MTB or BSO?

[PhilO]

The definative test:

Scrapheap Challenge

 

[border-rider]

Most entertaining

[Cudzoziemiec]

I used to ride to work on a bike a bit like that! It had a seat post clamp that didn't hold the seat post in place even when done up so tight that the clamp ends touched (I tried putting a homemade shim in, but there was no room), and the brakes were pressed-steel side pulls operating on chromed steel rims by plastic levers. In the dry, they were just about good enough, in the wet they had no effect whatsoever. The left pedal seized up after about 6 months and a little later the cotter pin bolt fell out. The BB made a graunching noise from new and wobbled both up and down and from side to side. But it was fun nevertheless (and cost less than half their 100 pound limit  ).

As for overtaking other riders on this kind of thing, it's clear that rider skill and determination is the major factor.

[chillyone]

I have just today been given a BSO via Freecycle. The donor took it out of the box, "assembled" it, rode it twice and it has been sitting in his garage since.  The bike is a Universal, model Wildthing.  I have given it a quick tidy up, and surprisingly it doesn't ride too badly.  In all honesty I wouldn't want to go too far on it, but for knocking around town on our crappy cycle paths and pot holed roads, it should be OK, and if it gets nicked I wont lose any sleep.  It will be interesting to see how long it lasts before all going out of kilter and needing resetting up.

[chillyone]

I have just today been given a BSO via Freecycle. The donor took it out of the box, "assembled" it, rode it twice and it has been sitting in his garage since.  The bike is a Universal, model Wildthing.  I have given it a quick tidy up, and surprisingly it doesn't ride too badly.  In all honesty I wouldn't want to go too far on it, but for knocking around town on our crappy cycle paths and pot holed roads, it should be OK, and if it gets nicked I wont lose any sleep.  It will be interesting to see how long it lasts before all going out of kilter and needing resetting up.

Well, as I expected it didn't take long.  Rode it about 5 miles yesterday and the bottom bracket cup (adjustable side) came loose.  It is possible that it wasn't tightened properly on assembly, so I will set it up and see what happens.  The alternative is to have a sealed BB fitted which would solve the problem, but for a cheapie BSO the expense hardly seems worth it, but on the other hand it did roll along the road quite nicely, and soaked up our lousy cycle paths in Harlow which rattle my hybrid all over the place.

[Climberruss]

WTF - please educate me...what is a BSO?

[Zoidburg]

Bike.

Shaped.

Object.

Like a real bike but less usefull.

[Riggers]

BTW - please shoot me… what is WTF?

[PaulF]

BTW - please shoot me… what is WTF?

Bang!

WTF = What The... you can guess the rest

[Riggers]

I know really Paulers. I'm being naughty. Tee hee.

[Tom B]

Thanks, PhilO  - great article 

[Climberruss]

Bike.

Shaped.

Object.

Like a real bike but less usefull.

I see said the blind man!!

[handcyclist]

" . .for the question of whether these supermarket brand bikes are capable of anything a real mountain bike is…well, for a short, uncomfortable and terrifying period, they are! "

More entertaining still would be a follow up where the bikes are taken back to the vendor for a refund, having failed during the warranty period ....

[rogerzilla]

I used to have a Raleigh Lizard with a 23" frame.  It could do anything my Cannondale M1000 did, although it was an epic weight.  It wsn't nice, but with determination and knobbly tyres you can get through or over most things.  It did have a tendency to bend rear axles and the bearings had to be stripped and regreased all the time, because there was no attempt to seal anything.  I even took it on a club run and kept up.