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Bicycle Shaped Object

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A bicycle shaped object or BSO[1] (also flat-pack bike, in the UK if sold unassembled,[2] or department store bicycle in the US[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]) is a Wikipedia:bicycle manufactured or assembled[10] with poor quality.

There are two varieties of 'bicycle shaped object'. Some are poor quality bikes, manufactured for a restricted budget with the inevitable consequences for finished quality. Others are bicycles, that may be well manufactured, which are sold through retail shops with no knowledge of assembling bikes. As bikes are generally shipped 'flat packed', they must be assembled and adjusted at the time of sale. Mis-assembly here can make a potentially adequate bike into something dangerously uncontrollable. Worn-out bikes, however, are not bicycle shaped objects. These may be described disparagingly as 'clunkers' etc., but they are distinguished from bikes that were supplied in a poor state.

Misaligned rear wheel and stamped steel brakes on department store bicycle

The reason that bicycle-shaped objects exist are primarily marketing. Many bikes are sold to those who are naive about the details of bike construction, but who are swayed by simple feature lists. The presence of a feature, such as suspension, may be attractive, even though providing such a feature at such a low price will inevitably require compromises that reduce the overall quality and value of the bike. Other features, such as the number of gear ratios, may be highlighted as having '21 speeds', a seemingly high number at first sight, although actually less than the 24 that a better comparable bike will offer.

Manufacture[edit]

A bike that becomes a BSO owing to poor manufacture is generally so as a result of marketing ambition exceeding the production budget. Features above those of a simple bike are added because they are seen as more saleable than quality or reliability, even though they add cost, may not work well on such a limited budget, and may even reduce the usefulness of the bike owing to their poor performance.

The typical culprit is the addition of suspension, particularly rear suspension[note 1] This adds bearings, springs and a shock absorber that are just not required for a hardtail frame, as well as increasing the complexity and number of frame components. The cost of these components alone for a typical mid-range suspension bike exceeds the cost of the entire BSO, so it is hardly surprising that their quality has to be compromised.

Assembly before and after sale[edit]

It is alleged that large supermarkets with no history or experience in bicycle industry, import and sell cheap quality pushbikes. These bikes are un-assembled and come in a box and are called 'Wikipedia:flat pack bikes'. These bicycles often feature premium accessories like Wikipedia:disc brakes, index shifters, and shocks at very low prices. These bicycles may be heavy, have poor quality gear shifting and brakes. Pre-assembled bikes may be poorly assembled and some owners report parts falling off the bike shortly after purchase. Generally these bicycle are made in Asian countries (primarily China) from generic bicycle manufacturers and are shipped under various brand names. Although some of these bicycle do provide good service for some time, most do not and may go out of service much quicker than branded bicycles.

Shop assembly[edit]

Where bikes are assembled by retail shops before sale, this depends on the competence and equipment of the assembler. In one infamous case in 2009 Asda-Walmart ran an advertising campaign in the UK offering the UK's cheapest bike (£70).[11][12] Display models in their shops[13] and in a TV ad[12] were assembled with the front forks reversed, making them highly dangerous and almost impossible to steer. Many of the UK's major supermarket and retail chains have not only repeated this same mistake, but have even featured such mis-assembled bikes in their advertising.[note 2] A comparable error of gross mis-assembly seen at another supermarket was to place the wheel backwards in the frame, such that a disk brake is then on the opposite side from its caliper.ref name="BSO, Hall of Shame"/>

Home assembly[edit]

Bikes may also be purchased still in the flat-pack cases, for home assembly.[15] This requires the purchaser to have the equipment, tools and familiarity with bikes in order to assemble them correctly. This is often done incorrectly, even to the point at which the bike becomes dangerous.[11] This point was highlighted most visibly by coverage on the BBC consumer TV programme Watchdog.[2][16] [17] [18] Watchdog first ran the story in the early 1990s,[18] and re-visited it in 2009.[16] The difficulty of assembling a bike is complicated by both lack of instructions, often in poorly-translated Wikipedia:Chinglish, and by the use of poor quality components that may be more difficult, if not impossible to fit correctly, than a higher quality component.

