Bike Friday Tikit warning

[Frank Krygowski]

Bike Friday tikit stem SAFETY WARNING:
Stop riding your tikit immediately

[http://www.bikefriday.com/userfiles/stem%20break.new.jpg]

An important Safety Warning from Bike Friday Co-Founder Alan Scholz

Dear Bike Friday tikit owners:

It is with much concern that I write to you today. We have found that
your tikit could be dangerous to ride. I want to tell you in the
strongest terms we recommend all Bike Friday tikit owners to stop riding
their bicycles immediately, until we have fully determined which tikits
are at risk.

We have learned that two tikit stems have broken. A stem break is a very
serious issue. Should your stem break while you are riding it there is a
high risk of losing control of your bike causing you to crash with
serious injury or even death as a result.

In August, 2012, an owner of a Bike Friday tikit sustained injury when
his front stem broke while riding. Earlier this month, in September,
2012, a second stem failure was brought to our attention.

We received the first bike for inspection [PHOTO ABOVE, right. The
second is still unavailable to us] 10 days ago, and upon reviewing the
results of that inspection we acknowledge the potential exists for front
stems to crack, and ultimately break.

Because of that, we recommend you do not ride your tikit until we can
conduct enough tests to isolate the problem, the extent of its potential
for failure, and implement safeguards to make your tikit safe to ride again.

Please follow this link to our website to fill out a registration
form<http://www.bikefriday.com/momentum/tikit_register> so we can keep
all tikit owners updated as we work through this issue. We will follow
up this email with more information on how to inspect your tikit for
potential problems.

We are very serious at Green Gear about this. Many of us are regular and
extensive tikit users. I have ridden a tikit since the first weeks of
production in spring 2007. I rode it to work daily and on tours -- even
doing several century rides on it until it was stolen last year. My wife
and two of my daughters own and ride tikits regularly.

The tikit is an important transportation solution for my two daughters
and neither owns an automobile, relying on their bike for most travel. I
understand that this will also be true for many of you.

I say this so you understand how deeply I apologize for the
inconvenience this causes for you not to ride your tikit until we have
come up with a safe solution for you.

At this time our engineers and designers have been working to replicate
the problem so we can develop solutions. We have stems being tested
around the clock. I promise we will share our findings as soon as we
have enough information to draw conclusions and offer solutions. Until
then, please do not ride your tikit and make sure you register your
contact
information<http://www.bikefriday.com/userfiles/stem%20cracks.4.jpg>
with us.

This safety warning only affects Bike Friday 16-inch wheel tikits. We
have suspended production and delivery of tikits. It does not affect any
of our 20-inch Pocket Bike Fridays.

I appreciate your patience in this matter. We have nearly 4,000 Bike
Friday tikits located around the world, and getting this important
message to all tikit owners is our priority at this moment. I hope you
can imagine the challenge for a company of 33 cycling enthusiasts here
in Eugene.

Sincerely,

Alan Scholz, Co-Founder, Bike Friday

PS, If you know others who have tikits please be kind enough to tell
them to ensure that they have this important Serious Warning and that
they can sign up for updates if we have not yet been able to reach them.
In the interest of doing this as quickly as possible it is going out to
everyone at the same time but everyone may not get the e-mail and we may
need to hunt for them. We thank you. The Bike Friday Community thanks you.


ALERT CODE: 1933


BIKE FRIDAY. PERFORMANCE THAT PACKS
Bike Friday has set up a special toll free number for you to call with
questions or concerns. Please understand that we have no additional
information to share at this time, and when we do, we will contact
everyone again through email.

tikit owners Hotline NUMBER: 541-683-0175 or Int'l +1-541-683-0175

email: tikit...@bikefriday.com

Please be patient. We are a small company and we expect a high volume of
calls. We have hired additional help, but you might still experience
long wait periods before you will speak to someone.


Community
Page<http://bikefriday.dreamhosters.com/community/the_bike_friday_community>
| Blog<http://bikefriday.dreamhosters.com/blog/> |
Videos<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE> |
Twitter<http://twitter.com/bikefriday> |
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bike-Friday/177147215204>


--
- Frank Krygowski

[Dan O]

On Sep 28, 1:23 pm, Frank Krygowski <frkrygowREM...@gEEmail.com>
wrote:


<snip>

> contact
> information<http://www.bikefriday.com/userfiles/stem%20cracks.4.jpg>
> with us.
>

http://www.bikefriday.com/userfiles/stem%20cracks.3.jpg

<snip>

[Lars Lehtonen]

Frank Krygowski <frkrygo...@geemail.com> wrote:
> Bike Friday tikit stem SAFETY WARNING:
> Stop riding your tikit immediately

Horrible news, I've been wanting one of these since they were
introduced. I hope the August injury wasn't serious.

