"bicycle-shaped object"



V

vey

Guest
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2226678,00.html

My first, autodidactic lessons in bicycle maintenance were not happy
occasions. One issue, granted, was not having the right tools. Using a
pair of rusty pliers from my dad's motley collection at the back of the
garage, I would try to manipulate the locknut after fitting a new brake
cable. First, I nicely rounded the edges of the nut, which seemed to be
made of a metal only slightly harder than marzipan. Then, since to get a
grip on the nut to tighten it I now had to use all my strength, the bolt
simply sheared off - leaving its broken end snug in the thus completely
unserviceable brake caliper.

The real problem, of course, was not the lack of a full set of
bike-specific spanners, but having a bike with such cheap and
ill-manufactured parts that it defied efforts to maintain it. There is a
reason you see people on crummy bikes riding around with gears and
brakes that don't work, and it's not indigence, slothfulness or
incompetence on their part. These are bikes you cannot mend yourself;
take them into a shop and any self-respecting mechanic will most likely
refuse to fix them too. So you might as well ride your semi-functional
piece of scrap around until it fails completely or - better luck - some
misguided or desperate person steals it and relieves you of the aggravation.

Like as not, untold millions of these hopelessly inadequate
bike-simulacra are filling space in people's sheds, garages and lofts.
Unloved, neglected, no longer working, but too substantial-seeming to
throw out. Britain is not, pace Napoleon, a nation of shopkeepers, but a
nation of **** bicycle-keepers. You think "millions" an exaggeration?
According to the UK industry body the Bicycle Association, we bought
4.5m bikes in 2004 (the last year for which figures are available). How
many of these would you bet on being still roadworthy?

I say "bikes"; in reality, we are talking of the dreaded "bicycle-shaped
object", or BSO. As trade webzine Bikebiz points out, Mintel research in
2001 found that the average price of an adult bicycle was £107 - which,
despite EU anti-dumping rules against cheap Chinese and Vietnamese
imports being in force since 2000, is likely to be as low as £80 now.
Although there is plenty of research that shows how, say, bicycle theft
or the perception that roads are unsafe deters people from cycling, I
have never come across any about how truly trashy hardware puts them
off. Yet I am convinced that the BSO is one of the great menaces of our age.

It would be easy to blame the big chains such as Halfords for inflicting
it on the British public, but that's too easy. For one thing, its
400-plus stores account for only a quarter of the market; independent
bike dealers represent a third - the majority of which sell their fair
share of BSOs. And Halfords' internal franchise Bikehut now stocks
"real" bicycle-shaped bicycles, with high-end brands such as Boardman,
Van Nicholas and Condor.

Who is the culprit, then? Unfortunately, it is us, the consumers. When
we shop for flatscreen TVs, game consoles and MP3 players, we pay
hundreds and rightly expect excellence. But, when we're buying a bike,
somehow our mentality morphs into one that delights in buying a
"bargain" lot of nylon knickers at a street market stall.

Perhaps, all too often, it's because we're buying for our kids and we
figure they won't know the difference. But they soon will. What we need
to remember is that a bicycle is not just for Christmas.
 
A Muzi wrote:
> David L. Johnson wrote:
>> A Muzi wrote:
>>
>>> seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car
>>> payment is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not.

>>
>> Wait, I'm confused. $100 for a TV is reasonable, not $1000. Although
>> even 50 years ago, when my father bought one of the first color sets,
>> he paid $400.
>>
>>> Tourists are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three
>>> Hundred Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).

>>
>> Now I'm really confused. $300 for a bike is cheap. You want to keep
>> "tourists" out of your shop, put a $6000 bike by the door. Well, not
>> too close to the door.

>
> In the contect of BSOs, which retail at $50, I meant that a quality bike
> for $279 is quite a shocking leap for most people.

==========
That's why anyone shouldn't be surprised
to find out that a thief will try to
sell a Madone for a $100. In the
thief's mind, a bike at the max would
only cost $300.
 
fortunes have been made, trying to make
a diamond out of goats ass.
 
Where you went wrong on your rant is in this sentence:

"These are bikes you cannot mend yourself; take them into a shop and any
self-respecting mechanic will most likely refuse to fix them too. "

That's just rubbish. Bike shops make a lot of money off of fixing these
cheap bikes. They like to see those bikes come through the door.

