Emmelle bikes

nuzeta said the following on 13/07/2006 10:23:

Quoted message said:

Just got a new bike as a present- an Emmelle trekker. Don't know if it
is good, bad, indifferent, etc. Anybody know anything about them,
please? Is it a good make? or will it fall apart in a year?? I would
appreciate any advice or info. Thanks!

If you can make it last a year, you're doing well! The best way to to
do that is not to ride it.

Sorry, but the price (around £35-£45) is a clue.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

nuzeta said:

Just got a new bike as a present- an Emmelle trekker. Don't know if it
is good, bad, indifferent, etc. Anybody know anything about them,
please? Is it a good make? or will it fall apart in a year?? I would
appreciate any advice or info. Thanks!

It is a budget bike using low specification parts. It isn't a reputable
brand - it's the sort of bike sold from supermarkets, catalogues and
non specialist shops such as car spares shops. Having said that, you
are likely to get several years' use out of it if you treat it well and
maintain it. It certainly isn't a bike that's worth adding more
expensive components to in order to upgrade it.

My wife has a low budget 'special' that's earned its keep over the past
eight years. It's still going strong.

Cheers for the help. Since posting my first message, the chain guard
fell off whilst hanging gear. The rot has started...

nuzeta said:

Cheers for the help. Since posting my first message, the chain guard
fell off whilst hanging gear. The rot has started...

That's probably poor assembly and checking, as opposed
to poor parts.

A check over with spanners etc. would be wise.

BugBear

nuzeta said:

Cheers for the help. Since posting my first message, the chain guard
fell off whilst changing gear. The rot has started...

Don't see it as a fault, think of it as a feature. It's not rotting, it's
evolving. The beauty of BSO's (bike shaped objects) is that it cost nothing,
it's worth not much more, so it doesn't matter what happens to it.

The natural state for no suspension BSO's is single speed(1), so when it
stops shifting, bin the derailleur. Line up a front chainwheel and back
sprocket, and shorten the chain to suit. When the freewheel packs up it has
evolved into a fixer. As long as the brakes work and it goes where you point
it, it's still worth more than you paid for it. The paint will blister off,
the chrome will flake, it will be an unstealable pub bike.

Enjoy it while it lasts

Tom
--
Return address is dead. Real address is at
http://toomanybikes.com/address.jpg

(1) The natural state for dual suspension BSO's is as an anchor

Tom said:

nuzeta said:

Cheers for the help. Since posting my first message, the chain guard
fell off whilst changing gear. The rot has started...

Don't see it as a fault, think of it as a feature. It's not rotting, it's
evolving. The beauty of BSO's (bike shaped objects) is that it cost nothing,
it's worth not much more, so it doesn't matter what happens to it.

They certainly can cost nothing when they arrive as disposed of by a
local chav.

Quoted message said:

The natural state for no suspension BSO's is single speed(1), so when it
stops shifting, bin the derailleur. Line up a front chainwheel and back
sprocket, and shorten the chain to suit.

One this mature materialised ripe for picking in my hedge a few years ago.

Quoted message said:

When the freewheel packs up it has
evolved into a fixer.

Or a free-er, depending on what went US in the mechanism.

Quoted message said:

As long as the brakes work and it goes where you point
it, it's still worth more than you paid for it. The paint will blister off,
the chrome will flake, it will be an unstealable pub bike.

Sadly the only things left doing any kind of impression of working were
the steering and the freewheel on the one I was "given". There was some
evidence of it still having been ridden in this state. A dose of
hammerite solved the flaking paint issue and a complete rebuild got a
number of essential things working again, although the rear derailleur
did fail terminally about a week later. Around here there is a need for
an NBC bike for the winter (OK, maybe not the nuclear, for a while at
least). When the gritters are out I abandon normal lubrication in favour
of plus gas.

The only Emmelle I have seen was also an abandoned bike, but it had been
stripped and had a dent in the top tube which looked like someone had
used brute force to remove a lock from it. The undented lower bits of
the frame got recycled when I built my recumbent. The dented bits got
used for welding practice. The quality of the steel was sufficiently low
that when the welding resulted in a slight twist to the front bottom
bracket (it has two "bottom brackets"😉 it could be straightened out by
two people and a broom handle. I'm hoping this weakness was in a plane
through which I won't put as much force in normal use. Does this mean it
is a BSO - 'bent shaped object?

--

JimP

" " - John Cage

nuzeta said:

Just got a new bike as a present- an Emmelle trekker. Don't know if it
is good, bad, indifferent, etc. Anybody know anything about them,
please? Is it a good make? or will it fall apart in a year?? I would
appreciate any advice or info. Thanks!

My spare-spare bike is an Emmelle - currently locked up at Bristol
Temple Meads minus it's front wheel. Found in a skip and renovated (the
pedal bearings had rusted solid, the tyres and tubes slit with a
knife).

I joke about having to ride it when my hack bike is otherwise
unavailable. Sometimes I wonder if it's as bad as I remember (plastic
breaks that don't do much, lots of iron to get moving), often it is.
But it's OK when you get back into the habit of it.

Enjoy it - if you like cycling, buy a better bike.

Ah. perhaps my ambition for it to be the first Emmelle to be ridden
from John O'Groats to Land's End is a bad idea. Still, David Walliams
swam the Channel, so anything is possible!

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Ah. perhaps my ambition for it to be the first Emmelle to be ridden
from John O'Groats to Land's End is a bad idea. Still, David Walliams
swam the Channel, so anything is possible!

