates from specifications, causing the bikes to violate the maximum speed limit allowed with electric assistance“, we can read.

As a reminder, an VAE must comply with certain European rules: the maximum speed of 25 km/h provided by electric assistance is one of them. If the system is able to propel you to a higher speed, it is considered a speedbike which is governed by moped legislation in France (insurance, approved helmet and gloves, etc.).

For this reason, “the affected bicycles must not be used on public roads until corrective action has been taken by your CUBE dealer!», strongly insists the manufacturer from across the Rhine. “Continuing to use the bicycle on public roads without correcting the circumference of the wheel can, in the event of an accident or police check, have serious consequences.», Alarms Cube.

Unavailable on merchant sites

The manufacturer therefore urges its affected customers to “bring immediately» their bike from an authorized dealer. The latter will then carry out various checks and deploy corrective measures in the event of any anomalies identified.

Several merchant sites also indicate that the product is no longer available for sale. We imagine that sales were precisely stopped while the problem was resolved, in order to avoid reintroducing models that do not comply with the law onto the market.