Bicycle brand Vogue facing cargo bike sales ban over safety concerns

Bicycle manufacturer Vogue is recalling two types of cargo bikes, the Vogue Troy and the Vogue Journey, due to safety risks. The manufacturer is asking owners not to use the bicycles anymore and to have them adapted free of charge. The regulator, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has ordered Vogue to stop selling all the bicycles instantly.

According to Vogue, Troy bicycle frames can break. With Journey bicycles, the seat post can break and block the gas spring.

Customers with one of these cargo bikes can sign up for bakfiestcheck.com, according to Vogue. According to the manufacturer, they will then be approached within a few weeks for an appointment to, for example, make the frame more sturdy.

Another bicycle manufacturer, Babboe, was forced to stop selling cargo bikes and recall certain types earlier this year. The regulator was also given reports about other brands after this, especially about Vogue. Around 30 reports were issued. As a result of these reports, the regulator started an investigation into Vogue bicycles.

The investigation showed that Vogue had received reports about broken frames and seat posts over the last few years. The bicycle brand did not do enough about these reports, according to the NVWA, and did insufficient research into the causes of the broken parts. The regulator emphasized that Vogue did not report any of this to the NVWA, which is mandatory.

NVWA also advised people not to use the Journey and Troy bicycles anymore. The technical documentation for all Vogue cargo bikes is said to be incomplete. "This does not guarantee the safety of cargo bike users," the regulator reported. The bikes may only be sold again if Vogue can demonstrate that they are safe.

Babboe was reprimanded by the NVWA in February after it emerged that hundreds of frames had broken in recent years. The manufacturer has now started recalling and repairing or replacing some 22,000 bicycles.

It was announced last week that Birkway's law office had started a court case against Babboe on behalf of over 14,000 people from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and Germany. The goal is for the people to be compensated for the issues they had with their bicycles.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) conducted a criminal investigation into Babboe. Last Thursday, it was announced that the OM is stopping that investigation because the NVWA is also investigating Babboe.