In France, self-assembly flat-pack bikes must be assembled or checked by a bicycle mechanic before use.[16]

Advantages[edit]

Marketing copy and price for full suspension department store bicycle

The primary advantage of these bicycles is their low purchase price, and some authors contend that they can find a quality bicycle for that price.[19] Other authors concede to their flaws but suggest that they might be suitable if the a bicycle is only be needed for a short time.[7]

Depending on location, a department store bicycle can be safely left locked outside where a better quality bicycle would be quickly stolen.[20] Another advantage to department store bicycles is simply their broad availability. There are about as many Walmart stores in the US as their are Wikipedia:local bike shops in the US, 4000, so the nearest bicycle retailer for many customers will be a department store.

Disadvantages[edit]

The disadvantages of a BSO for the owner have been given as fourfold:[21]

  • Safety
Steering control and braking are often compromised, to the level where a bike becomes unrideable or uncontrollable in an emergency.
  • Poor quality parts
Individual parts may work less well when new, may be difficult to adjust to work at all, and may fail prematurely.
  • Low value for money[22]
With the additional cost of repairing a BSO to be adequately rideable, and their reduced working life, the low initial cost of a BSO may mask a cost per mile ridden, or per year of service, that is greater overall than a better quality bike.
  • Poor fit
The bikes are often available only in one frame size, per wheel size, and fitting a rider well may be beyond their range of adjustment.[10]

One of the greatest risks for a BSO is its limited service life. Although it appears from the shop with impressive features and may even ride well at first, the mechanical details fail early and are impossible to repair afterwards. This leads to a large proportion of such bikes soon becoming unrideable, and left in sheds and garages untouched.[23] As they may still appear as a relatively expensive investment, they are not even discarded or replaced.

The Bicycle Shaped Object does have its defenders, on the basis that, "Any bike that gets used is a good bike".[24]

Technical issues[edit]

Frame[edit]

These bicycles may be made with a cheap and heavy frame, with poor quality fit, finish, and alignment.[25]They may rust quickly.

Handlebars and controls[edit]

Handlebars may be poorly aligned or loose. These controls need to been tightened up just after purchase. Quality of the fasteners may be poor and they may become loose in transit. They may be equipped with grip shifters which perform far below quality bicycles and fail soon after purchase.

Wheels[edit]

The front and rear wheels may not be aligned correctly. Brake arms may contact the edge of the tyre. Wheels may lose firmness and bend after a few weeks/months of use.

Balls within the Wikipedia:bearing assembly (rear hub) may break under normal pressure thus cause mis-rotation and noise which may lead to loss of control and riding pleasure.

Brakes[edit]

Full suspension department store bicycle. Both front and rear wheels are out of true so that the brakes rub intermittently

Brakes are a typical weak points of these bicycles. To save manufacturing costs, brake callipers are often of less rigid pressed steel rather than cast aluminium.[11] These flex under the applied braking force and also vibrate from the frictional force against the wheel rim.[26] These problems are made worse with increasing wear in the cantilever pivots.

Efficiency of bicycle cantilever brakes depends on their correct adjustment.[27] [28] In the absence of detailed instructions on how to adjust this, and with callipers that make such adjustments difficult and unstable long term, the assembly of a BSO will produce ineffective brakes that work poorly to begin with and become worse. Adjustment may even be so bad as to cause the brake pads to rub against the tyre, possibly leading to a puncture. Cheap callipers often avoid subtle adjustments such as centring,[28] and may drag on the rim, even when released.

Poor brake callipers require a higher force from the brake lever to apply them and achieve any braking. Cheap brake levers are made of flexible plastic rather than rigid aluminium and will bend under load. This makes it impossible to apply an adequate braking force before the lever reaches its end-stop against the handlebars.[11]

Gears[edit]

The front derailleur may be too high above the front chain set, thus the gears do not change properly, or do not change at all.

Crankset[edit]

The Wikipedia:crankset of a bicycle, specifically the Wikipedia:bottom bracket, has little effect on its performance, but low quality here does affect longevity. It is common that a low-end bike, especially a children's bike, has a crankset that cannot be dismantled or repaired. Traditional bikes used simple screwed cups to form ball races screwed directly into the frame, with loose ball bearings forming the bearing that carried the crank axle. After some seasons of use, particularly in poor weather, the old bearings and grease could be removed and replaced by new ones quite cheaply. BSO bottom brackets are often assembled with a press or staking operation, rather than a screw thread. This is cheaper and quicker to initially assemble, but prevents any repair.

