About 1,150 Van Rysel GRVL AF gravel bicycles sold through REI are recalled because the front lock nut can loosen during use, letting the front wheel work loose or dislodge. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on Oct. 8, 2026 as number 27-017, a Fast Track recall filed by Decathlon America LLC. The bikes sold for about $1,400 to $2,300.
A front wheel that separates from a moving bicycle is among the more direct routes to a crash, because the rider has no way to correct it once the wheel is gone. The repair is a free inspection at an REI store.
Four GRVL AF models and the REI sales window
The CPSC notice lists four recalled versions in sizes X-small through X-large: the GRVL AF GRX Black (model 8929130, Product IDs 5476620 to 5476624), the GRVL AF Apex Beige (8911305, IDs 5327224 to 5327228), the GRVL AF Sword Pink (8911308, IDs 5327239 to 5327243) and the GRVL AF Sword Brown (8911304, IDs 5327219 to 5327223). The Product ID is printed on the barcode sticker near the bottom bracket; the remedy section adds that it also appears under the frame and begins with the digit 5.
REI Co-op stores nationwide and REI.com sold the bikes from March 2025 through August 2026. Decathlon America LLC of San Francisco is the importer, Recreational Equipment, Inc. of Sumner, Washington is the distributor, and the bikes were manufactured in China. Decathlon’s own product safety recalls page carries a matching entry dated 10.08.2026 for the front lock nut on the GRVL AF, linked to a safety recall poster.
The front lock nut and the wheel-retention rules
The CPSC’s hazard statement is short: the front lock nut can loosen during use, so the front wheel can dislodge or loosen over time. The agency reports no incidents or injuries, and the recall was filed under its Fast Track program, which the agency’s Fast Track guidance describes as a voluntary track in which the company submits a corrective action plan that is ready to be implemented within 20 working days.
Federal bicycle rules treat wheel retention as a core requirement. Under 16 CFR part 1512, wheels must be secured with a positive lock device, and front-wheel locking devices other than quick-release types must withstand a removal torque of 17 newton-meters. The same part says screws, bolts and nuts used to secure components must not fracture, loosen or otherwise fail during the required tests. The CPSC does not say in its notice that the GRVL AF failed a particular test in that part; it states only the loosening nut and the resulting hazard.
One recall spans the GRX, Apex and two Sword colorways of the GRVL AF, four model numbers with a price spread of about $900, and the CPSC ties all of them to the same front lock nut fault. The Product ID ranges are narrow, five consecutive IDs per model, so an owner can match a bike to its listing in seconds. The cheapest bikes in the recall sold near $1,400 and the most expensive near $2,300, so riders at both ends of the range are asked to do the same thing: check the Product ID, then book the inspection.
The gravel category adds an edge to the problem. Bikes like the GRVL AF are built for rough surfaces, where vibration is constant and a nut that backs off a little at a time is more likely to keep backing off. REI’s product listing for the GRVL AF 2 Apex describes a bike with a carbon expedition fork built for “rugged trails to weekend bikepacking trips,” which is the sort of use that puts repeated load on the front axle and its lock nut.
Free inspection and repair at REI
Riders are told to stop using the bike and take it to an REI Co-op for a free inspection and repair of the front fork assembly. Anyone who cannot reach a store can contact Decathlon Customer Service at 415-408-5494, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday, or at [email protected]. The company also hosts the notice at decathlon.com/pages/product-safety-recalls. The CPSC page describes the repair only as an inspection and repair of the front fork assembly and does not specify whether the nut is replaced, re-torqued or fitted with a retaining part.
Crashes or near misses involving a bike can be reported to the agency through SaferProducts.gov. Neither Decathlon nor the CPSC has said how many riders have already felt the nut loosen, nor how long the inspection takes. The 1,150 count covers all four models, and the notice does not give a per-model split.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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