And some loon did the End-to-End on an Itera...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Official: Living in a wardrobe can be injurious to one's health
<URL:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1567961,00.html>

Dear god! In that case, there is hope for me yet...!
As I mentioned earlier, this bike was a present, so it does have some
sentimental value. Is it realistic to maybe rebuild the bike over a
period of time (so that in theory, I would have eventually replaced
everything except the frame)? Would it be a half decent bike then? Or
should I replace it as soon as I decently can, without hurting the
feelings of the person who bought the bike? I would be prepared to
spend the extra money to rebuild it IF I end up with a good bike when I
am finished.

nuzeta said the following on 13/07/2006 16:04:

Quoted message said:

Dear god! In that case, there is hope for me yet...!
As I mentioned earlier, this bike was a present, so it does have some
sentimental value. Is it realistic to maybe rebuild the bike over a
period of time (so that in theory, I would have eventually replaced
everything except the frame)? Would it be a half decent bike then? Or
should I replace it as soon as I decently can, without hurting the
feelings of the person who bought the bike? I would be prepared to
spend the extra money to rebuild it IF I end up with a good bike when I
am finished.

The frame is at the heart of a good bike, and I'm afraid you don't have
a good frame. If you look upon the frame as just another component,
then you can upgrade that as well as all the other components, resulting
in a good bike.

If your friend then asks about the Emmelle, just say you upgraded it a
bit. Just gloss over the fact that there's nothing original left :-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

nuzeta said:

Dear god! In that case, there is hope for me yet...!
As I mentioned earlier, this bike was a present, so it does have some
sentimental value. Is it realistic to maybe rebuild the bike over a
period of time (so that in theory, I would have eventually replaced
everything except the frame)? Would it be a half decent bike then? Or
should I replace it as soon as I decently can, without hurting the
feelings of the person who bought the bike? I would be prepared to
spend the extra money to rebuild it IF I end up with a good bike when I
am finished.

Give it back, saying "It's just too much, I can't possibly accept it. You've given me enough already, just with your kind, kind friendship and thoughtfulness"

Then go to the LBS a buy a proper bike.

;o)

Great idea, it really is- only one small problem. It was from my
fiancee, and we are getting married in 2 weeks- she might change her
mind if I rejected her gift... (I actually DO want to marry her, by the
way- she is MUCH nicer than my ex-wife!)

nuzeta said:

Dear god! In that case, there is hope for me yet...!
As I mentioned earlier, this bike was a present, so it does have some
sentimental value. Is it realistic to maybe rebuild the bike over a
period of time (so that in theory, I would have eventually replaced
everything except the frame)? Would it be a half decent bike then? Or
should I replace it as soon as I decently can, without hurting the
feelings of the person who bought the bike? I would be prepared to
spend the extra money to rebuild it IF I end up with a good bike when I
am finished.

You could certainly do that, but it could hardly be recommended on a
cost basis.
The cost of the parts you replace will fairly rapidly add up to near,
or beyond the cost of a new "decent basic" bike. Replacing the wheels
or frame will probably cost more than was paid for the bike in the
first place.

If there's no specific problem with it at the moment, I'd leave it
alone, treat it as a utility bike, and just replace things as they
broke or wore out.

That said:
A good pair of tyres can do wonders for the riding experience of most
bikes, and you can just put the old ones away to put back on the bike
if you sell it or relegate it when you buy a new bike.
Good brake blocks and setting up the brakes really well (or having
someone set them up for you) can be a good upgrade.
A luggage rack, mudguards, a good lock and lights can greatly increase
how useful the bike is, and can generally be transferred to another
bike in the future (if it's a bike of a similar wheel size).

hth,

bookieb

nuzeta said:

Great idea, it really is- only one small problem. It was from my
fiancee, and we are getting married in 2 weeks- she might change her
mind if I rejected her gift... (I actually DO want to marry her, by the
way- she is MUCH nicer than my ex-wife!)

Nah! You need to marry one with better taste in bikes.

Hmmm, I wonder if that's grounds for divorce-"[censored] taste in bikes"? Or
maybe she is trying to kill me by getting me to ride something that
will fall apart at any time!!!

"nuzeta" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hmmm, I wonder if that's grounds for divorce-"[censored] taste in bikes"? Or
maybe she is trying to kill me by getting me to ride something that
will fall apart at any time!!!

Nah, she's just starting your *collection* of steeds with a basic
entry-level one from which you move onwards and upwards to include in your
stable

A folder (Brommie)
A fixie - made from parts you collect
A recumbent trike
A decent hybrid
A decent tourer
A decent road bike
A decent time trial bike

My offspring will inform you that as far as the road and time trial bikes,
go, they have to be

http://www.cervelo.com/bikes.aspx?bike=SLC2006
as the road bike

and

http://www.cervelo.com/bikes.aspx?bike=P3C2006
as the time trial bike

See - easy isn't it. Such a fine way of her to show she loves you by
agreeing to have a collection of steeds, as she bought you the first one ;-)

Cheers, helen s

"nuzeta" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Great idea, it really is- only one small problem. It was from my
fiancee, and we are getting married in 2 weeks- she might change her
mind if I rejected her gift... (I actually DO want to marry her, by the
way- she is MUCH nicer than my ex-wife!)

Why not upgrade all the bits, then upgrade the frame...

Peter

Aah, a cunning plan...
does the same rule work in the pub, then? If she buys the 1st drink
then she has got to buy the rest??? Can I quote you on this???