Pat in TX
 
On Dec 13, 3:17 pm, "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Where you went wrong on your rant is in this sentence:
>



Not Vey's rant - it's that of the author of the article linked at the
top of the posting.
 
-snip vey's BSO diatribe-

Pat wrote:
> Where you went wrong on your rant is in this sentence:
> "These are bikes you cannot mend yourself; take them into a shop and any
> self-respecting mechanic will most likely refuse to fix them too. "
> That's just rubbish. Bike shops make a lot of money off of fixing these
> cheap bikes. They like to see those bikes come through the door.


Maybe, but it varies.

There's a shop owner in this area who refuses discount-store BSOs entry
as a group, not even tire changes. Some sell only 'tune-up packages', a
virtual ban for BSOs.

You're right that most shops treat them no differently from any other
bike in for service. Vey could probably cite a counterexample.

Here, we sometimes reconnect brakes or reattach handlebars or unbend
bent gear changers or true-by-knee or similar at no charge, as the lack
of a service charge lowers the emotional level when it breaks again, in
a new and refreshing way, tomorrow.

Much though we span the full gamut of products (and product quality)
here, vey makes a point that the lowest level of current Chinese BSOs
really can be virtually irreparable after a few month's normal use. I'm
wan to assign 'blame' for that, it's just the world we have today. Does
seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car payment
is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not. Tourists
are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three Hundred
Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
A Muzi wrote:

> seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car payment
> is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not.


Wait, I'm confused. $100 for a TV is reasonable, not $1000. Although
even 50 years ago, when my father bought one of the first color sets, he
paid $400.

> Tourists
> are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three Hundred
> Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).


Now I'm really confused. $300 for a bike is cheap. You want to keep
"tourists" out of your shop, put a $6000 bike by the door. Well, not
too close to the door.

--

David L. Johnson

"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong
 
David L. Johnson wrote:
> A Muzi wrote:
>
>> seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car payment
>> is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not.

>
> Wait, I'm confused. $100 for a TV is reasonable, not $1000. Although
> even 50 years ago, when my father bought one of the first color sets, he
> paid $400.
>
>> Tourists are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three
>> Hundred Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).

>
> Now I'm really confused. $300 for a bike is cheap. You want to keep
> "tourists" out of your shop, put a $6000 bike by the door. Well, not
> too close to the door.


In the contect of BSOs, which retail at $50, I meant that a quality bike
for $279 is quite a shocking leap for most people.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
On Dec 14, 1:17 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> David L. Johnson wrote:
> > A Muzi wrote:

>
> >> seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car payment
> >> is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not.

>
> > Wait, I'm confused. $100 for a TV is reasonable, not $1000. Although
> > even 50 years ago, when my father bought one of the first color sets, he
> > paid $400.

>
> >> Tourists are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three
> >> Hundred Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).

>
> > Now I'm really confused. $300 for a bike is cheap. You want to keep
> > "tourists" out of your shop, put a $6000 bike by the door. Well, not
> > too close to the door.

>
> In the contect of BSOs, which retail at $50, I meant that a quality bike
> for $279 is quite a shocking leap for most people.


My boss is a millionaire.

Not just a millionaire but a multi-millionaire.

In fact, I've got no idea how much money my boss has other than
buckets and buckets of lots of money in whichever currency you feel
like calculating it in.

When I first started working for him he asked me to someday help him
buy a bike. We've never gotten around to doing it because I suggested
he start in the 4000rmb range (about US $500).

I've seen him spend more than that on a single business dinner. His
habit of meetings running over into lunch time and taking the entire
office out to eat means that I've personally eaten more than that on
his dime. With people he wasn't trying to impress who he was taking
out for his idea of cheap food.

But the suggestion that he spend any kind of real money on a bike for
him, his wife, or his kids, has consistently been met with extreme
resistance. I haven't even taken him to the bike shop yet because of
this. Because I've seen the kids' bikes. Rusting in the foyer.
Unrideable. Unrideable before the tires went flat from neglect. The
best of the bunch was 200rmb new. I know that bike. I know that
kid. I spent almost that much on a small gift for that particular kid
before he went back to Germany for school.

He can pick up my bike with one finger and exclaim how light it is.
He brags about my on bike accomplishments more than I do. An integral
part of his worldview of me is "the girl with the bike" and the
version of me that is presented to everyone in business long before I
meet them is "the girl bike racer," "the girl with the friends on Team
China," so much so that not a single one of my Beijing colleagues (who
I had never met before) was the slightest bit surprised to discover I
had taken my bike with me on a business trip 'just in case'.

