Ammaco bikes
Comments
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NapoleonD wrote:The issue is that the bike company are happy to advertise it like that which casts serious concerns about the rest of the bike.
So, you think the same automated process which joins the tubes together is also responsible for fitting the levers and stem?
Incidentally, can you trace the provenance of all those frames you listed. How many (including the Ammaco) do you think come out of the same 2-3 factories in Taiwan or China?0 -
Imposter wrote:NapoleonD wrote:The issue is that the bike company are happy to advertise it like that which casts serious concerns about the rest of the bike.
So, you think the same automated process which joins the tubes together is also responsible for fitting the levers and stem?
Incidentally, can you trace the provenance of all those frames you listed. How many (including the Ammaco) do you think come out of the same 2-3 factories in Taiwan or China?
No, the numpty that put it together to sell it was responsible for fitting the parts. Parts that include such things as brakes, Headset, Wheels... It looks a monstrosity. That is my opinion. If you covet such a bike, fine. If you can't see my issue with paying more money for that over the other bikes I listed, good luck to you. I just can not see why you would buy that for that price.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
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Imposter wrote:NapoleonD wrote:The issue is that the bike company are happy to advertise it like that which casts serious concerns about the rest of the bike.
So, you think the same automated process which joins the tubes together is also responsible for fitting the levers and stem?
Incidentally, can you trace the provenance of all those frames you listed. How many (including the Ammaco) do you think come out of the same 2-3 factories in Taiwan or China?
Would you really, honestly and truthfully, rate the Ammaco over these other bikes listed? True, it's hard to be sure what it's like from the photos but, aside from the atrocious bar tape job (hardly inspires confidence) the inappropriately positioned hoods, the fact that they photograph it with a crossed chain (!) then there is the weird looking fork. It might not be terrible but the fact is that you know that you could order any of the bikes that Nap D listed and know what you are getting. I don't think you could say that for the Ammaco.Faster than a tent.......0 -
Rolf F wrote:Imposter wrote:NapoleonD wrote:The issue is that the bike company are happy to advertise it like that which casts serious concerns about the rest of the bike.
So, you think the same automated process which joins the tubes together is also responsible for fitting the levers and stem?
Incidentally, can you trace the provenance of all those frames you listed. How many (including the Ammaco) do you think come out of the same 2-3 factories in Taiwan or China?
Would you really, honestly and truthfully, rate the Ammaco over these other bikes listed? True, it's hard to be sure what it's like from the photos but, aside from the atrocious bar tape job (hardly inspires confidence) the inappropriately positioned hoods, the fact that they photograph it with a crossed chain (!) then there is the weird looking fork. It might not be terrible but the fact is that you know that you could order any of the bikes that Nap D listed and know what you are getting. I don't think you could say that for the Ammaco.
If I was in the market for a bike at that price point, I wouldn't rate any of them without seeing them in the flesh and/or riding them. I've also seen £3k bikes which look like they have been set up for grandma to go shopping on. Calling a bike a 'monstrosity' simply because you don't like the studio pic is patently absurd.0 -
Imposter wrote:Rolf F wrote:Imposter wrote:NapoleonD wrote:The issue is that the bike company are happy to advertise it like that which casts serious concerns about the rest of the bike.
So, you think the same automated process which joins the tubes together is also responsible for fitting the levers and stem?
Incidentally, can you trace the provenance of all those frames you listed. How many (including the Ammaco) do you think come out of the same 2-3 factories in Taiwan or China?
Would you really, honestly and truthfully, rate the Ammaco over these other bikes listed? True, it's hard to be sure what it's like from the photos but, aside from the atrocious bar tape job (hardly inspires confidence) the inappropriately positioned hoods, the fact that they photograph it with a crossed chain (!) then there is the weird looking fork. It might not be terrible but the fact is that you know that you could order any of the bikes that Nap D listed and know what you are getting. I don't think you could say that for the Ammaco.
If I was in the market for a bike at that price point, I wouldn't rate any of them without seeing them in the flesh and/or riding them. I've also seen £3k bikes which look like they have been set up for grandma to go shopping on. Calling a bike a 'monstrosity' simply because you don't like the studio pic is patently absurd.
Pics of said £3K bikes?
It's not a snob thing as you are trying to imply but simply that there are much better options out there be it new or secondhand.0 -
nochekmate wrote:Pics of said £3K bikes?
