Servicing BSOs

[The History Man]

Here's a quick overview of a $99 MTBSO from walmart.

The money shot is around 6 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq35_9ywau8

:shock: imagine me on that.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

OK, I'm doing that now.

 

[The History Man]

Whalen bicycle. With a rosary?

 

[Woz]

Re:

Epilogue

So, almost one year after my initial post I convince my neighbour to ditch the BSO death trap and part with 18 Euro on (I guess) a late 80s MBK boat anchor.

Hi-ten and fully equipped with Shimano 70GS. With Biopace just like
Chris Froome has. Every bit serviceable and predictable with
plain old spanners.

Got the 30+ years of dried mud incarcerating the internals of the front shifter to work and index again. How in one gruppo Shimano required a complete iron-works to make a crank, then in the next breath Switzerland's finest watch makers to make the tiniest springs and ratchets in a shifter is beyond me. But it all works and hope it's bombproof.

 

[legrandefromage]

70gs? that'll make it something like 1993 then

 

[Woz]

Re:

So it's all modern, without being modern then. :-/

Got to mention there was absolutely no fault found with the initial assembly. Clearly better QC back in the day despite the made in China sticker.

 

[Duxuk]

Re: Re:

Hi-ten and fully equipped with Shimano 70GS. With Biopace just like
Chris Froome has. Every bit serviceable and predictable with
plain old spanners.

.

I had a Diamondback Sorrento with GS biopace. As I recall the chainrings were turned 90 degrees from where they should be. It thus had exactly the opposite effect to what had been intended. They were designed that way and couldn't be fixed. I'm glad to see that biopace now works correctly and would be willing to give it a go.