BikeBiz

Just to ask, other than stickers, what are the substantive differences between CEN and the outgoing BS standard affecting new bicycles?

Are the changes likely to result in added cost, or will it be a wash?

-dB

Hopefully as retailers we will see these new CEN standards before the general public. Forewarn is forearmed.

Can you please supply a contact and email address for the Bicycle Association?

If retailers are meant to only have CEN standard bikes from Jan 09 how soon before they will be available from importers/suppliers as we surly cant be expected to sell Cen standard bikes from Jan if we cant buy well before that. Not all retail stocks are fast moving please advise .

Fundamentally, there isn't that much difference between the CEN standards and BS6102 - it's not like a whole pile of products that passed BS6102 will fail CEN.

The test regimes are different, though - as far as I know, with BS6102 all you have to be able to say is that you believe the product would pass BS6102 if submitted for testing - i.e. it's self-certifying. For CEN, you have to prove that you have actually tested to those standards.

Funny, I'm sure this was meant to be in place by the end of 2007 ;-)

CEN standards have been worked on for YEARS. Lots of smoke-filled rooms and endless reams of paper etc etc. Lots of real experts involved (eg Alan Cater, Chris Juden of CTC etc).

Agreements had to be reached in all EU markets, hence the YEARS of effort.

As whole, the standards are tougher than BS6102.

Most suppliers are on top of the situation.

CEN standards were published a couple of years back and most products now comply with the 'new' standards, so it's sort of a sticker change. But Trading Standards officers can - and will - nab offenders after Jan 09. There might be a short grace period.

I don't think UK retailers ought to be surprised by yesterday's announcement. BikeBiz has been reporting on the impact of CEN for quite some time. Er, YEARS, in fact.


http://www.ba.gb.com

so what are we ment to do with any stock after jan 09?

The current British Standard that details the specification for safety requirements for bicycles i.e. BS6102 : Part 1 : 1992 only became active when the Pedal Bicycle (Safety) Regulations 2003 came into force on May 1st 2004. Prior to this date it was the 1981 version of BS 6102 that bicycles had to comply with.

BS6102 has always been a ‘1 size fits all’ standard i.e. all bicycles have to comply with the same test procedures whether they are designed for off-road use, racing or general commuting and shopping. However, the new standards - BS 14764, BS14766 and BS 14781 concern themselves with bicycles for use on public roads, mountain bicycles and racing bicycles respectively.

Whilst these newer standards (they were published back in 2006) are similar in some respects to BS 6102, they are more stringent in many areas – lots of fatigue testing, etc. which should mean that bicycles, regardless of their cost, will be safer providing all manufacturers and importers ensure their bikes fully comply with them.

I seem to remember that after toy bicycles with a saddle height greater than 435mm and less than 635mm were removed from the toy standard (EN 71) and the International Standard ISO 8098 was published as a British Standard to cover these models, a ‘grace period’ of about years was given so that old models could be sold through and the manufacturers and importers could get their acts together with regard to ensuring new products were correct.

I am aware the Department of Transport is currently drafting amendments that will see the retirement of BS 6102 and therefore the demise of the Pedal Bicycle (Safety) Regulations 2003 and I can envisage these changes being finished, consulted on and put into place this year. What I find difficult to believe is that all the bicycles in shops, supermarkets, warehouses, containers and even those still on production lines that have been, and no doubt still are being, manufactured to meet the current regulations will have to be sold by January 2009!

In the current economic climate, perhaps January 2019 would be more appropriate.

Hi, i am about to start a small online bike shop. i have been told that the bikes i have meet all EU and UK standards and he already imports to the UK, but i have no BS stickers on the bikes. Am i ok to sell the bikes? if not, what should i do?

What, no BS stickers!
It is an essential requirement of BS 6102 and the CEN standards i.e. BS 14764, BS 14766 and BS 14781 (plus BS 14765 - bicycles for young children) to have the frame visibly and durably marked with the number of the standard and various other details i.e. name of manufacturer or importer, etc.
Basically, if the bike hasn't got a BS sticker then it does not meet the requirements of the standard.

What about those who build bespoke bikes from separate component parts. Does this apply here?

Tescos and Toys R Us both say they will meet the Jan '09 requirement. ALL BS6102 stock must be sold by then.

The ACT has been advising members this was imminent for some time. What's new is the confirmed date and that the DfT has finally agreed to retire BS6102.

It's alright saying that they the ACT have been saying that it was imminent but bikes up to this point have been supplied with BS6102.

Again the little guys are going to get shagged over, there is no way we are going to shift every single unit we have in stock by Jan 09 it's just not going to happen, we may clear one or two lines but what am I ment to do, not replenish stock until the supplier can guarentee that the stock it's going to send me meets the new standard, no way is that going to happen, we will need a grace period of at least a couple of seasons to definataly clear all inventory.

There must be shops out there that still have bikes from at least 2 or 3 years ago still.

So if we don't sell all our current stock what do we do?

"dump them"

This issue needs clarifiying as it will affect hundreds of shops around the country and if not dealt with potentially putting most of them out of business.