---
Lars Lehtonen

[DirtRoadie]

On Sep 28, 2:23 pm, Frank Krygowski <frkrygowREM...@gEEmail.com>
wrote:

> email: tikitown...@bikefriday.com

>
> Please be patient. We are a small company and we expect a high volume of
> calls. We have hired additional help, but you might still experience
> long wait periods before you will speak to someone.
>
> Community
> Page<http://bikefriday.dreamhosters.com/community/the_bike_friday_community>
> | Blog<http://bikefriday.dreamhosters.com/blog/> |
> Videos<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE> |
> Twitter<http://twitter.com/bikefriday> |
> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bike-Friday/177147215204>
>
> --
> - Frank Krygowski

Well, there you have it. There's no end to the problems that can pop
up when engineers have been involved.
DR

[Wes Groleau]

On 09-29-2012 08:46, DirtRoadie wrote:
> Well, there you have it. There's no end to the problems that can pop
> up when engineers have been involved.

Worse problems occur when engineers AREN'T involved.

I wouldn't hire an engineer to remove a tree, and I wouldn't hire a tree
remover to design a bicycle.

--
Wes Groleau

“Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity.
But I'm not so sure about the universe.”
— Albert Einstein

[DirtRoadie]

On Sep 29, 6:43 pm, Wes Groleau <Groleau+n...@FreeShell.org> wrote:

it!> On 09-29-2012 08:46, DirtRoadie wrote:
>
> > Well, there you have it. There's no end to the problems that can pop
> > up when engineers have been involved.
>
> Worse problems occur when engineers AREN'T involved.

That's certainly the spin the engineers would like to put on it.
However some engineers (with agendas) would have you believe that ONLY
marketing people were EVER involved in bicycle design.
Since it seems to be momentarily relevant, look at Bike Friday for
example. Lots of hype! Incompetent design! I feel sorry for the any
of the poor ignorant slobs that bought into it!
And worse yet, NO freaking down tube!
Frank made clear long ago his erroneous belief (proven wrong by
counterexample, SlingShot, Klein Mantra, Trimble) that a bike without
a downtube is urideable.
If he were honest (he is not), he could have 'fessed up that he owned
one!

DR

[Kerry Montgomery]

DR,
I didn't see any smileys, or other indicators, showing which parts of this
post you meant seriously.
Yes, there sometimes are problems when engineers are involved. There
sometimes are problems when engineers are not involved. If engineers were
not involved, you would have to do without lightweight, durable, bicycles
and components, and you wouldn't be able to complain about engineers on this
forum, as you wouldn't have a computer, or electricity to operate it, nor,
unless you live in an unusual area, water to drink, nor nearly everything
you come in contact with every day, except nature.
Kerry

[DirtRoadie]

Thanks. You support my my point completely.
Please tell Frank that he, as an engineer, is not endowed with some
sort of undeniable universal truth and/or knowledge, as there are
others in his profession that have and seek different goals and have
different perspectives. They are the ones moving forward, allowing and
creating "tech" evolution . Looks like Frank got stuck in the 80's.
He is, at best, just another poor schmuck riding a bike. An ignorant
schmuck at that.
DR

[Dan O]

On Sep 29, 5:43 pm, Wes Groleau <Groleau+n...@FreeShell.org> wrote:
> On 09-29-2012 08:46, DirtRoadie wrote:
>
> > Well, there you have it. There's no end to the problems that can pop
> > up when engineers have been involved.
>
> Worse problems occur when engineers AREN'T involved.
>
> I wouldn't hire an engineer to remove a tree, and I wouldn't hire a tree
> remover to design a bicycle.
>

I know people who have gone to school and obtained engineering
degrees, are "trained" in the functions and procedures, and can even
"engineer" things (to a degree), but are simply inherently incapable
of thinking about things from the angles that will lead to a well-
engineered solution.

[Dan O]

But only if it's not going to rain, and preferably in the company of
helpless dolts who will admire his brillliance, courage, and unequaled
competency.

<snip>

[DirtRoadie]

Think of it this way- how could an engineer even consider
"engineering" a bike without some concept of what constitutes a "good"
bike.
And that understanding comes from feedback of those who know the
difference.
I think it's pretty clear that someone like Frank (since we are
speaking in generalities) reaches "this is good enough" (for something
engineered by someone else) and can neither envision nor grasp what
might be "better." At that point it becomes his "faith" which he
defends kicking and screaming about his "data" or raising straw
arguments that do little more than prove his lack of understanding.
Dylan's line "don't criticize what you can't understand" covers it.
Frank's "understanding (our prime example) ended last century. Now he
spends all his time using misquotes, partial or inapplicable facts and
smarminess in order to claim some great vision or knowledge. Sad.
DR

[Wes Groleau]

There are engineers that are incompetent.
There are engineers that are lazy.
There are engineers that are dishonest
etc.

