BSO

[Mad at urage]

I live in a community where even a supermarket BSO is beyond a lot of peoples means which is where my recycled bike scheme started from. I do get a few bso's through but they are rebuilt using better components from spares bikes. As long as they are transport then people without the finances are not worried what makers name is on it. Probably by todays standards my Ridgeback hybrid is a BSO but it does the job, and gets looked after.Sometimes it isn't people not knowing better, its people not being able to afford anything else. A lot of bikes I get donated are not BSO's but still sat neglected out in a back garden for a couple of years

You really are hard of reading aren't you:

It has been said repeatedly by those defending the use of 'BSO' that if a bike does its job, it is not a BSO.

If you rebuild "with better components" the BSOs that come through, not only does it make them no longer BSOs, but demonstrates that they were BSOs because the components needed to be replaced with better ones (rather than replaced like-for-like because they are worn out) in order to do the job.

Some people look for snobbery where there is none: This is called 'Having a chip on your shoulder'.

 

[ianrauk]

It's really not hard to understand what a BSO is.


A BSO is a stack them high, sell them cheap bike from a supermarket. With poor components made from cheese (Brake levers, bolts etc).
There are plenty of videos on You Tube about these bikes. Watchdog even did a piece about these shoddily made bikes. Once again easy to find on You Tube.

A BSO is not an old Ridgeback or an old Peugeot or an old hack bike that has been left in the garden for 50 years or an old frame that has been made up with various bit's and pieces.

A BSO is a cheap supermarket bike from Aldis, Argos or Tesco's or similar. SIMPLE.

 

[Bicycle]

No, that deep seated hatred is part of the hatred of anyone who thinks it is acceptable to manufacture and sell something which does not do what is expected of it. If you want to label that as snobbery then you are very far wide of the mark.

For f*cks sake read the bits that so many of us have tried desperately hard to point out, that we do not deride cheap bikes, kids bikes or toy bikes, we deride poor quality ones that are sold as adult bikes.


I consider the sale of supermarket BSOs to be akin to fraud.

You're quite right and I'm quite wrong.

I too will learn to hate (as you imply you do) anyone who 'thinks it is acceptable to manufacture and sell something which does not do what is expected of it'.

It was silly of me humorously to imply that this is slightly whiffy of snobbery.

I'm sorry my gentle ribbing has caused you to type asterisks where politeness makes profanities ill-advised.

I'm sorry my gentle ribbing caused you to want to type profanities at all. Mea culpa.

I'm sorry I have been unable until now to take the whole BSO debate in the least bit seriously.

I now agree with you 100%.

Sorry to have been on the giggling margin for as long as I was. I am now a very, very serious hater of BSOs....

I now agree that the sale of BSOs is akin to fraud. I hate all bad, naughty people.

Hate, hate, hate.... Grrrrr!

 

[Cubist]

You're quite right and I'm quite wrong.

I too will learn to hate (as you imply you do) anyone who 'thinks it is acceptable to manufacture and sell something which does not do what is expected of it'.

It was silly of me humorously to imply that this is slightly whiffy of snobbery.

I'm sorry my gentle ribbing has caused you to type asterisks where politeness makes profanities ill-advised.

I'm sorry my gentle ribbing caused you to want to type profanities at all. Mea culpa.

I'm sorry I have been unable until now to take the whole BSO debate in the least bit seriously.

I now agree with you 100%.

Sorry to have been on the giggling margin for as long as I was. I am now a very, very serious hater of BSOs....

I now agree that the sale of BSOs is akin to fraud. I hate all bad, naughty people.

Hate, hate, hate.... Grrrrr!

Grow up.

 

[lukesdad]

So now a BSO is a Bike not fit for purpose is it ?

Well lets have a look at it shall we ? The said BSO s would be generally used by one of the following 3 groups:

1) Children to potter round the park or back garden.

2) Adults for the occasional trip to the local shop etc.

