As we’ve reported, Specialized first notified dealers and what customers it could reach of the problem last November. But it did not put out a general press release on the failures, nor did it refer to its “stop-sale notice” as an official recall.

It did note, at the time, the following:

We are working with CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) staff on the details regarding the recall from affected bicycles with consumers. Details should be released shortly.

On May 5, 2010, seven months later, the CPSC issued a formal recall notice concerning the affected bikes. I guess in geologic time seven months isn’t that long, but in bike years it doesn’t seem to qualify as “shortly” either.

In the meantime, in response to widespread coverage of the recall, Specialized has issued the following press announcement (again, no link on its Web site is available):

It has come to our attention that the CPSC has issued a Press Release for a recall on 2010 26” Epic and Era models with an alloy seatstay on May 5.

This press release was issued seven months after the initiation of our recall of these models and Specialized would like to emphasize that this is not a separate issue from the corrective action initiated in November, 2009. It is simply a reminder about the recall to ensure that consumers who have purchased one of the bikes are aware of the issue.

Recall info has been posted on the Specialized site since November, and all consumers who purchase an affected bike were informed quickly and the seatstays were replaced free of charge.

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/…eb_Posting.pdf

We are confident that this recall has been handled swiftly and effectively, with most re-works performed before bikes made it to dealers, and that most in-field bikes have been addressed. If you are currently riding a bike included in the recall list, and you are unsure as to your bikes seatstay rework status, please verify with the Specialized dealer where you purchased your bike.

Specialized Customer Service

We’re trying to find out why it took CPSC seven months to act, and whether it still sees any problems with the bikes. It’s not that we don’t trust Specialized, we’re just curious about how the recall system works.

As we’ve said all along, we continue to like and admire Specialized. But we think it could have been more transparent about the recall. Its most recent press release sounds like it was as surprised as anyone that the CPSC notice had been issued; if true, that’s unfortunate and is a head-scratcher re how the government works.

Most bike recalls involve cheeseball or marginal brands that use cheap componentry. But Specialized Epics are at the top of the food chain, used by racers and cross-country riders all over the world. The bikes have consistently gotten good reviews, and Specialized’s name is one of the most trusted in the industry.

Epics aren’t cheap, either. Top-of-the-line models run $4,000 to $6,000 or more.

The dry description of the recall belies the dangerous nature of the failure: “The shock absorber mount can break and the shock absorber can make contact with the wheel spokes, posing a fall hazard to the rider.”

Wouldn’t you love to be going down a steep switchback, negotiating a Moab outcropping or grinding over a rock garden and have the shock pop free. “Fall hazard” doesn’t begin to describe the potential here.

Interestingly, the CPSC announcement says no injuries have been reported. For the company to conduct a recall, that must mean someone or ones reported some pretty dramatic near-misses.

A call into the Specialized hotline went into vapor lock, but we’ll keep trying.