Buy a Real Bike For Christmas Not a Bike Shaped Object
For a couple of years, I was a volunteer with a charity bike recycling project. Through our doors came hundreds of children's bikes. However, many of these were very heavy, manufactured from thick-walled steel tubing and with poor components, made from plastic or pressed steel. We used to joke about these bikes and call them "Bike Shaped Objects". (BSOs) I.e., they had the shape or form of a bike but due to their poor quality couldn't really be described as a bike.
The difficulty is that people will often see these "bike shaped objects" in the shops, they will have what appear attractive features such a design featuring cartoon characters such as princesses or super heroes. These make them attractive to children but often that is a far as their qualities go.
Other “bike shaped objects” attempt to appeal to the adventurous young rider featuring front or even full suspension. To be...