I didn't bookmark them, if that's what you're asking. There's usually a few in the 'your road bikes' forum...0 -
Imposter wrote:
It looks monstrous. Ugly as sin. In my opinion. Therefore not absurd.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
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If a picture tells a 1000 words that one says, "I don't give a $hit about detail" which means that when it arrives, the gears won't index, the brakes will be unsafe and you'll be rendered impotent by the angle of the saddle.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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Imposter wrote:nochekmate wrote:Pics of said £3K bikes?
I didn't bookmark them, if that's what you're asking. There's usually a few in the 'your road bikes' forum...
So those wouldn't be manufacturers publicity shots then? So not really relevant to the point. Seatposts are adjustable and anyone who owns a bike can quite easily set them up anyway they want them whether or not that setup looks aesthetically pleasing.
I didn't call the bike a monstrosity because I didn't like the studio picture but that doesn't mean that the picture isn't relevant. It's telling that the other bikes posted by Nap D all look correctly setup. If the manufacturer doesn't know the pretty simple process of how to set a bike up, how much confidence can you have of the actual build quality?Faster than a tent.......0 -
Rolf F wrote:If the manufacturer doesn't know the pretty simple process of how to set a bike up, how much confidence can you have of the actual build quality?
If you can provide any evidence which links the two, I'd be happy to see it.0 -
Tell you what, you buy one and tell us? I sure as hell wouldn't.
It's a competitive market. Looking at that, the only person who'd buy it over the others hasn't seen the others. You can't seriously say that you'd buy that over the others.
Oh yes, it's the Internet, you'll just say you would for the sake of an argument.
Someone on this thread has already said they had one and it was not very good.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
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NapoleonD wrote:It's a competitive market. Looking at that, the only person who'd buy it over the others hasn't seen the others. You can't seriously say that you'd buy that over the others.
I already said if I was in the market, I would want to see them all in the flesh. Maybe you missed that bit. Right now though, I'd rather buy a new pair of track wheels.NapoleonD wrote:Oh yes, it's the Internet, you'll just say you would for the sake of an argument.
er, nope. See above.NapoleonD wrote:Someone on this thread has already said they had one and it was not very good.
There we are then. Someone on the internet has proved your point, so case dismissed.0 -
Imposter wrote:Rolf F wrote:If the manufacturer doesn't know the pretty simple process of how to set a bike up, how much confidence can you have of the actual build quality?
If you can provide any evidence which links the two, I'd be happy to see it.
Well, we can see from the photo that they don't know how to set the bike up and, on a personal basis, that does mean I have little confidence that the build quality is adequate. That should be evidence enough for the specific question you asked. Or did you mean something else?
BTW, don't you think it is a bit cheeky asking other people to 'provide evidence' when you won't provide evidence yourself when asked?!Faster than a tent.......0 -
Rolf F wrote:Well, we can see from the photo that they don't know how to set the bike up and, on a personal basis, that does mean I have little confidence that the build quality is adequate.
I think our definitions of 'build quality' are perhaps a bit different. There's no evidence that misplaced shifters or a flipped stem will lead to the frame breaking in two on the first ride. Everything else can be sorted relatively easily with a few simple-to-use tools.0 -
I would be quite happy to let any of the contributors to this thread have a ride on my CS 300, but please take into account it's a Hybrid not a road racer.
Your comment would be welcomed as I might learn something.
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That is true but the market for such bikes (people who don't necessarily know much about bikes) are quite likely not know how to do this/have the tools and will assume that the bike is correctly built when they receive it. In fact anyone buying a bike should really excpect that their bike is correctly built when they receive it.Imposter wrote:Rolf F wrote:Well, we can see from the photo that they don't know how to set the bike up and, on a personal basis, that does mean I have little confidence that the build quality is adequate.
I think our definitions of 'build quality' are perhaps a bit different. There's no evidence that misplaced shifters or a flipped stem will lead to the frame breaking in two on the first ride. Everything else can be sorted relatively easily with a few simple-to-use tools.
If a bike is not correctly built then the purchaser may get quickly disheartened with their purchase and give up cycling/slag off that bike or brand when in fact the bike is OK but all that was needed was some correct assembly by the bike supplier.
If the promotional photo of a bike shows the bike to be badly assembled it really doesn't inspire confidence that a purchaser of the bike would get a correctly set up one. Of course that view could well be incorrect but first impressions count for quite a lot.0 -
wongataa wrote:If the promotional photo of a bike shows the bike to be badly assembled it really doesn't inspire confidence that a purchaser of the bike would get a correctly set up one. Of course that view could well be incorrect but first impressions count for quite a lot.
