New Jersey has passed legislation that will effectively ban the sale of every commercially-made bike of reasonable quality, according to Bicycle Retailer magazine:

Under the bill, it would be illegal to sell bicycles with quick release wheels unless they met performance specifications that are not commercially available. Assembly bill A2686, which was introduced in February 2006, passed in the assembly with a vote of 77-3 and is now headed to the Senate Commerce Committee.

It is to be hoped the Commerce Committee shows some sense. Quick release levers aren’t dangerous. All it takes is a brief pre-ride safety check to ensure that they’re closed and tight every time. I suspect that even if the Committee continue down the path of dumb, this can be overturned via lawsuit quickly.

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Author: julie

Julie Kosbab is an online marketing consultant and active transportation advocate living in Anoka County, Minnesota. She was one of Minnesota's only League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructors when certified in 2005. She is a past member of the National Bicycle Tour Directors Association. She has 2 children and 4 bicycles. Find her on Twitter as @betweenstations.