Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Fri, 30 Nov 2018 15:08:18 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Friday, November 30, 2018 at 3:21:50 AM UTC-6, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

BSO = Bicycle Shaped Object. Commonly sold in department stores.


Some of the bicycles sold in department stores today, WalMart, Target, are perfectly fine bicycles. Much higher quality than what I bought at an official bike shop 35 years ago. I'd be fine buying a department store bike today and riding it anywhere and everywhere. After I adjusted, fixed everything mechanical on the bike. The bikes sold by WalMart or Target today are no different than the bikes sold by official bike shops today. Except cheaper price.

My guess is that the majority of the bicycles sold, in the world,
today, are single speed bikes, made of steel tubing. Just like the
ones that WalMart sells.

cheers,

John B.

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Friday, November 30, 2018 at 6:40:36 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 11/30/2018 5:03 PM, John B. slocomb wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2018 07:44:31 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

On 11/29/2018 10:15 PM, John B. slocomb wrote:
On Thu, 29 Nov 2018 21:30:34 -0500, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Thu, 29 Nov 2018 06:34:46 +0700, John B. slocomb
wrote:

I can't remember exactly, but I certainly have never had much, if any,
problems with using any sort of shifter. The friction shift lever
undoubtedly moves a lesser distance with more gears but I can't say
that I notice it. You just reach down and move the lever about "that
much" and you are in the next gear.

I have friction shifting on my road bike and index shifting on the BSO
I use as a pedal-powered wheelchair.

As far as I've been able to tell, index shifting has exactly one
advantage over friction shifting.

I wore out a drivetrain learning how to friction shift.

I goggled "BSO" and came up with Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Boston
Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra :-)


Bicycle Shaped Object.


But what in the world is a "bicycle shaped object". some sort of
garden or front lawn ornament?

It can't possible be a two wheel transportation device as that is a
bicycle, isn't it?

Maybe, depending on what 'is' is:

https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-Hardtai...mountain+bikes

You have to admit it _does_ look a lot like a bicycle.


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Okay but how would that bike or components last if someone took it off road on rugged trails? I remember many department store BSO's (before suspension forks) where the front fork would bend way forward if the bicycle was ridden off anything more than a few inches in height. I also remember department store bicycle suspension forks that bottomed out if a person standing beside the bicycle pushed down hard on the handlebar - there was no adjustment to those forks either. To me and to others who worked at bicycle shops in the area those department store bicycles were referred to as BSO's = Bicycle Shaped Objects. Oh, that's not to mention the difficulty in keeping the two derailleurs adjusted so that shifts were precise and when you wanted them or wheels that went out of true very easily.

Cheers

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On 11/30/2018 10:51 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, November 30, 2018 at 6:40:36 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-Hardtai...mountain+bikes

You have to admit it _does_ look a lot like a bicycle.

Okay but how would that bike or components last if someone took it off road on rugged trails? I remember many department store BSO's (before suspension forks) where the front fork would bend way forward if the bicycle was ridden off anything more than a few inches in height. I also remember department store bicycle suspension forks that bottomed out if a person standing beside the bicycle pushed down hard on the handlebar - there was no adjustment to those forks either. To me and to others who worked at bicycle shops in the area those department store bicycles were referred to as BSO's = Bicycle Shaped Objects. Oh, that's not to mention the difficulty in keeping the two derailleurs adjusted so that shifts were precise and when you wanted them or wheels that went out of true very easily.

I've previously mentioned the time I helped a young guy with a flat who
was riding his BSO home from work. Soon after I saw him get off his bike
and begin walking up a not-too-steep hill.

I stopped again and asked why he didn't downshift and ride up. He said
"I've learned that if you try to shift gears on these bikes, they break."

He said he bought a new *-mart bike every year. He was astonished that
mine was over 20 years old and had been on multi-thousand mile trips.


--
- Frank Krygowski

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Sat, 1 Dec 2018 20:14:15 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 11/30/2018 10:51 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, November 30, 2018 at 6:40:36 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-Hardtai...mountain+bikes

You have to admit it _does_ look a lot like a bicycle.

Okay but how would that bike or components last if someone took it off road on rugged trails? I remember many department store BSO's (before suspension forks) where the front fork would bend way forward if the bicycle was ridden off anything more than a few inches in height. I also remember department store bicycle suspension forks that bottomed out if a person standing beside the bicycle pushed down hard on the handlebar - there was no adjustment to those forks either. To me and to others who worked at bicycle shops in the area those department store bicycles were referred to as BSO's = Bicycle Shaped Objects. Oh, that's not to mention the difficulty in keeping the two derailleurs adjusted so that shifts were precise and when you wanted them or wheels that went out of true very easily.

I've previously mentioned the time I helped a young guy with a flat who
was riding his BSO home from work. Soon after I saw him get off his bike
and begin walking up a not-too-steep hill.

I stopped again and asked why he didn't downshift and ride up. He said
"I've learned that if you try to shift gears on these bikes, they break."

He said he bought a new *-mart bike every year. He was astonished that
mine was over 20 years old and had been on multi-thousand mile trips.

I suspect that is how they sell those bikes so cheap - use shoddy
shifters, derailers and brakes, although the brakes are probably
sturdy enough for casual use.

A welded steel frame, and all I've seen are welded, is going to cost
much the same regardless of what tubes are used. Certainly when you
buy top quality chromolly the material is more expensive bought one
tube at a time, but when you buy, say a thousand tubes at a time the
price is probably quite competitive :-)

But having said that, I had a bike - SD 100, about US$75 at the time,
that I rode occasionally for about 10 years - living on a boat and
cycling back and forth to shore - and the shifters worked for that
period (with frequent adjustments).

