DiddlyDodds
Random Resident
- Location
- Littleborough
BSO becomes a real bike when you remove the "snobbery toggle" , and fit the "just ride and enjoy it" crank.
When does a BSO start being a bike
- Thread starter SWSteve
- Start date
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biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
well said
Skyfoil
The Jolly Ginger Giant
- Location
- Wolverhampton
bi·cy·cle (dictionary.com definition)
noun.
a vehicle with two wheels in tandem, usually propelled by pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain, and having handlebars for steering and a saddle like seat.
b·s·o (my personal definition)
noun.
An object with two wheels approximately in tandem, occasionally propelled by pedals, if they are present, connected to the rear wheel by a rusty chain, and having handlebars for steering, if the headset isn’t shot and a saddle like seat that is of a fixed height due to a seized seat tube.
In my opinion a B.S.O. is an object that I wouldn’t feel safe riding without carrying out serious maintenance that would cost much more that the finished bike would be worth. (In car terms, it’s a right-off).
noun.
a vehicle with two wheels in tandem, usually propelled by pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain, and having handlebars for steering and a saddle like seat.
b·s·o (my personal definition)
noun.
An object with two wheels approximately in tandem, occasionally propelled by pedals, if they are present, connected to the rear wheel by a rusty chain, and having handlebars for steering, if the headset isn’t shot and a saddle like seat that is of a fixed height due to a seized seat tube.
In my opinion a B.S.O. is an object that I wouldn’t feel safe riding without carrying out serious maintenance that would cost much more that the finished bike would be worth. (In car terms, it’s a right-off).
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
My Viking Road FX is in the BSO territory but other than its weight I cant really fault it but I'm an experienced rider I'm not sure a newbie would be encouraged by its weight but my initial thoughts itd be a cheap run around in flat East England without having to worry too much about it, offering some resistance training and won't need much maintenance due to its simplicity; and so far its living upto that.
grumpyoldgit
Über Member
- Location
- Surrey
To me,a BSO is something I get no pleasure from riding.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
When you can ride it for more than a handful of hours without something going tits up!
I think a BSO can be defined by the space it shares with other objects in its shop.
If it shares its space with Baked Beans, Barbie Dolls, Lonsdale Branded Clothing or numerous household electric appliances that you can order from a catalogue then it most probably is a BSO.
There are some BSOs that can cleverly infiltrate more natural "bike" surroundings but there is an easy test for this, if you get a hernia or something goes ping (from it not from you) when you lift them then you know that you may have found an imposter or a dutch style shopping bike.
By the way I started on a £164.99 cycle king Road bike (ish) and I got a good year out of it and sold it on for £57. I have never purchased a Kenda tyre since though.
If it shares its space with Baked Beans, Barbie Dolls, Lonsdale Branded Clothing or numerous household electric appliances that you can order from a catalogue then it most probably is a BSO.
There are some BSOs that can cleverly infiltrate more natural "bike" surroundings but there is an easy test for this, if you get a hernia or something goes ping (from it not from you) when you lift them then you know that you may have found an imposter or a dutch style shopping bike.
By the way I started on a £164.99 cycle king Road bike (ish) and I got a good year out of it and sold it on for £57. I have never purchased a Kenda tyre since though.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
I agreed with a previous post re price, anything less than £150 is generally going to be poor quality, but there are exceptions.
My wifes last hybrid, granted a few years ago now cost just over £100...and was brilliant.
Even the Traxx racing bike from ToysRUs is a strange thing. A guy at work brought one a few years ago when they were selling them for £50...£50
..but he was laughing. He brought it in one day for me to fix a puncture. Tyres were abnormally heavy, the crankset looked awful, it just looked poor to me...but he was still riding it regularly three years later, he hadn't had to do much to it at all.
My wifes last hybrid, granted a few years ago now cost just over £100...and was brilliant.
Even the Traxx racing bike from ToysRUs is a strange thing. A guy at work brought one a few years ago when they were selling them for £50...£50
..but he was laughing. He brought it in one day for me to fix a puncture. Tyres were abnormally heavy, the crankset looked awful, it just looked poor to me...but he was still riding it regularly three years later, he hadn't had to do much to it at all.
The Viking is around £180 ish new, and is a nice simple bike with fewer parts, meaning the parts are of a higher quality. Compare this to your standard £100 sports direct full suspension BSO and there is quite a difference in quality! I think the Viking is leaving BSO territory and entering the entry level single speed territory.
shouldbeinbed
Rollin' along
- Location
- Manchester way
To me a BSO is a £75 Tesco/Argos/Sports Direct full susser, or any bike bought from Halfords
Boardman's then?
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
You are probably riding a BSO if....
1) your jeans are somewhere near your knees
2) one hand is rolling a spliff
3) the other is holding a phone...innit?
3a) the bars are complete strangers to a pair of hands
4)you are riding down the wrong side of a busy road , on a faintly chaotic trajectory
5) you are dressed in a designer camouflage jacket
6) no lights, naturally
Actually, I do admire your multi-tasking skills. I salute you
1) your jeans are somewhere near your knees
2) one hand is rolling a spliff
3) the other is holding a phone...innit?
3a) the bars are complete strangers to a pair of hands
4)you are riding down the wrong side of a busy road , on a faintly chaotic trajectory
5) you are dressed in a designer camouflage jacket
6) no lights, naturally
Actually, I do admire your multi-tasking skills. I salute you
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
And Pinarellos
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Yes, but the status of BSO is rescinded if the bike is seen by a LBS or the owner is a half decent wrench & actually checked the bike over first. I ended up basically stripping my Boardman Hybrid down to components & rebuilding from scratch (I've probably been better of if they'd just given me the bike in it's suppliers box!).
