Citi Bike has recalled its pedal assist bicycles amid safety concerns that the brakes can lock and throw the rider.

Riders have been thrown over the handlebars upon braking whether it is a sudden stop or a gradual attempt at braking.  Dozens of riders sustained injuries when braking the pedal assist bikes, and on April 15, 2019, Citi Bike took-off the streets its fleet of 1,000 pedal assist bikes.  It replaced them with standard, manual pedal bikes.

The car service, Lyft, owns Citi Bike, and it recalled such bikes in San Francisco and Washington, DC.  Lyft has stated that it is working on a new model which will be available soon.  Until further notice, Citi Bike is offering only standard bicycles.

Pedal assist bikes are legal in New York City.  These bikes have a motor which require the rider to pedal to activate.  The rider must continue to pedal.  They can reach a maximum speed of 18 mph.  In comparison, throttle controlled bikes require no pedaling and reach speeds above 25 mph.  These bikes are favored by food deliverymen.  I view both types of bikes as highly dangerous, and I do not believe that they should be on the streets in the same, unregulated manner as a regular bike.

There is no question that these recalled bikes are unduly dangerous.  We have a couple of clients who were injured by these bikes.  If you have been injured with a Citi Bike, please feel free to call us for a free consultation.