The point is, I do not accept simply by looking at the pics that the bike is 'badly assembled'. A 'badly assembled' bike would be unsafe to ride, because bolts may be insufficiently tightened, or other parts may be wrongly fitted. If, on the other hand, the bike is simply 'not set up how you personally like it' then that's a different matter.0 -
Imposter wrote:wongataa wrote:If the promotional photo of a bike shows the bike to be badly assembled it really doesn't inspire confidence that a purchaser of the bike would get a correctly set up one. Of course that view could well be incorrect but first impressions count for quite a lot.
The point is, I do not accept simply by looking at the pics that the bike is 'badly assembled'. A 'badly assembled' bike would be unsafe to ride, because bolts may be insufficiently tightened, or other parts may be wrongly fitted. If, on the other hand, the bike is simply 'not set up how you personally like it' then that's a different matter.
It's a bit like a poor CV with spelling mistakes etc though isn't it. Just because you send in a crap CV doesn't mean you can't do the job and do it well - but you probably won't get to find out because your prospective employer, if he has any sense, will reason that if you do a slapdash, careless job of your CV you'll probably do a slapdash job of the job itself as well. If a bike manufacturer can't manage to do a nice job of the bike used for the publicity shots, then clearly it doesn't care much about the product and on that basis, why would I choose to buy it?
Of course, what we really need is an objective review of one of these bikes. Who knows, maybe they are brilliant. I doubt it though but it would be nice to be proved wrong...... Somehow I doubt I will be though.Faster than a tent.......0 -
Rolf F wrote:
It's a bit like a poor CV with spelling mistakes etc though isn't it. Just because you send in a crap CV doesn't mean you can't do the job and do it well - but you probably won't get to find out because your prospective employer, if he has any sense, will reason that if you do a slapdash, careless job of your CV you'll probably do a slapdash job of the job itself as well. If a bike manufacturer can't manage to do a nice job of the bike used for the publicity shots, then clearly it doesn't care much about the product and on that basis, why would I choose to buy it?
Of course, what we really need is an objective review of one of these bikes. Who knows, maybe they are brilliant. I doubt it though but it would be nice to be proved wrong...... Somehow I doubt I will be though.
The CV point is a good one, but I'm not sure you can extend that rationale all the way to bicycles though
I agree the shots could be better, but I just think it's wrong to judge the bike (ie calling it a 'monstrosity') on the basis of the factory publicity shot.0 -
As I said you can try mine.0
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Dear all I've just found the history of Ammaco cycles.
It was formed by Malcolm Jarvis and other family members.
Ammaco stands for A Malcolm, Malcolm And Chris Organisation
The company was very famous in the early BMX development as importers and later builders.
They later built road racing bikes and had a racing team, Ever Ready Ammaco one of who's riders was Tony Doyle.
The bikes were hand built in Tenterden, Maidstone.
I can't claim any credit for this as I found it on a web page of the London Fixed Gear and Single Speed site, see the link below:-
http://www.lfgss.com/thread28359.html
I would seem that there is a bit of history behind the name. But I still can't find if they are still in control of the name.0 -
PCM Group are the current distributors of Ammaco. PCM's chairman is Nick Thake.
http://professionalcycles.co.uk/productview/AMMACO-XRS800-FULL-SORA-18-SPEED/404/show
http://professionalcycles.co.uk/about/210 -
Thank you TommyB61 for the info, it seems the name has been downgraded.
But I still like mine.
I found a site called Global Supplies and it's amazing how many bikes they have that look exactly the same as some of the big names, you can specify all the maker of all the equipment gear train, wheels even bearing types as long as you buy 200 a time, they also including some very high spec. carbon fibre frames.
Thanks again
Slomotion0 -
Hello,
This happened to my Ammaco bike this morning...
I'd forgive you for thinking it, but I'm not actually an elephant, nor was I doing a backflip off a 10 story building. It just happened as I was making my usual 5 mile commute to work.
I've spoken to my local Cycle King store, they said they've never seen anything like it. I'm a little concerned about getting a replacement ammaco. If I can get my money back what would you suggest I replace the bike with? the bike was £200 and I can afford no more.
Thanks.0 -
Crikey - that was cheap for a folding bike.......
Seriously though, not that much at £200. £250 gets a decent but unnecessarily front suspensioned Carrera hybrid from Halfords. This looks nicer though - cheap at £230. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/rid ... e-ec043395
To be honest, £200 budget is quite a big ask. Stuff costs money to make and you can't expect something to be durable and insanely cheap. You get more for your money second hand but that is always a gamble against nothing going wrong to cost you more in the long run.Faster than a tent.......0 -
Imposter wrote:wongataa wrote:If the promotional photo of a bike shows the bike to be badly assembled it really doesn't inspire confidence that a purchaser of the bike would get a correctly set up one. Of course that view could well be incorrect but first impressions count for quite a lot.
