All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

In our daily work as we deal with bicycle safety, technology and user manuals we come across lots of safety risks. The most frequent ones are published in articles of the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR – Europas Rennrad-Magazin Nr. 1, BIKE – Das Mountainbike Magazin Europas Nr. 1 and E-Bike – Das Pedelec-Magazin to make this information important for the sector accessible to a wider public.

For many years now the Eurobike Show Daily accompanying the annual international Eurobike Show has given us the opportunity to publish our perspective on major developments in the cycle industry in full-page articles.

We also speak regularly in independent lectures about all topics relating to bicycle technology and bicycle market. In addition, we are regularly cited by further special-interest magazines or trade journals as well as more and more by radio and television and in their media reports, which shows us that we are completely right with our information. The section NEWS informs you about the latest news from our specialist fields. The reports and publications of this section are listed chronologically or according to topics of interest.

TOUR 05/2022
Reading time 1:00 minute

“Cheap pads would cause problems in court”

Graduate engineer Dirk Zedler, loss adjustor and expert for bicycle safety
 
Brake manufacturers warn that using pads or discs from third-party manufacturers voids all guarantee and warranty claims. What does this mean if you face a problem with the brake?
One must distinguish precisely between the guarantee and the liability for material defects, i.e. the statutory guarantee. The brake manufacturer can refuse the guarantee in any case, because it is a voluntary additional service. However, he cannot free himself so easily from the liability for material defects. There must be a causal relationship between the brake defect and the modification. The problem therefore has to be attributed directly to the third-party pads or discs, then they can reject liability.
 
Can I refer to the manufacturer of the pads or discs who recommends the parts for a particular brake?
In case of problems, you should involve the manufacturer of the third-party parts in any case. In case of doubt, reputable suppliers can prove that their products are compatible with the respective brake. I would therefore advise against using cheap no-name parts that do not even have a manufacturer's name on them. They would certainly cause problems in court.
 
How common are problems with third-party pads?
Using parts originating from renowned accessory brands is not a problem.
Currently, many dealers are also switching to third-party manufacturers, and we are not hearing any complaints. However, these are mostly well-known brands that control their production well. We know from the automotive sector that cheap pads from dubious sources can have large tolerances, i.e. one pad may work well, but not the next.
 
The interview was held by Jens Kloetzer

 

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