With the popularity of Wikipedia:mountain biking through the 1980s and 1990s, the 'sealed bottom bracket' became popular. This is a one-piece Wikipedia:line replaceable unit that forms both bearings and crank axle, with better dirt and water sealing than was possible for the traditional design. Although this too is discarded once worn out, its increased lifespan (thanks to the better seals) and the fact that the frame can still be re-used with a new bottom bracket installed means that these are considered to be a quality part, rather than a BSO compromise.

Suspension[edit]

Wikipedia:Bicycle suspension has become vastly more popular since the mid 1990s. Firstly for front suspension, later for the more complicated rear suspension. Suspension is always a complex part of a bicycle, as it increases the number of parts required, introduces more moving parts, and presents a difficult materials challenge to the manufacturer.[15] As suspension is also a prominent feature that can act as a selling point, there is pressure on manufacturers to offer it, even within a budget that does not allow for a competent suspension design to be produced. More than any other single feature, adding suspension to a BSO represents an excess of marketing ambition over useful cycling.[1] The first full suspension mountain bike to be sold at BSO prices in the UK was by Wikipedia:Lidl in 1998, for £149.99.

Price range[edit]

The retail price of a BSO is usually between AU $80 to $200 (Australian Dollars)

Use[edit]

Use of department store bicycles is discouraged[29] or explicitly prohibited[30] for bicycle police officer training

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Richard Masoner. A Word about Bike Shaped Objects. Commuting 101: Bike Shaped Objects. Commute by Bike. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 BBC - Watchdog: Question master John Humphrys puts flat pack bikes under the spotlight. Wikipedia:BBC. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  3. ↑ Sheldon Brown. Department Store Bicycles. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  4. ↑ Buy a bike. C.I.C.L.E - Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange, a Los Angeles based not-for-profit helping riders of all ages and skill levels use bicycles for everyday transportation.. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  5. ↑ Bicycle Auctions. PoliceAuctions.com. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  6. ↑ Tip Sheet #4: Funding, Organizing and Maintaining Bicycle Fleets. Safe Routes to School National Partnership. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bridget Schultz. It's biking season! Tips you must know before choosing your child’s first bike. Hudson Valley Parent. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  8. ↑ Choosing a Bicycle. Wikipedia:UC Davis Transportation & Parking Services. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  9. ↑ Abandoned Bike Project. Wikipedia:University of South Carolina Campus Recreation Department. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bike buying guide. Wikipedia:Consumers Union. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Beware of the "Bicycle Shaped Object" or "BSO". WhyCycle. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mark Brown. Asda back pedals on TV advert. Bicycle Shaped Object. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  13. ↑ Ask the Audience - The Bicycle Shaped Object Strikes Again. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  14. ↑ Mark Brown. Hall of Shame. Bicycle Shaped Object. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 An impassioned guide on why not to buy a cheap Bike or BSO. South Coast Bikes. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 BBC Watchdog: Flat Pack Bikes / Bicycle Shaped Objects - YouTube. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  17. ↑ BBC's Watchdog to highlight bicycle shaped object dangers. road.cc. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 John Stevenson. Watchdog gets its teeth into bicycle shaped objects - again. bikeradar.com. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  19. ↑ Bill Mason. Department stores have safe, quality bicycles for youngsters. Wikipedia:Bangor Daily News. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  20. ↑ Steve. The Bike of Doom FAQ. WordPress. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  21. ↑ The Bicycle Shaped Object. The Cycling Experts. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  22. ↑ London Olympic Games gold brings old bikes to life. Wikipedia:Herald Sun. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  23. ↑ Template:Cite newspaper
  24. ↑ Jon Grinder. In Defense Of the Bicycle Shaped Object. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  25. ↑ Eben Weiss. BSNYC Product Review: Walmart's Mongoose Cachet "Fixed-Speed" Bicycle. blogspot.com. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  26. ↑ Sheldon Brown. The Geometry of Cantilever Brakes. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  27. ↑ Sheldon Brown. Shoe Adjustment. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Sheldon Brown. Centering Adjustment. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  29. ↑ T.J. Richardson. Bicycle Fleet Management. International Police Mountain Bike Association. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.
  30. ↑ PCC and ITC Equipment List Mandatory and Recommended. Alvin Police Department. URL accessed on 2012-08-16.


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