And obviously the best engineer can make a mistake.

Does that make an engineering team a worse choice
for safe design than anyone else?

[Dan O]

On Saturday, September 29, 2012 9:43:51 PM UTC-7, Wes Groleau wrote:
> On 09-29-2012 23:26, Dan O wrote:
>
> > On Sep 29, 5:43 pm, Wes Groleau <Groleau+n...@FreeShell.org> wrote:
>
> >> On 09-29-2012 08:46, DirtRoadie wrote:
>
> >>
>
> >>> Well, there you have it. There's no end to the problems that can pop
>
> >>> up when engineers have been involved.
>
> >>
>
> >> Worse problems occur when engineers AREN'T involved.
>
> >>
>
> >> I wouldn't hire an engineer to remove a tree, and I wouldn't hire a tree
>
> >> remover to design a bicycle.
>
> >
>
> > I know people who have gone to school and obtained engineering
>
> > degrees, are "trained" in the functions and procedures, and can even
>
> > "engineer" things (to a degree), but are simply inherently incapable
>
> > of thinking about things from the angles that will lead to a well-
>
> > engineered solution.
>
>
>
> There are engineers that are incompetent.
>
> There are engineers that are lazy.
>
> There are engineers that are dishonest
>
> etc.
>
>
>
> And obviously the best engineer can make a mistake.
>
>
>
> Does that make an engineering team a worse choice
>
> for safe design than anyone else?
>

There's that word "safe" again. Safe just means undertaken with due care to make the risk acceptable.

And no - the engineering team is no worse choice than anyone else... unless someone else *understands* the application better in some important way that the engineers do not, and this someone else has the ability to design an acceptable solution. Still and surely the professional engineers will be called in before any commercial entity sticks their neck out with product liability to the general public ("Hey, they were certified. Therefor, we exercised due care. So our customers don't have to think about it; just buy.") Meanwhile, "someone else" might not accept the compromises.

I totally respect and appreciate engineering. Look at it this way: Frank says it takes a lot to get some road users to engage their brain. I say even if they do, the outcome will vary. The worst may have a perfect driving record, and best may not have a driver's license.

[Duane Hébert]

As in everything, there are good and bad engineers. In Quebec, you have
to belong the Quebec engineering order. When you pass the courses and
get in, you get a ring. The ring is supposedly made from the material
of a bridge that collapsed due to faulty engineering. The idea is to
instill some humility into engineers. Doesn't always work but a good
idea. Once you start thinking that your credentials make you smarter
than everyone else, you stop looking critically at your work.

[Frank Krygowski]

There are good and bad engineers, good and bad doctors, good and bad
programmers, lawyers, bike mechanics, writers, plumbers, and probably
even dog walkers. I doubt there's a profession in which every
practitioner is highly skilled.

However, for every profession, there seems to be a cadre of folks who
think they are better than the professionals, despite having total lack
of education in the field. You can find them yelling at sporting events,
kvetching at parties, bragging at bars and slinging mud on the internet.

They have no idea what they _don't_ know. They've never taken the first
qualifying test, never competed for a position, never accumulated any
practical experience. But in their imagination, they are brilliant.

--
- Frank Krygowski

[DirtRoadie]

On Sep 30, 9:22 am, Frank Krygowski <frkrygowREM...@gEEmail.com>
wrote:

Why Frank! Speaking of those who in their imagination are brilliant...
That's precisely how your name came up in discussion!
It's remarkable you do not understand the difference between a
hypothetical and a fact.
One of your problems is that you very obviously fall into the category
of not knowing what you don't know.
You repeatedly and unapologetically say silly things.

The problem is that many things you say are judged and shown to be
objectively erroneous (or incomplete) by their content, not by what
credentials you may claim to possess.

Love your straw people though. You can't even discuss anything, with
invoking them, can you?
What engineering course did those come from?
They prove nothing and are a very juvenile method of argument/
discussion.
You believe you are brilliant and never in error. The data shows
otherwise.
Thanks for further showing us that you OWN a bike without a downtube
that by your own previous adamant claims should be unrideable.
Your utter inflexibility and intolerance is really quite funny.
DR

[Dan O]

On Sunday, September 30, 2012 8:22:32 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:

<snip>

[Wes Groleau]

On 09-30-2012 12:40, DirtRoadie wrote:
> On Sep 30, 9:22 am, Frank Krygowski <frkrygowREM...@gEEmail.com>
> wrote:
>> They have no idea what they _don't_ know. They've never taken the first
>> qualifying test, never competed for a position, never accumulated any
>> practical experience. But in their imagination, they are brilliant.
>

> Why Frank! Speaking of those who in their imagination are brilliant...
> That's precisely how your name came up in discussion!
> It's remarkable you do not understand the difference between a
> hypothetical and a fact.
> One of your problems is that you very obviously fall into the category
> of not knowing what you don't know.
> You repeatedly and unapologetically say silly things.

