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Specialized Recalls 2016 S-Works Venge Vias and Venge Pro Vias road bikes due to possible frame failures

Written by Zach Overholt
30 Comments
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specialized-s-works-venge-vias-pro-recall-road-bike-2016-2

If you’re riding around on a Specialized Venge ViAS, listen up. Recently, Specialized announced along with the CPSC that they were issuing a voluntary recall of their top end models. According to the CPSC filing, the bikes have a risk of the rear wheel coming loose from the dropouts which could ultimately lead to breaking the rear triangle and the possibility of injury. Based on the fix, it sounds like the issue lies in how the rear skewer interfaces with the derailleur hanger since recalled bikes will be given a new derailleur hanger and a safety inspection.

specialized-s-works-venge-vias-pro-recall-road-bike-2016-4
Photos c. Specialzied

The report lists that there have only been seven reports of damage with one report of a minor injury, but the recall should be taken seriously. The recall impacts the 2016 Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS shown above…

specialized-s-works-venge-vias-pro-recall-road-bike-2016-1 specialized-s-works-venge-vias-pro-recall-road-bike-2016-3

And the 2016 Specialized Venge Pro ViAS which were sold from July 2015-September 2016. Roughly 1000 bikes are affected by the recall, and owners should contact their local Specialized dealer for a free derailleur hanger replacement and safety check.

cpsc.gov
Zach Overholt
5,729 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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caliente
caliente
8 years ago

Can we get a pic of the old v. new hanger/skewer? For safety purposes.

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Dale C
Dale C
8 years ago

Odd that bikes have had the same style hanger/skewer for decades now and all of a sudden this is a problem on one type of bike? Did they drastically change the hanger design for this Venge?

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kvnmntjs
kvnmntjs
8 years ago
Reply to  Dale C

they moved the breaks at the location where it is now perpendicular to the slot in the hanger.. under heavy breaking, the wheel could pivot at the breakpads and the skewer might come lose..

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Aaron
Aaron
8 years ago
Reply to  kvnmntjs

Think about what you just said….. The Brake being in the location it’s in actually forces the wheel into the dropouts, unless of course you’re olling backwards at 50…

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Skip
Skip
8 years ago

These are the factory ones right? The $12k one? Not the dangerous Chinese imitators they warn about?

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James Fryer
James Fryer
8 years ago
Reply to  Skip

This is exactly why it’s safer to buy from a legitimate company, because they will issue a recall when they find a defect.

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Champs
Champs
8 years ago
Reply to  James Fryer

That’s cold comfort if you’re out $12K for the bike and even more for the hospital visit anyway.

Even in their own words, Specialized can’t articulate a difference any greater than the SLN versus the SLN+1, i.e. as little as one model year. I don’t particularly recommend the counterfeits, but the argument against them could be more compelling.

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JNH
JNH
8 years ago
Reply to  Champs

Spesh have always been very pro-active with their recalls. For all their other faults it is one of their strengths that they tell people when they’ve identified a problem. Plenty of other brands would look at seven failures and chalk it up to operator error.

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Jimmy
Jimmy
8 years ago
Reply to  JNH

Seven out of 10,000 would be relatively minor. This is approaching one out of 100 nd given the nature of the failure it’s safe to assume that all 1,000 of them would be susceptible to the failure, as opposed to many recalls where one of two bikes have had a major failure of component that probably is fine in most of the bikes but not all.
Still, at that rate of failure you can see how the problem may not have emerged in testing.
My bet would be those seven (and there is least another I know of, which means there are prob even more) had the skewers tightened just a bit more softly than the norm. That would surely make the failure more likely. If had one, I believe i’d wire the thing on, even after the fix.

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Lucien
Lucien
8 years ago

Did Samsung made the frame?

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Joey Sikorski
Joey Sikorski
8 years ago

I have installed a few of these today. Same QR but the hanger has a couple of notches on it as if it had Lawyer tabs. Simple fix and Specialized has taken care of the customer’s with this issue. Smooth, easy process.