3) Occassional weekend cyclists on cyclepaths etc. Adults and children.

Do we agree so far ?

Good.

Now then the average mileage per year would be what 200 300 miles if your lucky. These products well maintained are well capable of this and the components would still be there at the end. Job done for the owner. Cost 70 quid.

Now then the bike snobs Bike 3 grand mileage circa 10000 miles a year Tyres chain brakes cassetes etc. etc. etc. Countless hours spent cleaning adjusting etc.

Whos laughing at who.

Cubist el al. You enjoy your pastime as others do, on what you may consider an inferior product. So what ?
You sir are a bike snob of the highest order !

 

[Hip Priest]

Someone should be buy one of these ASDA bikes, use it for a whole month of commuting / leisure rides...etc and then blog their findings. Not me though, I'm errr....busy.

 

[Cubist]

 

[Cubist]

Someone should be buy one of these ASDA bikes, use it for a whole month of commuting / leisure rides...etc and then blog their findings. Not me though, I'm errr....busy.

I think we'd have plenty of volunteers.

 

[apollo179]

So now a BSO is a Bike not fit for purpose is it ?

Well lets have a look at it shall we ? The said BSO s would be generally used by one of the following 3 groups:

1) Children to potter round the park or back garden.

2) Adults for the occasional trip to the local shop etc.

3) Occassional weekend cyclists on cyclepaths etc. Adults and children.

Do we agree so far ?

Good.

Now then the average mileage per year would be what 200 300 miles if your lucky. These products well maintained are well capable of this and the components would still be there at the end. Job done for the owner. Cost 70 quid.

Now then the bike snobs Bike 3 grand mileage circa 10000 miles a year Tyres chain brakes cassetes etc. etc. etc. Countless hours spent cleaning adjusting etc.

Whos laughing at who.

Cubist el al. You enjoy your pastime as others do, on what you may consider an inferior product. So what ?
You sir are a bike snob of the highest order !

If its purpose is 200/300 miles per year and it is well capable of this then by definition it is not a bso.

 

[lukesdad]

I think we'd have plenty of volunteers.

Yep! Im not proud Ill ride anything. Including one of yours if I had to

 

[davefb]

Well,

whichever, I'm assuming the peeps that took the bike photo's actually pointed out the incorrectly setup bikes ?

Theres no excuse for this, they'd not setup a dvd and tv with the tv on its side . ( not saying they know hifi)... If the staff arent trained then its a corperate thing and they should at least have some form of minimal standards?

or are they going to wait till a court case ?

 

[lukesdad]

If its purpose is 200/300 miles per year and it is well capable of this then by definition it is not a bso.

Exactly dear boy

 

[blockend]

In the days when a packet of Woodbines were an essential part of cycling kit and a bike's ability to get to work/pub/fishing/football faster than walking to the same place was the only criterion, bicycles regular ran with virtually flat tyres, sagging chains and dodgy brakes, Strewth, even a well adjusted rod brake on a Westwood rim was Russian roulette. It's a tribute to bicycles that they continue to operate when virtually nothing but the chain is still functioning correctly and I've seen those held together with wire.

One might suggest today's hundred mile bike ride is the anomaly and expecting a sixty quid bike to complete it is absurd. It still might keep rolling to the factory gates at 8mph for a few years.

 

[stevetailor125]

There is one thing I must confess about the Ridgeback it had a lot of good quality parts fitted to it when I brought it, I really changed the pedals, saddle and other bits for my own health needs, but I'm a person that has also been spotted riding a home guard bicycle and a 1930's delivery bicycles
I'm not hard of reading just to flaming idle to read through every article just to add my comments lmfao

 

[Simba]

LOL @ this thread. Why can't people read what others are saying. I have had cheap bikes in the past and they worked perfect, I have also had a BSO when my bike knowledge was very limited and it lasted me 2 weeks before it broke.

Cheap bike from halfords = good

Cheap bike from Asda = BSO