Many manufacturers (including Cube, Rose, Canyon and Scott) have recently started labelling their mountain bikes with classification stickers. These precisely define the area of use and things like maximum drop height, and the categories are usually explained in the instruction manual. Supposedly, the manufacturers want to create more orientation for consumers, but do they also want to protect themselves legally?
What can I do with a category 3 mountain bike?
User manuals and instructions on products often tell you the obvious. Most people realise that coffee in coffee-to-go cups is hot. However, a label on the product is still required - at least in the USA. "However, many people don't realise what you can do with a mountain bike," says Quality Manager Gordon Könen from Canyon. Although there is a DIN standard, it is outdated and does not differentiate between the different bike categories. "Of course, a downhill bike has to withstand more than a race fully," says expert Dirk Zedler from the Zedler Institute for Bicycle Technology and Safety. The keyword is: intended use. This should not only help the consumer, who thanks to the classification (category 1 to 5) knows which area of use his bike covers, but also protect the manufacturer from possible lawsuits.
For example, there was a lawsuit at the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court: the frame of a cross-country hardtail broke during a freestyle manoeuvre, injuring the biker. The injured party sued the manufacturer, claiming, among other things, that he could not have known that his mountain bike would not be able to withstand such loads. Although the area of use was described in the operating instructions and the material of the frame had no defects, the court ruled in favour of the injured party and caused many manufacturers to become upset. Almost all bike companies now label their frames with the modified US bicycle specification ASTM - speed and jump height are precisely defined. The pioneer in Germany was the mail-order company Canyon. Incidentally, the manufacturer should not refer to the classification in the event of a warranty claim. "First and foremost, we wanted to provide guidance for the consumer," says Gordon Könen from Canyon.
Interview Dirk Zedler (Expert Zedler-Institut)
Legal protection for manufacturers?
BIKE: Why is classification important?
Dirk Zedler: Because the range of use and the requirements between the different mountain bike
categories could not be more different. This is no different for components such as handlebars: a downhill handlebar clearly has to be more durable than a marathon handlebar. After all, the customer wants to jump high drops with one product, save weight with the other and ride on tame trails.
To what extent does the classification provide legal protection for manufacturers?
The sticker and the description provide a guideline. This also carries weight in court. However, it is not a free pass for manufacturers. Each case must be considered individually.
But classification is not required by law?
No, but existing court judgements have a similar effect. In other words, there are judgements where the bike manufacturers have lost. If someone now sues again in a similar case, the court will come to a similar judgement.
Category 4 enduro bikes are limited to a drop height of 1.22 metres. Not particularly high.
That's right. Of course, manufacturers tend to set the bar low to protect themselves.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
