BSO

Quoted message said:

At the time they
seemed a little more convenient some of the time but a bit more hassle
to maintain. I daresay they've improved quite a bit since then but...
how much better can they be?

I dont think i've ever maintained my sti levers in a decade of off-
road use. They still perform perfectly well, even when i smashed the
bottom casing off one!

Clive George said:

It is interesting the opinions people have of grip shifters. Lots of people
say "eurgh, [censored], run away", but there are a few who say "they seem to work
very well". I suspect the difference is that the latter group (which
includes me) have used the posher versions rather than what you get on a
BSO.

cheers,
clive

I have a set of fairly good SRAM ones on my road machine (commuter
rigid MTB with basic componentry). They are plenty good enough if you
dont shift regularly but I find them a little too clumsy and require
too much hand-off-bar action than rapids. With a rapid you can blast
over the roughest rock garden and shift mid-stroke, with the
gripshifts you have to release the bar grip in one hand too much to
allow you to control it over the rough stuff - hence I run XT
rapidfire on my mtb instead. Either one is technically easy to use
and both require no maintenance full stop in my experience. Somehow
though I cant take the gripshift seriously and I get that feeling from
others on the trail when out MTBing - a sort of unwritten rule much
like not having bar ends on riser bars, and not having flat bars on a
full sus 🙂

Rob Morley said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Membrane
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

IMO grip shifters are a model of engineering simplicity, certainly less
complex than trigger or STI shifters.

I thought the original ramped cam was a design masterpiece, I wonder why
they changed it.

It was, and indeed, still is a great design, and really well executed.

I still have 'em in 3x7 on an old Cannondale MTB.

15-odd years old, zero maintenance, zero (evident) wear, zero
adjustment required, and they still work crisp and perfect. Even the
foam grip covering on the outside is worn, but no holes or tears in
it.

This despite being raced, crashed and thrashed offroad for 5 years,
then completely ignored when that bike became my commuter (7 more
years).

The front changer even has trim positions (two for the top and bottom
rings, three for the middle ring).

Two moving parts per shifter, the outer grip, and a little "sledge"
which holds the cable nipple and rides up and down the ramp as the
outer grip is twisted.

The bike is in semi-retierment now, but I still use it when pootling
round with the family as it now sports an child seat on the back.
Other bikes have come and gone, but I can't seem to bring myself to
selling that one on, Deore XT and GripShitfers and all...

bookieb

"CoyoteBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Somehow
though I cant take the gripshift seriously and I get that feeling from
others on the trail when out MTBing - a sort of unwritten rule much
like not having bar ends on riser bars, and not having flat bars on a
full sus 🙂

Don't tell the pros who are using it that :-)

cheers,
clive

CoyoteBoy said:

Somehow
though I cant take the gripshift seriously and I get that feeling from
others on the trail when out MTBing

So I guess folk using Rohloffs, especially on those mid-gearbox Nikolais
that Simon B. likes so much, must all be pesuds... (Rohloff is only
available with twist grips, as it uses a push/pull pair).

Not wholly unlike any wheels under 26"/700c (choose for discipline) must
be jokes, and any machine for speed without drops is obviously a
faux-pas of the highest order (see Graeme Obree's "Old Faithful"😉. And
so on.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

CoyoteBoy said:

Quoted message said:

IMO grip shifters are a model of engineering simplicity, certainly less
complex than trigger or STI shifters.

--
Membrane

Simpler in design, harder to use IMO.

Turn the inner part of the grip you're already holding on to perhaps
four or five degrees of arc in either direction while slightly easing
off on the pedal stroke - how hard can that be?

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Simpler in design, harder to use IMO.

Turn the inner part of the grip you're already holding on to perhaps
four or five degrees of arc in either direction while slightly easing
off on the pedal stroke - how hard can that be?

Vs flick lever 😉

--
Mark T

CoyoteBoy said:

Quoted message said:

At the time they
seemed a little more convenient some of the time but a bit more hassle
to maintain. I daresay they've improved quite a bit since then but...
how much better can they be?

I dont think i've ever maintained my sti levers in a decade of off-
road use. They still perform perfectly well, even when i smashed the
bottom casing off one!

mmm AOL to that my old bike has gear and brake combo niether has had to
be stripped down etc bar the odd cable after over 10 years sporadic use
and now my bike about town or surrey lanes.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Clive George said:

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Indeed, but his point is that as grip shifters are more complex than,
I assume, down tube shifters, they need to be made with quality
components. I.e. if you want to build a cheap bike, use down tube
shifters.

It is interesting the opinions people have of grip shifters. Lots of people
say "eurgh, [censored], run away", but there are a few who say "they seem to work
very well". I suspect the difference is that the latter group (which
includes me) have used the posher versions rather than what you get on a
BSO.

cheers,
clive

also would depend on size of hand and what sort of bike, off road it is
easy to twist which isn't wounderful.

this said they work fine on my pop to the shops bike, change as and when
i want them to.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

"Roger Merriman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

off road it is easy to twist which isn't wounderful.

