What should I do with my old BSO

suzyb

I have this old BSO sitting in the back garden under a cover (with an ever increasing layer of snow on top).

It's a bit rusty in places especially the wheels but otherwise seems to work (bar the gears which was my fault). Would it be possible or worth it to keep the bike as an MTB. Or is it too heavy to be practical and I should just sell it on for someone to make a winter hack out of.

Canny Jock

Put it on freecycle so someone else can get use out of it? I can't see it making a lot of money.

SmellTheGlove

+1 Freecycle (though admittedly not everyone has a local group)

Hrun

Smart it up and keep it for when friends visit who might like to go out?

I have mine for when mum visits

iPete

Charity?

http://www.re-cycle.org/

prawny

Would be good as a hack if you need one, it's got most of the mountings for a rack and full guards but I bet it's be a bit heavy.

Wouldn't be much cop as an MTB though I'm afraid, if you wanted to put sus forks on it you'd need a newheadset and stem probably bars too. And gears. And wheels. And tyres...

MonkeyMonster

Wowser - old school emmelle... Melt it down and make an anvil from it. Its that dense and heavy

suzyb

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Wowser - old school emmelle... Melt it down and make an anvil from it. Its that dense and heavy

Still I managed to cycle it up some steepish hills back when I was a teen.

I might just keep it as a hack bike then. Get it road worthy and use it for popping to the shops and the like. Hopefully be less chance of anyone nicking it with the state it's in

wgwarburton

-null- wrote:

I have this old BSO ...

Can't see that from work :-(

It's a bit rusty in places especially the wheels but otherwise seems to work (bar the gears which was my fault). Would it be possible or worth it to keep the bike as an MTB. Or is it too heavy to be practical and I should just sell it on for someone to make a winter hack out of.

What are you riding this weather? Sounds to me like a good winter hack candidate, if you have the space to keep it. Convert to FG/SS for reliability, fit 'guards and use it when the roads are full of salt & sand so you don't trash a bike you like.... If you don't have the space to keep it then recycle... I'll have it if no-one else wants it :-)

Cheers,
W.

Wallace1492

SmellTheGlove wrote:

+1 Freecycle (though admittedly not everyone has a local group)

There is one in Lanark: http://www.freecycle.org/group/UK/Scotland/Lanark

Looks a good commuter bike, I would leave gears on, but put on slicks and a rack. Don't spend much, and you have a decent back up bike if your main one is off the road.

roger_merriman

Wallace1492 wrote:

SmellTheGlove wrote:

+1 Freecycle (though admittedly not everyone has a local group)

There is one in Lanark: http://www.freecycle.org/group/UK/Scotland/Lanark

Looks a good commuter bike, I would leave gears on, but put on slicks and a rack. Don't spend much, and you have a decent back up bike if your main one is off the road.

yup add rack etc and decent town bike, slow speed/low distance etc work.

MonkeyMonster

-null- wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Wowser - old school emmelle... Melt it down and make an anvil from it. Its that dense and heavy

Still I managed to cycle it up some steepish hills back when I was a teen.

I might just keep it as a hack bike then. Get it road worthy and use it for popping to the shops and the like. Hopefully be less chance of anyone nicking it with the state it's in

I've been up around glentress forrest on an emmelle many moons ago - heavy bastard - good for training on I suppose

joshtp

take all the stuff of it, then sand blast the frame, give it a custom paint job, and buil it up as a rear brake only singlespeed, with semi silcks, like a giant BMX....

suzyb

WGWarburton wrote:

What are you riding this weather? Sounds to me like a good winter hack candidate, if you have the space to keep it. Convert to FG/SS for reliability, fit 'guards and use it when the roads are full of salt & sand so you don't trash a bike you like.... If you don't have the space to keep it then recycle... I'll have it if no-one else wants it :-)

Cheers,
W.

I'm not. I know I should MTFU but some of the main roads still have sludge where the vehicle wheels haven't cleared it and I felt it was a bit dangerous to be cycling along them.

Anyway I'll keep if for the time being. It's not doing any harm sat in the garden.

Wallace1492

-null- wrote:

WGWarburton wrote:

What are you riding this weather? Sounds to me like a good winter hack candidate, if you have the space to keep it. Convert to FG/SS for reliability, fit 'guards and use it when the roads are full of salt & sand so you don't trash a bike you like.... If you don't have the space to keep it then recycle... I'll have it if no-one else wants it :-)

Cheers,
W.

I'm not. I know I should MTFU but some of the main roads still have sludge where the vehicle wheels haven't cleared it and I felt it was a bit dangerous to be cycling along them.

Anyway I'll keep if for the time being. It's not doing any harm sat in the garden.

Right now I do not think it is a case of MTFU. It is extremely dangerous. Where I am only the real main roads are ice free, and even then only in the middle of the road, the edges and pavements are virtually sheet ice. Off the main roads the side roads are treacherous, with most being sheet ice, covered in a thin layer of compacted snow. It has not been above freezing for about 3 weeks, with some nights being -10 and below, and that is in the city.

I am happy to ride in the cold, even the rain, but right now it is far too extreme. Looks like will still be a few weeks.

OldSkoolKona

-null- wrote:

Get it road worthy and use it for popping to the shops and the like. Hopefully be less chance of anyone nicking it with the state it's in

+1 to this, reckon everyone should have a bike to pop to the shops which isn't likely to get nabbed. Stick a set of new wheels on it (I put a pair of theseon Mrs OSK's steel shop hack and it made a big difference)

UndercoverElephant

Same here, there was a good three inches of snow, compacted on the road I live on. I think my old MTB might be a decent choice, but too many bad drivers careering around for me to ride it the 12 miles to work. Even the dual carriage way had thick ridges of icy slush if you went too far off the track of the other cars.

Real shame too, as I'm getting really antsy and need a good blast.

Buckled_Rims

It has horizontal drop outs so Single Speed the bike. There's holes for Mudguards as well. Winter hack bike there.

suzyb

Wallace1492 wrote:

Right now I do not think it is a case of MTFU. It is extremely dangerous. Where I am only the real main roads are ice free, and even then only in the middle of the road, the edges and pavements are virtually sheet ice. Off the main roads the side roads are treacherous, with most being sheet ice, covered in a thin layer of compacted snow. It has not been above freezing for about 3 weeks, with some nights being -10 and below, and that is in the city.

I am happy to ride in the cold, even the rain, but right now it is far too extreme. Looks like will still be a few weeks.

Yeah saw on the news the other day someone skiding down a Glasgow street.

Not sure about converting it to a single speed. It's very hilly here and I struggle enough with gears never mind without.

Wallace1492

-null- wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Right now I do not think it is a case of MTFU. It is extremely dangerous. Where I am only the real main roads are ice free, and even then only in the middle of the road, the edges and pavements are virtually sheet ice. Off the main roads the side roads are treacherous, with most being sheet ice, covered in a thin layer of compacted snow. It has not been above freezing for about 3 weeks, with some nights being -10 and below, and that is in the city.

I am happy to ride in the cold, even the rain, but right now it is far too extreme. Looks like will still be a few weeks.

Yeah saw on the news the other day someone skiding down a Glasgow street.

Not sure about converting it to a single speed. It's very hilly here and I struggle enough with gears never mind without.

I would not Single Speed it for where you are. I would for where I live, as I have only 1 smallish hill. Better to stick with gears for now, not much more hassle and give you the ability to tackle all the hills.

Probably not good as a MTB as no suspention in front fork and not worth fitting one, but it is still good enough for paths, and canal tracks but not tough off road stuff. Stick semi slicks or slicks on and it will be a great shopper. (rack and bag).