The decline of European manufacturing and the rise of the BSO

[bikeworkshop]

Was this the beginning of the triumph of price over function?

Or does it go way back?

It's certainly true that a basic 1880s high wheeler had plain bearings and a solid fork

 

[benjabbi]

In my mind, hear me out, the BSO started with the Trek Y bikes. Nothing too wrong with those. The design however seemed to be the inspiration for the flood of cheap oversized hi-ten URT bikes from China, often with their own gravitational pull, from the likes of Apollo, that followed.
I don't count the Mustang as a BSO, even if it technically counts as one, for the reasons others stated above and my first MTB was a 24" one, so I'm biased!

 

[bikeworkshop]

I know the trek dealers knew they were a pig in a poke even while they were selling them (because they told me!), but I think it's an example of poor decisions upstream.

The y bikes were mostly reasonable or good quality, but the design didn't work.

So it's an example of a big player knowingly exploiting its market position to sell an erroneous design they'd already over-invested in.

BSOs don't work for long because of low quality materials and manufacture rather than faulty design.

 

[benjabbi]

I'm not saying the Trek was a BSO, it's from a time when, in terms of suspension design they were throwing shit at the wall and that one ultimately didn't stick.
No it's just that the design was easy and cheap to replicate with crappy materials. Full suspension for £80? Bargain!
It's just, to me, that type of bike is the definition of BSO.

 

[bikeworkshop]

URT was beloved of the BSO FS manufacturers,
easier to manufacture,
easier to assemble.
Strong visual appeal.

Trek's fingerprints all over the marketing.
They already felt sorry at the time. Nowdays I imagine they've conveniently forgotten

I bet it's not on the
"all about us and our historic role in the development of the modern bicycle" pages of their website

 

[bikeworkshop]

Universal cycles.

Founded 1977.
Started the Silver Fox brand
Then later ironically acquired Muddy Fox

Now owned by sports direct.

Is this it?

 

[JCS]

I'd argue against the Mustang or the lower Peugeots (Lazer?) being BSO's. They were bikes built to a budget which acted as a gateway into our great sport for children up and down the country. They were heavy and basic but pretty robust.
Still remember my first ever go on an MTB (ATB?), a mate's Mustang with 15 gears, and I was hooked straight away. Coming from a BMX my mind was blown by the uphill ability in the local park when stuck in the lowest gear. Far from being a BSO it was actually the halo bike in our village!

Real BSO's are the cheap tat that followed, the type with brakes so cheap they bent rather than stop you and metal that snaps on first contact with rough terrain because it's so soft. The kit churned out to look like an MTB but that's it.

Similar memories. And if you had a Raleigh Mirage that was exotic !

 

[brocklanders023]

The URT design was a sound one for its intended purpose, a soft landing for rigid bike fans that didn’t want full suss, it just got superseded quickly and then become the BSO norm.

 

[brocklanders023]

Still remember being a young kid and we all met up on our BMX bikes on the street when one of the older lads rocked up on his Mustang which he called an ATB. Most of us had never heard of a mountain bike and he was the cool kid on the block until others started to catch on. Crazy to believe we could envy a Mustang so much but the rest of us did at least he did let us all have a go.

Not sure if it was the start of the BSO but in our area it sure was the death of the BMX.

Exactly the same in our village and killed BMX stone dead.

 

[Woz]

Did this bring about the BSO? Or had the Europeans done it already?

I'd argue the Europeans did it already. Asia (generally) had very little of it's own bike heritage bar some roadster utilitarian styles. BSOs are all European design copies and the result of off-shoring under newer trade agreements in more optimistic globalised times based on new found cheap oil and human power. The MTB was an accelerator.

The "10 speed racer" enjoyed a long innings and got perfected to every price point - to exhaustion, and then fashion changed, and just apply the old formula (along with some cheap nasty road parts not exactly up to task ). .

Ironically, I would imagine Grandparents or simply parents felt comfortable buying a new fangled MTB thing from a reputable established bike company and a local bike shop for a new kid. I know my parents never considered a BMX, a Chopper, a Grifter, a "real bike".

Always think BSOs really lifted off when you were tempted and could buy a bike from Argos, La Redout, super/hyper market, garden centres, toiletry emporiums, etc. etc.