(for those who worry about riding a bicycle from a boat to shore... it
is quite simple in a marina :-)

cheers,

John B.

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 8:14:22 PM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2018 10:51 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, November 30, 2018 at 6:40:36 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-Hardtai...mountain+bikes

You have to admit it _does_ look a lot like a bicycle.

Okay but how would that bike or components last if someone took it off road on rugged trails? I remember many department store BSO's (before suspension forks) where the front fork would bend way forward if the bicycle was ridden off anything more than a few inches in height. I also remember department store bicycle suspension forks that bottomed out if a person standing beside the bicycle pushed down hard on the handlebar - there was no adjustment to those forks either. To me and to others who worked at bicycle shops in the area those department store bicycles were referred to as BSO's = Bicycle Shaped Objects. Oh, that's not to mention the difficulty in keeping the two derailleurs adjusted so that shifts were precise and when you wanted them or wheels that went out of true very easily.

I've previously mentioned the time I helped a young guy with a flat who
was riding his BSO home from work. Soon after I saw him get off his bike
and begin walking up a not-too-steep hill.

I stopped again and asked why he didn't downshift and ride up. He said
"I've learned that if you try to shift gears on these bikes, they break."

He said he bought a new *-mart bike every year. He was astonished that
mine was over 20 years old and had been on multi-thousand mile trips.


--
- Frank Krygowski

I've seen a number of bicycle shops over the years that would not even attempt to repair a BSO because it'd take too long and the customer wouldn't want to pay the resulting labour fee; or parts cost for that matter.

For a while here in town there was a bicycle co-op I volunteered at. I was amazed at the number of SIS equipped bicycles that came in for adjustments (or donated) that did not have the proper SIS shifter housing. A lot of times replacing the housing with the proper SIS type fixed things. The trouble with BSOs is that too often too many components are of the lowest level which might be okay for casual use but quickly wear out or go out of adjustment with heavy use. Remember that many people who buy these BSOs don't know much about bicycle repair or maintenance.

Cheers

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 9:15:43 PM UTC-5, John B. slocomb wrote:
Snipped
(for those who worry about riding a bicycle from a boat to shore... it
is quite simple in a marina :-)

cheers,

John B.

You mean you don't have one of these to get the bicycle to shore from the boat?

https://www.startupselfie.net/2018/0...onversion-kit/

Cheers

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Sat, 01 Dec 2018 06:00:01 +0700, John B. slocomb
wrote:

But, by definition a "Bi Cycle" has two wheels while the original
poster referred to using it as a wheelchair. She must have a pretty
good sense of balance to use a two wheel chair :-)

It's a semi-recumbent; I can put both feet on the ground while
remaining seated. I've been known to use it like a baby walker.

It also makes a pretty good rolling cane when the road slopes up.

I once rode it around the block when I had to use a walker to get to
it, but that isn't any practical use (except that I got out of the
house for a few minutes!) because I had to get off exactly where I got
on.

The walker has been a clothes rack for months, and I've hung the
"wheelchair" up out in the barn. Steroids are wonderful.


--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Sat, 1 Dec 2018 18:24:59 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 9:15:43 PM UTC-5, John B. slocomb wrote:
Snipped
(for those who worry about riding a bicycle from a boat to shore... it
is quite simple in a marina :-)

cheers,

John B.

You mean you don't have one of these to get the bicycle to shore from the boat?

https://www.startupselfie.net/2018/0...onversion-kit/

Cheers

Yes, we've got some paddle boats in a lagoon in Lumpini Park - big
park in the center of Bangkok - and I occasionally see people using
them. It appears to be a lot of pedaling for not much distance.

But if you are going to live aboard a marina is the place to be.
Electricity and water right to the boat...

cheers,

John B.

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On 12/1/2018 9:24 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 9:15:43 PM UTC-5, John B. slocomb wrote:
Snipped
(for those who worry about riding a bicycle from a boat to shore... it
is quite simple in a marina :-)

cheers,

John B.

You mean you don't have one of these to get the bicycle to shore from the boat?

https://www.startupselfie.net/2018/0...onversion-kit/

And there are these:
https://www.globosurfer.com/best-pedal-powered-kayaks/

I think it was a Hobie Mirage that I tried once. It was considerably
faster than our conventional kayaks.

--
- Frank Krygowski

Noise from new Sunrace cassette
 

On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 11:49:22 PM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/1/2018 9:24 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 9:15:43 PM UTC-5, John B. slocomb wrote:
Snipped
(for those who worry about riding a bicycle from a boat to shore... it
is quite simple in a marina :-)

cheers,

John B.

You mean you don't have one of these to get the bicycle to shore from the boat?

https://www.startupselfie.net/2018/0...onversion-kit/

And there are these:
https://www.globosurfer.com/best-pedal-powered-kayaks/

I think it was a Hobie Mirage that I tried once. It was considerably
faster than our conventional kayaks.

--
- Frank Krygowski

But the thing I linked to allowed you to ride your bicycle to shore then pack away the kit that allowed that and then ride your bike wherever you wanted.

There are times when touring the backroads of Northern Ontario that I've take a couple of car inner tubes with me so that I could float my bicycle across wide deep streams or rivers I came across. Saves a LOT of riding to a bridge that might be 50+ miles away on a road that doesn't go where I'm wanting to.

Cheers