I can get him into a meeting with a team to discuss a potential
sponsorship deal but I can't convince him that if he wants to start
exercising and wants to own a bike he has to start with something
that, at a bare minimum, costs more than the lunch buffet at the
Sheraton.

-M
 
Andrew Muzi wrote:
> David L. Johnson wrote:
>> A Muzi wrote:
>>
>>> seem odd that $1000 for a television or $400 for a monthly car
>>> payment is generally viewed as 'reasonable', $300 for a bicycle is not.

>>
>> Wait, I'm confused. $100 for a TV is reasonable, not $1000. Although
>> even 50 years ago, when my father bought one of the first color sets,
>> he paid $400.
>>
>>> Tourists are heard often to exclaim in our shop "Look at that! Three
>>> Hundred Dollars for a Bicycle!!!" (we keep those near the front door).

>>
>> Now I'm really confused. $300 for a bike is cheap. You want to keep
>> "tourists" out of your shop, put a $6000 bike by the door. Well, not
>> too close to the door.

>
> In the contect of BSOs, which retail at $50, I meant that a quality bike
> for $279 is quite a shocking leap for most people.


I think one month net wage is a reasonable price to pay for a excellent
bicycle, two weeks net wages for a merely good bicycle, and one week net
wage for an adequate bicycle.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter
 
On 2007-12-13, Pat <[email protected]> wrote:
> Where you went wrong on your rant is in this sentence:
>
> "These are bikes you cannot mend yourself; take them into a shop and any
> self-respecting mechanic will most likely refuse to fix them too. "
>
> That's just rubbish. Bike shops make a lot of money off of fixing these
> cheap bikes. They like to see those bikes come through the door.


But many owners won't pay half the price of the bike again to have it
fixed.

The usual procedure is just to carry on riding it. Some gear or other
will probably still turn. Sometimes a few spokes will break in the back
wheel. The more mechanically-minded owner spots that the brake pads have
started rubbing on the now-flailing rim and so disconnects the rear
V-brake noodle, solving the problem.

Some problems are lack of maintenance and mechanical sympathy and not
strictly entirely the fault of the bike. Derailleurs that cheap and
nasty are hard to adjust right, and easily get snagged, particularly if
changing under load, or while backpedalling, and with a well-rusted
chain. When the inevitable happens the thing not to do is stomp on the
pedals in frustration because that bends everything.

Derailleur systems actually have to be quite expensive before they're
even reasonably idiot-proof. The ones on BSOs don't stand a chance with
the people most likely to buy such machines.
 
Around where I live the only kids bikes for sale are BSOs. It's
recently got worse since now all the BSOs have suspension as well!

M
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Mark <[email protected]> wrote:

> Around where I live the only kids bikes for sale are BSOs. It's
> recently got worse since now all the BSOs have suspension as well!
>
> M


The best antidote for that is probably the BMX, for kids young enough to
stand 'em. The next best thing is to find the shortest 40 year-old in
your neighborhood, and ask if they have a mountain bike in their garage
that is at least 15 years old. That puts you squarely into the rigid (or
at worst, front suspension) era.

The situation is dire enough that when a clubmate's cycling-crazed
youngster started demanding a road bike, the only solution was to take a
20" kids MTB, add a rigid fork, and turn it into the tiniest cyclocross
bike ever, complete with brifters.

Tough bikes for aggro kids,

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing
 
>>
>> "These are bikes you cannot mend yourself; take them into a shop and any
>> self-respecting mechanic will most likely refuse to fix them too. "
>>
>> That's just rubbish. Bike shops make a lot of money off of fixing these
>> cheap bikes. They like to see those bikes come through the door.

>
> But many owners won't pay half the price of the bike again to have it
> fixed.


Yeah, you're right about the owners of the bike. But, he is was going with
one of those "I had no choice!" statements that I spot as the easy excuse
for people who don't want to take any responsibility by blaming things on
some "self-respecting mechanic".
 
On Dec 14, 5:36 am, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
>
> Mark <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Around where I live the only kids bikes for sale are BSOs. It's
> > recently got worse since now all the BSOs have suspension as well!