Y'see, that's the sort of thing I don't get. Mine are on the off-road
bike...

cheers,
clive

Clive George said:

"Roger Merriman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

off road it is easy to twist which isn't wounderful.

Y'see, that's the sort of thing I don't get. Mine are on the off-road
bike...

ISTM it's a bit like the valve "debate", with all sorts of folk
declaring that the flavour they don't prefer is a Work Of Stan with a
big list of reasons why, while plenty of other people ride around with
that same flavour and no particular problems, and often convinced that
the one /they/ don't have is an inherently evil mis-feature...

Bottom line is both of them work fine just as long as you're used to them.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Clive George said:

"Roger Merriman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

off road it is easy to twist which isn't wounderful.

Y'see, that's the sort of thing I don't get. Mine are on the off-road
bike...

cheers,
clive

i would think it would be less of a issue in the days of suspention and
wider tires than before. also on the type of riding one does, i find you
do loosen the grip ever so slightly which could be a issue.

but takes all sorts and what one hates other loves.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Mark T said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Simpler in design, harder to use IMO.

Turn the inner part of the grip you're already holding on to perhaps
four or five degrees of arc in either direction while slightly easing
off on the pedal stroke - how hard can that be?

Vs flick lever 😉

:-)

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

Adrian Godwin said:

Tosspot said:

For all the criticism they get BSOs do have a place. I know a chap that
has a fancy bike for weekends and a BSO for commutes. The rule is
simple, never, ever, do maintenance on the BSO. When it is no longer
BS, then buy a new one for 70 squids.

But why buy a BSO when you can get something better, often for less
money ?

I wanted a commute bike as I didn't want to leave a nice bike at a bus
station. So I kept an eye on the local auction, which usually has
about 30 BSOs and one or two old racers. I bought a 198? Claud Butler
in 531 for 30 quid. It looks old and deeply unfashionable but it's an
utter delight to ride and I'm not ashamed of it in the least. And I'll
certainly maintain it, while carefully avoiding any tarting-up.

Mainly convenience I suppose. You had to wait and make some effort, and
ultimately were lucky. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of BSOs, I
just note that for some people, for some jobs, they seem fine.

In message <[email hidden]>

Tom Crispin said:

On Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:04:44 +0100, [email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>

Bill said:

LBS - Local Bike Shop

Quoted message said:

BSO- Bicycle Shaped Object, refers to the cheapo [censored] sold by supermarkets,
catalogues and even by some LBS's. Looks like a bike but doesn't really
perform or last like a proper bike.

Quoted message said:

The origin of the term is from here:
www.southcoastbikes.co.uk/Articles.asp?article=NO_BSO

Thanks, Tom; great link.
--
Charles
Brompton P-type T6 in Motspur Park

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark T
('pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid'😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Simpler in design, harder to use IMO.

Turn the inner part of the grip you're already holding on to perhaps
four or five degrees of arc in either direction while slightly easing
off on the pedal stroke - how hard can that be?

Vs flick lever 😉

Uh-huh. But when you come off a long descent immediately into tight
climbing singletrack and want to shift down two chainrings at the front
and shift up half a dozen cogs at the back, with gripshift you can and
with triggers you can't. Which is why most of the serious cross country
racers are on gripshift.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

-- mens vacua in medio vacuo --

in message <[email hidden]>, Clive George

(') said:

"Roger Merriman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

off road it is easy to twist which isn't wounderful.

Y'see, that's the sort of thing I don't get. Mine are on the off-road
bike...

And if you go up to Fort William for the world cup, you won't see many
triggers on the XC bikes - they'll all be using gripshifts.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; in faecibus sapiens rheum propagabit

Am Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:11:52 +0100 schrieb Bill:

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago I bought a BSO off Ebay, an Ammoco Sports 4000.

....

Quoted message said:

Obviously I wouldn't time trial
on it, a racing bike it most certainly isn't, but it does what I wanted it
to do. I plan to strip it, have the frame blasted then respray it, then
no-one will know it is an Ammaco BSO!!

The question is - how do you define a BSO? The Ammoco Sports 4000 is a
cheapy roadbike, nothing great, but not bad either. Sure - you would not
head to the TdF with it, nor would you do a big tour with that kit. But
compare that to some of the cheapy "mountain"bikes with full "suspension".
There the difference between a real bike that is fun to ride and such a
BSOs is much bigger.

Andreas

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark T
('pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid'😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Simpler in design, harder to use IMO.
>
Turn the inner part of the grip you're already holding on to perhaps
four or five degrees of arc in either direction while slightly easing
off on the pedal stroke - how hard can that be?

Vs flick lever 😉

Uh-huh. But when you come off a long descent immediately into tight
climbing singletrack and want to shift down two chainrings at the front
and shift up half a dozen cogs at the back, with gripshift you can and
with triggers you can't. Which is why most of the serious cross country
racers are on gripshift.

depends on the trigger, i can with the one's on my old 7 speed, though
possibly that "feature" may have worn in! but yes i could well belive
the racers would use twist, the newer MTB which i can't push forward but
has to click though each gear...

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com