Bicycles, helmets and cycling accessories

• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — PPE for helmets
• Directive 2009/48/EC — Toy Safety for children's bicycles under a saddle height threshold
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 — Article 4

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing bicycles, helmets and cycling accessories on the EU market. Helmets are Category II PPE and require EU type-examination by a notified body, which is a heavier obligation than the bicycle itself.

Thresholds and exemptions

Children's bicycles with a maximum saddle height at or below 435 mm are toys under Directive 2009/48/EC; above that they are consumer products under GPSR and the bicycle standards. Helmets are PPE regardless of size.

What must appear on the label

For bicycles: manufacturer and responsible person details, frame number, maximum permissible total weight, and the assembly and maintenance instructions. For helmets: CE marking, the notified body number where production surveillance applies, the standard reference, the size and weight, and the warnings on impact replacement and on not modifying the shell.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces check the responsible person on bicycles and the CE marking and notified body number on helmets, and remove helmets whose certificates come from bodies not notified for Regulation 2016/425.

Documentation you must hold

For bicycles: technical documentation, risk analysis and test reports against the applicable EN standard. For helmets: EU declaration of conformity, technical documentation, and the EU type-examination certificate with the production surveillance arrangements.

Standards and testing

EN ISO 4210 series for city, trekking, mountain and racing bicycles, covering frame fatigue, braking and steering. EN 8098 for children's bicycles. EN 1078 for cycling helmets and EN 1080 for young children's helmets, both requiring type examination. EN 14344 for child seats mounted on bicycles.

Language requirements

Assembly, use and maintenance instructions and helmet warnings in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before placing on the market. Helmet type-examination certificates are valid for a maximum of five years and must be renewed.

How long records are kept

Ten years for technical documentation and, for helmets, the certificate and surveillance records.

What happens if you do not comply

Recalls for frame and fork failures are common and generate Safety Gate alerts. Helmets that fail impact testing, or that carry certificates from bodies not listed in NANDO, are removed and can lead to fraud proceedings against the seller.

Who enforces it

National market surveillance authorities, notified bodies for helmets, and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Three regimes on one order: the bicycle under GPSR and the EN ISO 4210 standards, the helmet as PPE with a notified body, and a children's bicycle below the saddle height threshold as a toy with CE marking and EN 71. Adding a motor moves the whole product into the machinery and battery regimes.

Questions we are asked

Can we self-declare a helmet?

No. Cycling helmets are Category II PPE and require EU type-examination by a notified body listed in NANDO for Regulation 2016/425.

Is a balance bike for toddlers a toy?

If the maximum saddle height is at or below 435 mm, yes, which means CE marking and EN 71 rather than the bicycle standards.