IN BRIEF
Orbea is recalling two step-thru electric bikes from its Optima range: the Optima Asphalt Gris blue and the Optima Comfort 30. The cause is a frame welding fault that can make the frame break while riding. The Australian regulator published its notice on 24 August; in the United Kingdom, the Office for Product Safety and Standards had announced the recall ten days earlier, covering the 2019 and 2020 model years. The instruction is the same on both sides: stop using the bike immediately. Owners must check whether their machine’s serial number contains the sequence SNKIN19A, in which case the replacement is free at an Orbea dealer.
| Models affected | Optima Asphalt Gris blue and Optima Comfort 30 |
| Frame type | Step-thru frame, low standover |
| Model years targeted (UK notice) | 2019 and 2020 |
| Sales period (Australian notice) | From 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2020 |
| Fault | Frame weld that may fail while riding |
| Sequence to look for in the serial number | SNKIN19A |
| Remedy | Free replacement at an Orbea dealer |
A frame failure leaves the rider with « little or no warning », points out a specialist lawyer quoted further down. That is the reason behind the notices published ten days apart by the British and Australian product safety authorities, concerning two Orbea urban electric bikes sold five years ago.
Orbea Optima recall: which bikes, what fault
The Australian association Bicycle Network, relaying the notice published on 24 August, writes that « Spanish brand Orbea has recalled two models from its Optima e-bike range ». It specifies which ones: « The step-thru models involved are Optima Asphalt Gris blue electric bicycle and the Optima Comfort 30 electric bicycle. » These are therefore city bikes with an open frame, the kind you step through without lifting your leg.
The fault is described in one sentence: « A fault in the bike’s frame welding may cause the frame to break while in use. » The British notice, relayed by the law firm Leigh Day, locates the weak point: « The regulator said the affected bikes may have an issue with a welded joint in the middle of the frame, which could cause the frame to break unexpectedly if the weld fails. » A weld in the middle of the frame, that is to say in the area that takes the rider’s weight and the battery’s.
How to know whether your bike is affected
The check comes down to a sequence of characters. According to the Australian notice: « Consumers should stop using the bike and check if the bike’s VIN contains SNKIN19A, and contact your nearest ORBEA dealer to arrange for a free replacement. » A bike’s serial number is generally read under the bottom bracket shell, sometimes on the derailleur hanger or the head tube.
The machines targeted were « available for sale from 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2020 and were sold at dealers nationally and online », again according to the Australian notice. On the British side, the wording used by Leigh Day refers to model years: « Owners of Orbea Optima MY 2019 and 2020 models have been urged to stop riding them immediately because a potential frame defect could cause the bike to fail during use. »
One point deserves to be stated clearly: the two notices consulted concern Australia and the United Kingdom. Neither of them says what happens on other European markets, and this article therefore takes no view on the situation in France. An owner of an Optima from that period would do well to contact their dealer rather than wait for a national notice.
« Little or no warning »
Philippa Wheeler, a product safety lawyer at Leigh Day, explains why this type of defect is handled differently from an ordinary breakdown: « Structural failures in bicycles and e-bikes are particularly serious because riders can have little or no warning before a component fails. Cyclists rely on the safety of their bike when cycling, and catastrophic failures can cause serious and life-changing injuries. »
That is the whole problem with a recall that arrives five to six years after the sale. Over such a span, some of these bikes may have changed hands or left the dealer network, and a recall only reaches the owners it manages to contact. On a second-hand urban electric bike, the number engraved on the frame remains a check you can carry out yourself, without waiting for a letter.
