Orbea recalls entry-level road bikes over fears 'forks can fail prematurely and crack, break or separate' during cycling

Spanish bike brand Orbea has recalled its entry-level Avant road bike over the danger that the "suspension forks can fail prematurely and crack, break or separate during use".

The H40, H50 and H45XI models from 2025 and 2026 have been recalled, according to announcements from the British government and the European Commission. The fork is carbon fibre, with the rest of the bike made of aluminium.

According to the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards: "The product presents a risk of injuries as the suspension forks can fail prematurely and crack, break or separate during use. The fork is a critical load-bearing component of the complete bicycle, and inadequate structural integrity may compromise steering and control during normal use, potentially leading to a loss of control and risk of injury.

"The product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005."

The notice on the Orbea website reads: "In line with our commitment to the safety and quality of our products, the Orbea Quality Department has identified that a batch of forks on Avant 2025 and 2026 models could compromise certain safety features under specific usage conditions.

"To eradicate any risk, we are replacing the forks on the affected bicycles."

Customers are urged to stop using the product immediately and check if their bicycle serial number is affected here. That can be found under the barcode on the bottom bracket. Those affected can get their fork replaced through the Spanish company. Those not affected can continue riding.

Anyone concerned can email Orbea at online.eu@orbea.com or avantsupport@orbea.com. In the UK, they can be called on +4420 3468 4087.

The Avant model was the subject of a similar recall in 2014 in the US, when over 700 bikes were asked to be returned over fork concerns.

It's just the latest stop-ride or recall to come from the bike industry in recent months. In December Stromer found evidence of people actually crashing as a result of an issue, Cube found an issue with a fork, and US bike giant Trek issued a recall.