Surely, the small independents will likely get clobbered anyway as the 'big' guys all offload their BS6102 old stock and create a glut of cheap bikes?

Again, a simple start up question. If i am a new business and i have bought my bikes from China, how do get my bikes BS tested/approved? I know they are BS standard. Do i then need to get a bike from every shipment tested?
Thanks.

BS testing doesn't apply any more, so there's no point getting your bikes BS-approved. For CEN approval, you need to be able to show that the bikes can pass the CEN standards - that means you (or your suppliers) need to test them to the CEN standards. As far as I know, there's no requirement to use a specific testing body for this - you can test yourself if you have the equipment.

Ok, that makes sense. SO now my manufacturer needs to prove that the bikes pass CEN standard testing.
1) Is there a specific certificate he needs to produce to prove that they pass testing?
2) Where can the test standards be found? Don't we need these before we can build/certify any bikes?

Many thanks

Is this what all city bikes need to meet: BS EN 14764:2005 ? If so, what about folding bikes and Dutch bikes? i presume Dutch bikes will fall under the same category because of similar sizes and seat heights.
I guess the sticker will need to say: 'Conforms to CEN BS EN 14764:2005' - we're giong to need bigger bikes!

I'm far from an expert on this, but:
1. I don't think there's a specific test certificate, though a testing body like TUV will probably have their own.
2. The standards can be bought from the BSI.

The important difference is that, with BS, you just had to be able to say "we think this bike would pass BS if tested", whereas with CEN you have to be able to say "we have tested this bike to CEN".

"As far as I know, there's no requirement to use a specific testing body for this - you can test yourself if you have the equipment."
This is correct, however the validity of the test will be questioned if you do it yourself and you may be asked (by Trading Standards or HM Customs) to submit the bike for testing by a registered testing house for varification. You'll have to pay for it - which means you might as well get them to do it in the first place.
Most companies I have dealt with regard "self-certification" as worthless anyway. If you build you own frames/bikes then by all means check your design using the standards to make sure it will pass but it's always a good idea to get an independent testing house to give it a seal of approval.

I just got the new standards for cycle carriers
they need to be tested at 45/km/h
If I put this on the instructions do you think anybody will buy a carrier and drive at that speed

Where can I find registered testing houses to get our bikes tested? I contacted TUV but they weren't very helpful...

Getting your bikes tested in the UK will cost a fortune. You are far better off getting your manufacturer to have them tested by a CE approved body and then have them send the certificate with the bikes.
Also, what wiould you do if you tested them here and the bikes fail to meet standards? It's better that this happens before the bikes come over isn't it?

At present all producers, importers, that put on sale in Europe a new bicycle without the EU marking must actively prove which other way than EN standards they have ensured to fulfills the basic requirement in the General Product Safety Directive (“safe products only”). EU Marking are: EN 14764 (city,trekking)14766 (mtb), 14781 (racing)
Short History
June 29, 1997, Koeln, bicycle safety experts met (at CEN/BT/WG 98, Alan Cater, Don H.Wright, were attending for UK)
Owing to a deep and sometime underground lobbying work since 1994 to stop the European War of Standards, I was representing Italy.
This basic meeting was showing the substantial agreement of Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and UK to ask CEN for a common European Safety Standard.
After that, two years were spent to find human resources, make fund rising, and prepare CEN Business Plan Draft
1999:. In Milan was set the CEN Technical Committee 333, Chair Don H Wright, Secretariat UNI, Italy.
2005: CEN standards were approved and released by CEN.
Since then all the National Standardization Offices must adopt in short time EN Standards, super ceding any national safety standard.
2006, June 20: EU Decision 2006/514/CE printed on OJEU L200 July 22, 2006, states that EN 147XX are referenced and thus considered to set requirements that satisfy the requirement in the GPSD for a safe product.
The referencing was surprisingly obtained despite the fact that EN standard were made without any Mandate of the Commission (Article Four of the GPSD).
The Referencing process was very slow and was substantially pursued by few of the bicycle stakeholders.
BY THE WAY SINCE NOW EN 14765 (children bicycles)IS NOT REFERENCED on OJEU and probably, for bureaucratic reasons, will be never referenced.
It is my opinion that the full set of EN standards, when will be revised by CEN in 2010, will have some difficulty to obtain a new referencing on OJEU.

Producers organizations would like to keep as soft and optional as possible the process to comply with EN standards as they feel the link to DGSP a too heavy obligation.
Traders and sales are more against than in favor of advertising the EU MARKING.
Normation institutions seems to consider the referencing to GPSD a political HOT job for which they are not in charge.
TC333 seems to prefer to continue a silent purely technical and voluntary job far from the clamor of the political EU issues.
In these years, from July 2006 consumers were poorly informed about the new rules.
Finally, advocacy organization feel the technical matter really tough and too difficult for them .
Moreover, they want to keep themselves well far away from any possible reason of conflict with their sponsors fund rising.
Best regards, Pietro Boselli SafetyBicycle.