BSO - what is a real bike?

[gerryattrick]

On another thread, and I hope he doesn't mind being quoted: Jax13 wrote:

at the age of 14, my brother got his first 26" wheeled bike and he ran is for 3 years then passed it on to me, I ran it for another 5 before donating it to my younger cousin who used it for another 5 before it finally went to the great scrapheap in the sky.

the bike was an old early 90's raleigh BSO running shimano 'SIS' mechs on 18 speed. collectively we must have put thousands of miles on that bike, it got used each morning for the paper round, it took me to school and back each day, it took me on day long bike rides at weekends, to the rugby club, the cricket club, mates houses..... you name it. it got a hose down every few weeks and a quick spray with wd40 or gt85. In all the years it was running, chainrings were never replaced, the cassette was never replaced and the chain was never replaced yet it still ran smoothly.

That wasn't a BSO, it was a proper bike - it got used, and possibly abused, a lot, not kept in the shed or garage only taken out to be tinkered with, polished and admired.
While 99% of the time I think the comments on the forum are really helpful, I am mystified at many of the elitist comments (not yours JAX13) about cheap bikes as BSOs.
On Sunday I went to a vintage car show where there were Alvis, Mercedes, Bentley etc. and no-one referred to the Ford Anglia or Morris Minor as a CSO.

 

[legrandefromage]

there are BSOs and there are BSOs.

For a start, get that chip OFF your shoulder and put it away as theres nothing elitist on here. Its more of a campaign to stop Asda and Tesco knocking out cheap awful pastiches that are simply dangerous.

http://www.thecyclingexperts.co.uk/buyi ... ed-object/

''...For example, many BSO's are spotted with the front forks facing the wrong way because the owner did not know they had to be changed when removed from the box. This will mean the bicycle will not steer correctly and the brakes will not work properly...''

Bad cycling experience - perhaps one of the main reasons to avoid a BSO is because it will not offer you a particularly enjoyable cycling experience. Mechanical problems or safety issues - and the costs associated with fixing them - ultimately spoil the simple pleasure of riding your bike.
Gears that don't work properly, brakes that give-up at the first sign of a descent, uncomfortable saddles, and constant unseen rattles and shakes; will lead to a very frustrating time on your bike...''


You cannot compare cars with bikes so dont even go there. Tesco dont sell cheap own brand cars yet.

 

[IDB1]

There aren't any comments that I've read that equate to cheap bike = BSO ..

It's about quality, not cost, by my understanding..

And BSO still makes me chuckle.. I'm such an infant

 

[legrandefromage]

If you want to carry on with the car analogy, cars are not allowed to be sold if they dont meet certain minimum standards - it should be the same with bikes. Cars dont come with plastic brake callipers or plastic brake pedals that bend when used etc etc.

The CE mark and BS marks are worthless. Legally a bike has to be sold from new with reflectors and a bell - but why not adequate brakes or shifting mechanism?

http://bicycleshapedobject.wordpress.com/

 

[IDB1]

Because reflectors mean that, when your brakes self-destruct and your gears jam, motorists will be able to see you stranded by the roadside and avoid killing you..

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Anything not fit for purpose as sold. I worked (I say worked, but it was impossible really) on a lad's BSO. Nothing from the suspension to the gears to the brakes worked.

I'm sure we all had 'cheap' bikes when we were youngsters. I did. It was hugely over engineered and would probably have survived a tactical nuclear strike.

Even the 70's '10 speed racer' bikes were Swiss watches compared to what the super markets are knocking out now. There is an advertising image somewhere clearly showing the forks on backwards.

 

[legrandefromage]

Anything not fit for purpose as sold. I worked (I say worked, but it was impossible really) on a lad's BSO. Nothing from the suspension to the gears to the brakes worked.

I'm sure we all had 'cheap' bikes when we were youngsters. I did. It was hugely over engineered and would probably have survived a tactical nuclear strike.

Even the 70's '10 speed racer' bikes were Swiss watches compared to what the super markets are knocking out now. There is an advertising image somewhere clearly showing the forks on backwards.

Theres still 10000's of these, they had seel frames, decent pawls and ratchet mechanisms - ok the brakes never worked too well but as you say, they still work.

I fixed a brand new Carrera kids BSO last week. The V-brake noodle split and after I'd fixed the gears and adjusted everything on a so called 'service by professionals' bike - they took it back for a refund after the chainset fell off (I didnt check this, I'd just assumed.... :roll: )

 

[legrandefromage]

 

[IDB1]

Too funny

Only it's not really, is it. . . . *shakes head*

 

[legrandefromage]

''...I think this might be at the heart of the issue. The problem with cheap bikes – if we put aside that pesky safety issue – is that they don’t make cycling an enjoyable longterm experience. They could be putting people off cycling altogether or limiting their cycle usage.
If cheap bikes are short term they undermine all the good stuff cycling can achieve. Bicycle production is not environmentally friendly.But cycling is. The problem with cheap bikes is they become just another disposable environment damaging item for landfill, sheds or dumping in those woods you think nobody else goes to. Almost certainly cheap bikes are less likely to have a long useful life to be re-used and re-cycled by others.
Of course a counter argument could be that if cheap bikes gets some use and lead to some people cycling more often, and in turn changing their habits and possibly getting a “proper bike” in time then surely they have a part to play and at the end of the day not everyone wants – or can afford – to spend more on a bicycle....''