Helkama on Michael’s Domain

Helkama Jääkäri - everything but the frame broke within the first 3 years

Thu, 07 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

For one last time, I have to write about the Finnish bicycle company Helkama . I own the Helkama Jääkäri , which is a military style bicycle and marketed as extremely tough. The frame has 25 years warranty. However, pretty much everything else has been braking within the first 3 years, which ridicules the whole concept. During this year’s spring overhaul, I had to replace three parts: The stand, the saddle and the bell. And I see already signs of future trouble… In none of my previous bikes, saddle or stand have been breaking that fast. And that includes cheap bikes for half the price that I paid for the Jääkäri. Apparently, Helkama does not vet its component suppliers sufficiently. My Jääkäri’s rear wheel had to be replaced already after the first winter and the carrier meanwhile two times. When it broke the third time, I did not even bother to get it replaced again, instead I repaired and reinforced it myself . I really hope that Helkama’s advertisement is just a lie and that the Finnish Army does not use this bicycle.

Helkama quality woes

Sun, 25 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This post is a follow-up of my post from 2 years ago about my new bicycle, a Helkama Jääkäri . It had its fair share of problems, and even though the customer service was very responsive, the repetitive problems with its luggage carrier were too much for me. Last December, the third carrier broke. I had received also the this one as a free-of-charge replacement, but it is a nuisance when it breaks, even though replacing takes only about 10 minutes. It is not in very heavy use: the stuff I transport on it weighs about 2-3 kg, but apparently the welded/soldered connections are prone to fatigue breakage. Helkama knows that it has a quality problem with its carriers. When I asked for the second replacement carrier, the customer service told me, that they are trying to identify a suitable replacement for the subcontractor who makes these carriers. This time I thought to repair the carrier instead of asking for another replacement, which took less time and will probably last longer. I don’t know whether they have changed their component supplier. If my own repair breaks, I still have two old broken carriers I can repair, but most likely, my next bicycle is not going to be a Helkama .

My new Helkama Jääkäri bicycle

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

My Trek bicycle lasted 10 years and approximately 50000 kilometers before I had to retire it. I don’t do any preventive maintenance and fix things only when they are broken. In 2006 I bought a 450€ bicyle from Biltema . It lasted not even 5 years before it needed a major repair (including replacing the expensive bits like wheels, brakes, derailleurs, freewheel and many less expensive ones). Last June I decided to get a [Helkama Jääkäri]([img_assist|nid=581|title=Helkama Jääkäri|desc=|link=url,http://www.helkamavelox.fi/en/models/men/jaakari_3_gear-hmj3nhr_arv_k|align=left|width=240|height=160]) for about 700€. It’s an old style army bicycle and I hoped that it would last longer than the Biltema quality.This winter I cycled with my new Helkama bicycle several hundreds of kilometers on bumpy snow tracks and in February my rear wheel allmost fell of. The screws had not been tightened sufficiently and the thread was already badly damaged. To continue my way I had to remove the washer to expose some undamaged thread and tighted the screw. I contacted Helkama, because the bicycle was not even a year old. They responded quickly and I received a replacement rear wheel by post within a week. That’s good customer service and a reason to stick with the brand: When I bought a new bike for my son last month, I choose the Helkama Yoker , even though it was certainly not the cheapest choice.