Bike-shaped object

From ChapmanCentral

A bike-shaped object looks a lot like a bike (in dim light if you squint a bit) but differs from a bicycle in a number of important respects:

• Price. BSOs typically cost less to manufacture than the handlebar grips on a bicycle.
• Mass. BSOs are machined from solid neutronium and weigh more than a small elephant.
• Availability. Bikes are sold by bike shops, BSOs are sold by Sterling House, catalogues and Halfrauds.
• Brand. BSO brands tend not to be available in bike shops, and are often "exclusive" to the retailer.

How to spot a BSO

The easiest way to spot a BSO is the price. A full-suspension bike offered for £99 is a BSO. Or stolen. It is simply not possible to manufacture and sell a real bike with full suspension for a hundred pounds. An entry level rear shock absorber costs around £200 retail, although this is coming down as they get more popular. A decent rear mech retails for at least £40. Of course OEMs get lower prices, but not that much lower.

Next up, the weight. Unless you are into extreme downhill, and are a fat bastard bigger rider, a bike should mass under 15kg. If the shop or site you are looking at does not tell you the weight, that's a really bad sign.

The components will also tell a story. A decent bike will have a cassette not a screw-on freewheel (you can tell because a cassette rear hub has a rubber dust shield filling the space to the left of the hub, while a screw-on will have a length of visible axle). Also, gently grasp the bottom of the derailleur cage and see how much it moves about - BSOs have plastic and cheese rear mechs which flap around in the breeze. If the rear parallelogram is stamped from steel, that's a really cheap mech.

I've got some of these horrors lying around, so will add some pics when I get a minute.

Practical alternatives to a BSO

There are three practical alternatives to buying a BSO (four if you include theft, but we won't go that route).

• Second-hand. Most bike shops will have a range of reasonable second-hand bikes that have been traded in, and some shops specialise in second-hand bikes, especially around universities. For bonus points, try Freecycle. But make sure it's a bike and not a BSO - look for decent brands like Giant, Trek, Dawes.
• Last year's model. Many shops will do stoking deals on last year's model bikes which are no longer the perfect shade of pinky-russet. Not cutting edge? Like you care!
• Grin and bear it. For £200 you can get a pretty good bike, with a little haggling. There may even be a local cycle club that will get you a discount at the bike shop for a nominal membership fee. Remember, a BSO will be lumpen and unpleasant to ride, and will probably not work well after the first year. A decent bike can easily last twenty years or more, and is actually worth repairing if something wears out.

There are occasionally tales on uk.rec.cycling of improbable rescues from the local civic amenity site (read tip, or in some cases mudbank), tidied up and made usable for a tenner or less. A good bike really will last, and finding a decent bike flung out by some fool because they pringled the wheel or stopped riding it can be a real bargain.