The Cheap and Nasty

[gibbleking]

ive seen a few off these...all being pushed down the road...i blame ajs for this....

 

[Woz]

LGF: I like the point and well said.

Despite all the bling and logo's big enough to fit broad side on a double decker bus, they do have spoke protectors which equates to crap.

 

[Tazio]

About a year ago my ex wife said she fancied buying a bike. As she was working away from Edinburgh at the time I sent her an e-mail with a few pointers and suggested she avoided Halfords and went to a decent bike shop. She then told me her budget and I advised going second hand but to get in touch with me and let me see the adverts.

Of course she ignored me and bought a bike at Halfords that cost her £180 that they claimed was reduced from £280. I met her for a cycle when she got back to town and I was horrified at the sheer crapness of the thing. The people at Halfords had been very nice and told her that the best thing was that it was very light because of the aluminium frame. Sadly the rigid forked beast was heavier than a decent steel framed bike with suspension.

She then enjoyed the whole cycling thing and got in touch a couple of months ago looking to upgrade and this time she was willing to spend about £300. I again suggested second hand but she wanted new. So she got a Specialized Hardrock and loves it and can't believe how great it feels.

It doesn't have great parts but it is at least well put together and is upgradeable (she wont as she doesn't like spending) though I did get her to put decent pedals on. I suggested DMR V8s, and then downgraded her to Wellgo copies.

Anyway my rambling point is I don't mid a BSO if they charge £100 for it, but it offends me if they claim it has an original price around the same as a decent bike.

 

[oldschool]

this is the cheapy as my mate had one...

i think the rear drum gives it away

 

[skinnyboy]

interesting

http://www.actsmart.biz/news/?page=...s-searchtype=any&id=573#.TtdEx3dCqlk.facebook

ActSmart recently reported on the importance of visiting local bike shops over the large chain stores, and now it seems Argos have provided customers with yet another reason for customers to use a specialist retailer.

In 2009 BBC's watchdog reported on Bicycle Shaped Objects, or BSO's cropping up in supermarkets and chain stores across the country. Since the report the ACT named and shamed some of the companies guilty of selling badly assembled bikes or flat packed bikes

Argos were one of those retailers who failed to build bikes to an acceptable standard back in 2009 and it seems history has repeated itself as a Raleigh bike features in their national TV advert.. with the forks fitted the wrong way.

If the bikes can't even be set up properly for their national TV campaign, how can Argos expect their consumers to be able to set up the flat pack bikes properly themselves at home? Once again, this only highlights the importance of visiting qualified specialist retailers who assemble the bikes in store, correctly.

With blunders like these, consumers are advised to steer clear of non-specialist shops such as Argos and supermarkets, and instead to always look out for the Cytech logo which ensures bikes will be assembled safely and fit for purpose. Give your customers the peace of mind they need by becoming Cytech accredited today.

 

[Woz]

My buddy just acquired a "decent" flat pack bike for his son. Out of the box it is horrific. Headset from factory is soooooo tight it's already damaged. Pedals are so gitty and the tolerances so bad it doesn't mate with the crank. Cable routing and gears is a joke. The frame however is well made.

 

[utahdog2003]

For me it's about how you ride, not what you ride.

How quaint.

 

[Charlieboy28]

About four years ago, myself and a few friends got together in Yorkshire for a weekend away. A spot of motorsport on the Saturday and a day around Dalby on the Sunday was the plan.
A few days prior, in casual conversation with a friend, I discovered he was a closet mountain biker and he said he would like to come along.
Over breakfast on the Saturday morning he enthused about his cycling. Rode to work a few days a week, a few evening rides and a full day on Sundays. Much more riding time than me then. He then spoke of his steed. 'its a proper mountain bike, full suspension and everything. Wasn't cheap- ££129 from Halfords!'

We soon gathered around the back of his vanfrom which he pulled a 40lb behemoth with steel triple clamp forks, a hidious frame with rusty rear shock and inoperative V brakes. Oh how we teased.

That night I fixed his brakes, adjusted the gears and lubes the chain before a quick spin around the car park. This thing was horrible. The 73 degree head angle and rubbish forks made riding around a field a scary experience and the sheer weight of this thing was something to turn you into a wasted wreck in minutes. A truely dreadful bike.

The next day, bright and breezy we headed into Dalby. You could see the other riders smirk as he rode up and down the car park helmetless whilst we fettled forks, filled camelbacks and loaded ourselves with tools and the like.
That was the last we saw of Paul all day. He was gone in a cloud of dust and squeeking pivots. Up, down, on the flat, through the berms, over the jumps, down the drop offs, everywhere.... He owned us. We were his bitches. Flat out everywhere. Made us look like pillocks. And everyone else for that matter.
He loved every minute of it.

Nothing broke. He had a great day out. He still rides it today.

Funny things those BSOs.

This is the best post i have read this year, It makes me want to be a buddhist or some shit like that