The point is, I do not accept simply by looking at the pics that the bike is 'badly assembled'. A 'badly assembled' bike would be unsafe to ride, because bolts may be insufficiently tightened, or other parts may be wrongly fitted. If, on the other hand, the bike is simply 'not set up how you personally like it' then that's a different matter.
Au contraire.. despite your troll-like behaviour, i'll indulge you with a reply... you are incorrect. That machine IS badly assembled. Sure, it might be screwed together tightly enough and the headset adjusted, the gears indexed properly etc, but pity the poor rider who first gets aboard... the target purchaser will be a novice with no idea about comfort and setup and will hate the thing from the word go.
If you want to buy or recommend someone buy one, that's up to you. But in reality, its a BSO. Accept it.0 -
86inch wrote:
Au contraire.. despite your troll-like behaviour, i'll indulge you with a reply... you are incorrect. That machine IS badly assembled. Sure, it might be screwed together tightly enough and the headset adjusted, the gears indexed properly etc, but pity the poor rider who first gets aboard... the target purchaser will be a novice with no idea about comfort and setup and will hate the thing from the word go.
If you want to buy or recommend someone buy one, that's up to you. But in reality, its a BSO. Accept it.
Wow - thread revival. I'm amazed that you can draw so many assumptions from one pic. I don't have to accept your hypothesis, incidentally, if that's ok with you.0 -
Final assembly and setup is very rarely the province of the manufacturer. Almost all bikes will need some assembly at the shop; look at Boardman and Halfords' reputation in this area to see what influence this can have on the perceived quality of a bike brand.
I don't know what the spec is of the Ammaco bike that Slomotion has, but my experience of this budget area is patchy; my el-cheapo (£160!) Dawes hybrid disintegrated in spectacular style over the first year I had it. Good frame though; over the years it has evolved into something pretty solid.
What you will generally get with the more well known brands is better warranty support, in order to protect their reputations.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
Have a look at Decathlon, they do a few similar bikes (in design) to your Ammoco for under 200 and a few just over.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-10829-bikesInsta: ATEnduranceCoaching
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Hi there - new member - old thread. I was just searching for information about my bike, on the off-chance that anyone had made some cheap and quick improvements.
I bought an Ammaco Monte Carlo bike around a year ago. It was actually the second Ammaco bike I bought - I also bought a folding bike of theirs which I only rode about six times, so I never tested it enough to remark upon. Having owned this monstrosity for a year, and ridden it about town several dozen times, I'm now confident in saying that this bike is an absolute dog.
The brakes have almost no stopping effect whatsoever. This isn't really helped by the fact that the bike's total weight is more than a T-55 tank (I'm only 68kg, so I'm sure it's not me).
The derailleur and gear system is similarly cheap and unconvincing. Twisting the gearchange on the right handlebar is followed by a series of worrying noises and several seconds of spluttering before the chain finds another gear. After six months of occasional use (I've never used it more than three times a week), the bike started to slip into top gear at will, any time it liked, which was annoying. And with a heavy bike and a fairly hilly town, that's not much fun for the groin.
The tyres are awful. I dropped the bike into the shop from where I bought it for a puncture repair while I did some work. The guy in the shop was happy enough to tell me that the tyres were easily cracked because they're poor quality, and I should think about replacing them ASAP. This is less than a year after the same guy sold them to me as part of the bike.
These are all irritating niggles, and I accepted some shortfalls when I paid only £130 for a new bike. However, the lousy design and shoddy quality has lead to two accidents, which I'm lucky not to have had serious injuries from - just some cuts and grazes to arms and legs so far. These two incidents were caused by the front mudflap, strangely. When cycling into a slow-moderate speed turn, my knees (I assume - it could have been another body part) have snagged on the mudflap, which is made of a flexible plastic material. The mudflap has somehow (don’t ask how) snagged on the rotating wheel and has been folded, so the trailing end of the mudflap gets folded entirely underneath itself, thus bringing the wheel to an abrupt halt, and sending me over the handlebars. The first time it happened, I had no idea what caused it. The second, I looked more closely, and realised that the waffer-thin mudflap was susceptible to being folded with pretty much any contact, and jamming the wheel.
In short, avoid these bikes, and in particular, this model. It's a death-trap.0
