BSO

[rowan 46]

Yeah I was wondering the same. I like astronomy, on a forum you might see someone talking about a Mak-Cas on an Altazi mount and you'd either have to figure out what that meant or put your hand up and ask.

In fact there are a lot of parallels between a telescope forum and a bike forum, with some members having multi-thousand pound rigs and multiple telescopes for each type of observing discipline, some members with good quality entry level gear, questions about refurbishing old equipment and a general derision of supermarket-bought telescopes, for they are badly described with hugely overstated 'magnifying power', low quality optics and generally not suitable for stargazing.

Yes folks, there are Telescope Shaped Objects...

There are probably equivalent Camera Shaped Objects, Lathe Shaped Objects, Kite Shaped Objects etc. too if you looked in the right forums

I also like astronomy and there are not tso's there are toyshop scopes called that because they are sold in toyshops and not suitable for astronomy. If somebody went onto an astronomy forum with one of them they would be told what they could be used for and the reasons why they are not suitable for astronomy. The difference is they are still recognised as telescopes just not good ones. As for abbreviations I have no problems with them I accept on a forum people need to use shorthand. And as for derision if somebody comes on the forum after buying a toyshop scope advice is given on how to make the best of it rather than derision. they want people to continue astronomy. This forum is the friendliest forum on cycles I have come across full of caring people who want to share the joys of cycling. I came to this forum after being on a couple of others where when I mentioned I rode a viking was sneered at,. This place doesn't have the same elitest attitude but it does have the same language bso is the bike not the rider on other cycle forums they make little distinction. Somebody who rides a bso is as much a cyclist as somebody who rides a posh road bike, they may not be as serious ie the same financial commitment but when they get on the road to go to work they get the same problems as every other rider. By the way I have no problem with anyone sneering at my bike I have the problem with why anybody would want to.

 

[gaz]

So can we call them asb? Argos shaped bike?

 

[abo]

I also like astronomy and there are not tso's there are toyshop scopes called that because they are sold in toyshops and not suitable for astronomy. If somebody went onto an astronomy forum with one of them they would be told what they could be used for and the reasons why they are not suitable for astronomy. The difference is they are still recognised as telescopes just not good ones.

Oh I dunno, there is some crap out there being punted as 'suitable for the budding astronomer' etc. so not fit for purpose

There are some quite nice little scopes in toyshops which I'd be happy to give to the kids though e.g. Toys R Us but I wish they wouldn't chuck in silly 4mm eyepieces just to get the magnification numbers up... I reckon that one in the link would make a nice little wide-field telescope though.

I've got a Celestron NexStar 110 SLT, hardly a lightbucket but it's good fun. Or was, until the light pollution around here got so bad

 

[HLaB]

So can we call them asb? Argos shaped bike?

No, it be far more appropriate if we called them a C/SOwW&aS, a Catalogue/Supermarket Object with Wheels & a Saddle If you can remember that mouthfull good on you, I think I'll just use BSO

 

[rowan 46]

So can we call them asb? Argos shaped bike?

I guess you can call them what you like when I opened the thread it was to point out that it was elitist and was used as much to insult the rider as to insult the bike. And secondly that it was an inaccurate term a bso is a bike as opposed to well anything else. The sticky says bso is a bike shaped object there is no indication of what that entails and I thought it would be useful to to nail it down. There seems to be some degree of personal preference on what a bso is

 

[benb]

I haven't seen anyone criticising a person for buying a BSO, only criticising the BSO manufacturers and retailers. Most people won't know that they are crap, and that you can get a decent cheap bike that is not a BSO. And if someone came on this forum saying they had bought one, I very much doubt that people would give them a lot of stick about it, but politely point out that they bought a crap product.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I haven't seen anyone criticising a person for buying a BSO, only criticising the BSO manufacturers and retailers. Most people won't know that they are crap, and that you can get a decent cheap bike that is not a BSO. And if someone came on this forum saying they had bought one, I very much doubt that people would give them a lot of stick about it, but politely point out that they bought a crap product.

Well said. I started out on a BSO and most people were will willing to talk to me and help me in my quest to upgrade it

 

[The Dwaff Family]

I guess you can call them what you like when I opened the thread it was to point out that it was elitist and was used as much to insult the rider as to insult the bike. And secondly that it was an inaccurate term a bso is a bike as opposed to well anything else. The sticky says bso is a bike shaped object there is no indication of what that entails and I thought it would be useful to to nail it down. There seems to be some degree of personal preference on what a bso is

I have not seen anyone on here insulting the rider, I think it has been made pretty clear from the beginning of this thread aswell exactly what people thought of BSO's, but if that's how you feel then that's up to you,

 

[lukesdad]

I haven't seen anyone criticising a person for buying a BSO, only criticising the BSO manufacturers and retailers. Most people won't know that they are crap, and that you can get a decent cheap bike that is not a BSO. And if someone came on this forum saying they had bought one, I very much doubt that people would give them a lot of stick about it, but politely point out that they bought a crap product.

You obviously dont read much of the forums then, or are selective. There are many instances of BSO rider being used as an elitest comment whether intentionaly or not.

 

[abo]

You obviously dont read much of the forums then, or are selective. There are many instances of BSO rider being used as an elitest comment whether intentionaly or not.

I don't read or post on any other cycling forums so I've not experienced it. I post on here enough, if I was posting elsewhere I wouldn't have time to get any work done, or actually *ride* my bike lol

 

[NeilEB]

So can we call them asb? Argos shaped bike?

Go one further:

ASBO - Argos Shaped Bike Object....

 

[apollo179]

If cycling gives you enjoyment you are a cyclist. Someone who only uses the bike to get to and from the pub is a POB.

Cyclist = one who cycles.
Why do you even feel the need to redefine this definition.
Smacks of gratuitous arrogant elitist snobbery to me.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Cyclist = one who cycles.
Why do you even feel the need to redefine this definition.
Smacks of gratuitous arrogant elitist snobbery to me.

Would you differentiate between someone who runs for a bus and an Olympic athlete? After all they both run don't they?

 

[apollo179]

Would you differentiate between someone who runs for a bus and an Olympic athlete? After all they both run don't they?

Runner = one who runs.
At the moment of running he or she who runs is a runner.
If you want to load the label with provisos ;
Runner = one who runs at the olympics
then that is your own definition and not the correct one.
I would question the motivation for such redefinitons.

I would concede that the label implies a tendency to the action.
Mr x who habitually cycles to the pub has a habitual tendency to cycle and is therefore a cyclist.
The labelling does infer a habitual repetition of the action.

 

[abo]

Cyclist = one who cycles.
Why do you even feel the need to redefine this definition.
Smacks of gratuitous arrogant elitist snobbery to me.

There is only you going on about 'elitist snobbery'