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Morgan
Morgan
8 years ago

The replacement hanger has lawyer tabs on it. That was their ingenious solution.

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Veganpotter
Veganpotter
8 years ago
Reply to  Morgan

Ha…are you serious?

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pTymnWolfe
pTymnWolfe
8 years ago
Reply to  Morgan

Correct. The replacement hanger has what are essentially two little lawyer tabs on either side. Just like a fork but instead on a der. hanger.

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J
J
8 years ago

(deleted)

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Ryan
Ryan
8 years ago
Reply to  J

I think you’re on to something there. When I was a bike shop mechanic it never failed to amaze me how few people properly install QR skewers. I wish I had a dollar for every skewer I’ve run across that was either about to fall off the bike or so tight the wheels barely turned. It’s nice of Spec and Trek to look out for all of the people who are too stupid or ignorant to use a QR, but as we used to say in a shop I worked at: “I think the problem is located above the saddle”.

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Greg
Greg
8 years ago
Reply to  Ryan

“it’s the loose nut behind the stem”

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Sam LaClair
Sam LaClair
8 years ago
Reply to  Ryan

Assuming that your hub has locknuts, the skewer tightness has no relation to hub tightness…

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Brian
Brian
8 years ago

So when the next company has a recall will Specalized sue them?

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Darryl Duck
Darryl Duck
8 years ago

Well that should speed up rear wheel changes for them.
QR just lost the only advantage it had over through axle.

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1Pro
1Pro
8 years ago

“Based on the fix, it sounds like the issue lies in how the rear skewer interfaces with the derailleur hanger”

the fault lies in the location of the brake which places the pads parallel to the dropout slot. same reason disk forks point the slot forward.

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Saiv
Saiv
8 years ago

I just picked up a venge vias today. The best road bike by far! She’s a keeper

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Randall
Randall
8 years ago

During braking, which force has a vector pointed towards the dropout opening? The wheel’s momentum or the force from the road?

To me it looks like they may have rotated the dropout a bit vertical, which could cause a problem it the skewer was loose and the wheel came off the ground. For example, while sprinting the chain could pull a wheel down and forward…

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Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
8 years ago

I was told this this morning by someone with a Vias, and an extensive (several limited edition bikes) Spesh collection that they offered him a trade for a new vias or similarly priced unit. Granted it’s hearsay, and this could be a shop going over and beyond to satisfy a valuable customer but wondering if this is more than a case of idiots not knowing how to use a QR.

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Vias
Vias
8 years ago

Could it be the seatstay or the triangle that has a weak point or a flaw design and Specialized is just making an excuse of saying it was the hanger? It’s just so hard to beleive that if the rear wheel dislodge at high rpm and hit the part of that seat-stay or any of the frame. It should break. I’ve seen really worst crashes at crits with carbon frames wheels will break but not the frame.

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edge
edge
8 years ago

Hey Specialized!!!! What about all the seat-post cracks? When are you recalling those???

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doug
doug
8 years ago

I thought we were paying all this extra money for parts that never fail and are extensively tested. Isn’t that the big gripe with cheap chinese CF?

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Robin
Robin
8 years ago
Reply to  doug

I don’t think anyone said that. With that said, “never fail” isn’t true and extensive testing doesn’t’ necessarily reveal all flaws.

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Jack Moore
Jack Moore
8 years ago

There are many of these on the road and there has not been a rash of reports of failures. I’m imagining an edge case (braking over chatter bumps with a loose skewer? Fat middle-aged guys [like me] braking into switchbacks? ) that COULD lead to problems in SOME cases.

Spesh is far from perfect, but a recall is a show of integrity.

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Jimmy
Jimmy
8 years ago
Reply to  Jack Moore

The recall notice says 1000 bikes from 2016 are affected. That actually is quite a lot with failures and the problem is clearly one that affects every last one of those bikes and could cause exactly that kind of failure in all of them under the right riding conditions and skewer tension.

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