>
> > M

>
> The best antidote for that is probably the BMX, for kids young enough to
> stand 'em. The next best thing is to find the shortest 40 year-old in
> your neighborhood, and ask if they have a mountain bike in their garage
> that is at least 15 years old. That puts you squarely into the rigid (or
> at worst, front suspension) era.
>
> The situation is dire enough that when a clubmate's cycling-crazed
> youngster started demanding a road bike, the only solution was to take a
> 20" kids MTB, add a rigid fork, and turn it into the tiniest cyclocross
> bike ever, complete with brifters.
>
> Tough bikes for aggro kids,
>
> --
> Ryan Cousineau [email protected]://www.wiredcola.com/
> "My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
> Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing


Wow. I have not paid attention in a while, but last time I looked
there were real kids bikes at the bike shops. The problem is that
they had 3 digit price tags, so most parents I know went to Wal-Mart
where "the same damn thing" costs $35. My best friends older son is
almost bike age, I'll have to see what the deal is. He's a hardcore
BMXer, though not really riding much anymore, so he won't want a BST
for his kid.

I recently rescued a bike from the trash in my parents area, a child's
pink Diamond Back, and gave it to one of the less fortunate kids on my
street. When I was tuning it up before I gave it away, I noticed the
bike shop sticker. The bike came from Two For The Road in Georgetown,
MA - My LBS growing up until they went out of business in the 90's.
Total nostalgia. Anyway, the bike was still going strong last time I
saw it, though it's currently under almost a foot of snow and will
likely sit until next spring. I hope the kid doesn't trash it when
she gets a shiny new BST for xmas or in the spring, but she probably
will. Damn shame, it's a nice bike for a kids bike, and until I have
it to them it was always garaged. Now it's covered in snow. Sad,
really.

The kids have no idea to take care of their things, or earn things, no
concept of value. Everything is handed to them, and everything is
handed to their parents, their primary roll model. Nothing is their
fault, they're always the victim, etc. I work 45 Hours a week, and
the kids all think it's "insane" and "crazy" that I "work all the
time". They also think it's "nuts" that we actually bought our house,
and as such have no landlord. In their world you stay at home, slack
off, maybe go to school or work a part-time job that brings in minimal
extra cash, and everything takes care of itself. The homeowners next
doors to us, one of the few in the area, have also been deemed insane
because they both work full time too. Apparently sometime when I
wasn't looking working for a living went out of style. Hm... whole
'nother rant here...
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:35ec6162-80f7-4ce4-9634-b0a2aad65a92@d27g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Dec 14, 5:36 am, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>>
>> Mark <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > Around where I live the only kids bikes for sale are BSOs. It's
>> > recently got worse since now all the BSOs have suspension as well!

>>
>> > M

>>
>> The best antidote for that is probably the BMX, for kids young enough to
>> stand 'em. The next best thing is to find the shortest 40 year-old in
>> your neighborhood, and ask if they have a mountain bike in their garage
>> that is at least 15 years old. That puts you squarely into the rigid (or
>> at worst, front suspension) era.
>>
>> The situation is dire enough that when a clubmate's cycling-crazed
>> youngster started demanding a road bike, the only solution was to take a
>> 20" kids MTB, add a rigid fork, and turn it into the tiniest cyclocross
>> bike ever, complete with brifters.
>>
>> Tough bikes for aggro kids,
>>
>> --
>> Ryan Cousineau [email protected]://www.wiredcola.com/
>> "My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
>> Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

>
> Wow. I have not paid attention in a while, but last time I looked
> there were real kids bikes at the bike shops. The problem is that
> they had 3 digit price tags, so most parents I know went to Wal-Mart
> where "the same damn thing" costs $35. My best friends older son is
> almost bike age, I'll have to see what the deal is. He's a hardcore
> BMXer, though not really riding much anymore, so he won't want a BST
> for his kid.
>
> I recently rescued a bike from the trash in my parents area, a child's
> pink Diamond Back, and gave it to one of the less fortunate kids on my
> street. When I was tuning it up before I gave it away, I noticed the
> bike shop sticker. The bike came from Two For The Road in Georgetown,
> MA - My LBS growing up until they went out of business in the 90's.
> Total nostalgia. Anyway, the bike was still going strong last time I
> saw it, though it's currently under almost a foot of snow and will
> likely sit until next spring. I hope the kid doesn't trash it when
> she gets a shiny new BST for xmas or in the spring, but she probably
> will. Damn shame, it's a nice bike for a kids bike, and until I have
> it to them it was always garaged. Now it's covered in snow. Sad,
> really.
>
> The kids have no idea to take care of their things, or earn things, no
> concept of value. Everything is handed to them, and everything is
> handed to their parents, their primary roll model. Nothing is their
> fault, they're always the victim, etc. I work 45 Hours a week, and
> the kids all think it's "insane" and "crazy" that I "work all the
> time". They also think it's "nuts" that we actually bought our house,
> and as such have no landlord. In their world you stay at home, slack
> off, maybe go to school or work a part-time job that brings in minimal
> extra cash, and everything takes care of itself. The homeowners next
> doors to us, one of the few in the area, have also been deemed insane
> because they both work full time too. Apparently sometime when I
> wasn't looking working for a living went out of style. Hm... whole
> 'nother rant here...


