Originally Posted by
Kapusta
BSOs over the pst 25 years have regularly incorporated design elements (the “S” in BSO) to imitate advancements in MTB tech: front suspension, rear suspension, disc brakes, fat tires, etc.
They are still BSOs, just newer.
A tapered head tube means little when it is holding a noodley fork.
A crappy 1x drive train is still a crappy drivetrain.
If your plan is to upgrade stuff, buy a used bike.
I'm in a similar situation to the OP; Roadie thinking of hitting some trails, have watched some Kevcentral.
Question re the above. Whether I get an old good hardtail for $250, or a newer crappy hardtail for $250, one of the first/most important upgrades either way will probably end up being a decent fork; the BSO Fork will be a POS; the old fork will be on its last legs, and not in great shape from sitting in a garage for most of the last 10 years. Will it make more sense to choose the option that allows me to get a modern, 27.5/29, tapered fork with clearance for days, or the one that means I'm stuck with whatever 26", canti-brake, straight steerer, maybe even (The horror!!) threaded headset fork I'm lucky enough to still find?
Any other upgrades (drivetrain, headset, contact points) are already factored into the buy at the start of the project,and would work with pretty much any bike, but the whole project falls apart if compatibility with modern parts means that crucial elements of the bike (fork, wheels, etc) can't actually be upgraded.