NYC Pulls Electric Bicycles Due to Brake Issues

MANHATTAN, N.Y. — Several people sustained severe personal injuries after they were violently thrown off of the Citi Bikes in 2019. Citi Bikes, the electric, pedal-assist bicycles were available for rent across New York City until a short time ago. The New York Daily News reports that Lyft, the company that owns and operates the Citi Bike program, removed about 1,000 electric bicycles from New York Streets due to braking issues. An in-depth analysis of the situation reveals that the brake manufacturer is not to blame for the problem. Instead, Lyft might shoulder the blame by using brakes ill-equipped for the job.

Several electric biker riders told the New York Daily News that they blamed themselves for accidents that led to injuries while riding Citi Bikes in New York City. Those riders described how they were riding appropriately and tried to stop. Instead of stopping, however, the rider flew over the handlebars of the bike. The riders described injuries varying from bumps and scrapes to broken wrists, to breaking both elbows and fracturing a replaced hip. Each rider explained how he or she tapped the brakes and then went over the handlebars and crashed to the pavement or sidewalk.

The New York Daily News learned that a Japanese bicycle part maker manufactured the product. When asked to comment, the part maker replied that the brakes that Lyft uses on the Citi Bikes are not indicated for electric bikes. The brakes work as they are supposed to work. The problem is that they are the wrong brakes for the particular bike.

The New York Daily News attributed a statement to an unnamed source who works in the Citi Bike program. The unidentified source said that the Citi Bikes are cheap, and the company tries to repair things as inexpensively as possible.

The mayor’s office expressed concern with the problem, and the city’s transportation department will require documentation of the events in which people sustain an injury while riding a Citi Bike.

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