While we're on the topic of "why can't they be like we were, perfect in
every way" I must relate my own experience of kids and bikes. The 14 year
old son of a good friend who lives across the road was very impressed by my
Greenspeed GT3 trike. I don't use it much because a medical condition I
thought would make an upright difficult for long rides improved outa sight.
I offered this kid a deal. He gets to ride it on weekends and at the end of
twelve months it becomes his if he submits to me one weekly book report of
300 words or an essay of similar length on a topic set by me. Additionally,
he must attend a monthly bike repair and maintenance class run by me.
This deal was rejected so he mustn't like the Greenspeed that much after
all. I'd have thought that fifty book reports at twenty cents a word was
outstanding pay. At the end of twelve months he could have sold the
Greenspeed and bought a whole shitload of mindless and repetitive video
games but his idea of deferred gratification seems to be getting something
in ten minutes time rather than instantly.
A little while ago, his BSO had a mangled chainwheel and I had to stand over
him with a whip and force him to fit a much better quality used crankset
(supplied by me) himself. He somehow expected that I'd do it for him in
thirty seconds and then let him take it away with bolts untorqued and
shifting unadjusted and unlubed. No patience, no concept of finding out how
things are done and doing it right.

Anyway, I tried.

Peter H
 
Peter Howard wrote:

> Anyway, I tried.


I don't waste my time with kids anymore. They know everything, so why
bother?
 
On Dec 14, 3:48 pm, vey <[email protected]> wrote:
> Peter Howard wrote:
> > Anyway, I tried.

>
> I don't waste my time with kids anymore. They know everything, so why
> bother?


Tell him that the bike is actually a game controller. If he becomes a
level-five mechanic, he will get to battle cog-dor for the golden
grease tube. Show him the secret controller moves (call them
"cheats") -- lubing the chain, tightening a crank bolt, etc. Turn the
garage lights on and off -- honk the car horn. That will get him
interested. -- Jay Beattie.
 
Jay Beattie wrote:
> On Dec 14, 3:48 pm, vey <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Peter Howard wrote:
>>> Anyway, I tried.

>> I don't waste my time with kids anymore. They know everything, so why
>> bother?

>
> Tell him that the bike is actually a game controller. If he becomes a
> level-five mechanic, he will get to battle cog-dor for the golden
> grease tube. Show him the secret controller moves (call them
> "cheats") -- lubing the chain, tightening a crank bolt, etc. Turn the
> garage lights on and off -- honk the car horn. That will get him
> interested. -- Jay Beattie.


Jay, you've got the imagination thing down.
 
[email protected] aka Dan K? wrote:
> ...
> The kids have no idea to take care of their things, or earn things, no
> concept of value. Everything is handed to them, and everything is
> handed to their parents, their primary rol[e] model. Nothing is their
> fault, they're always the victim, etc.


This is why people should grow up poor. Poverty build character.

If the kids knew that if they lost a toy, clothing or other item of
value to them due to carelessness, it would not get replaced, they would
not be such spoiled brats.

> I work 45 Hours a week, and
> the kids all think it's "insane" and "crazy" that I "work all the
> time".


Why do you only work part-time?

> They also think it's "nuts" that we actually bought our house,
> and as such have no landlord. In their world you stay at home, slack
> off, maybe go to school or work a part-time job that brings in minimal
> extra cash, and everything takes care of itself.


A great argument for inheritance taxes!

> The homeowners next
> doors to us, one of the few in the area, have also been deemed insane
> because they both work full time too. Apparently sometime when I
> wasn't looking working for a living went out of style. Hm... whole
> 'nother rant here...


A stint in a labor camp would do these people a world of good.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter
 

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