Uh, it wasn't Frank that started this sub-thread
with a very silly denigration of engineers.

--
Wes Groleau

Curmudgeon's Complaints on Courtesy:
http://www.onlinenetiquette.com/courtesy1.html

[Ralph Barone]

Wes Groleau <Grolea...@FreeShell.org> wrote:
> On 09-30-2012 12:40, DirtRoadie wrote:
>> On Sep 30, 9:22 am, Frank Krygowski <frkrygowREM...@gEEmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> They have no idea what they _don't_ know. They've never taken the first
>>> qualifying test, never competed for a position, never accumulated any
>>> practical experience. But in their imagination, they are brilliant.
>>
>> Why Frank! Speaking of those who in their imagination are brilliant...
>> That's precisely how your name came up in discussion!
>> It's remarkable you do not understand the difference between a
>> hypothetical and a fact.
>> One of your problems is that you very obviously fall into the category
>> of not knowing what you don't know.
>> You repeatedly and unapologetically say silly things.
>
> Uh, it wasn't Frank that started this sub-thread
> with a very silly denigration of engineers.

Oh, and DR... If you feel the need to engage in character assassination,
could you possibly do it without insulting my profession.

[DirtRoadie]

Thanks for taking the bait.
I agree that there are good engineers and bad engineers (or any other
occupation or avocation) .
However whether any individual is one or the other cannot be
determined solely from what he tells you.

DR

[DirtRoadie]

On Sep 30, 7:06 pm, Ralph Barone <address...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

So, ALL engineers are perfect? And there is ONE ultimate truth so
that engineers NEVER disagree?
OK, if you say so.
DR

[Ralph Barone]

No, I'm just saying that if you want to insult one particular engineer,
then don't do it by slagging all of us. No, we are not all perfect, and
reality is greyscale, not black and white. OK? Now talk bike...

[Kerry Montgomery]

DR,
I have hired engineers. I assure you, some bad engineers can be determined
solely on what they say.
Kerry

[DirtRoadie]

On Sep 30, 7:51 pm, Ralph Barone <address...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

Well aside from my first post being a bit provocative and ambiguous, I
don't believe I have slandered the profession.
But I did add specific bike related points which also served to point
out issues relating to one of your brethren, not the profession in
general.
And it seems the discussion has nicely evolved toward agreement that
there are good and bad apples to be found. The individual does not
define the profession nor vice versa, the latter being the primary
point I wanted to make.
DR

[DirtRoadie]

I can't dispute the likely truth of that.
DR

[Duane Hébert]

I think that in the negative, you can absolutely determine whether an
engineer is not good at what they do, by what they say.

Determining whether they are good at what they do is less simple.

[Wes Groleau]

On 09-30-2012 22:47, DirtRoadie wrote:
> The individual does not
> define the profession nor vice versa, the latter being the primary
> point I wanted to make.

"There's no end to the problems that can pop
up when engineers have been involved."

is a rather ineffective way to make that point.

--
Wes Groleau

Change is inevitable. We need to learn that “inevitable" is
neither a synonym for “good" nor for “bad.”

[DirtRoadie]

I agree. But that wasn't intended to make the point standing alone. It
took responses and a bit of discussion. Thanks.
DR

[Wes Groleau]

On 10-01-2012 21:26, DirtRoadie wrote:
> On Oct 1, 7:11 pm, Wes Groleau <Groleau+n...@FreeShell.org> wrote:
>> On 09-30-2012 22:47, DirtRoadie wrote:
>>> The individual does not
>>> define the profession nor vice versa, the latter being the primary
>>> point I wanted to make.
>>
>> "There's no end to the problems that can pop
>> up when engineers have been involved."
>>
>> is a rather ineffective way to make that point.
>

> I agree. But that wasn't intended to make the point standing alone. It
> took responses and a bit of discussion. Thanks.

In other words, you were trolling and I fell for it.

You're not welcome.


--
Wes Groleau

“What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing;
it also depends on what kind of person you are.”
-- C.S.Lewis

[Frank Krygowski]

Here's an update from Bike Friday on October 3, 2012, about the Tikit
stem failures:

http://www.bikefriday.com/momentum/tikit_stem

- Frank Krygowski