Classic & Vintage - Did Murray ever build an upscale roadbike

This is what happens when two dozen riders all over 50 start talking over a Tim Hortons coffee.
Supposedly Murray bicycles attempted to build a quality road bike (4130cro-mo tubing,Shimano 600 components)in the mid 80s.
Anyone know if this is fact?
I'm well aware (because I own both a Kellogg {not Redcay**built Signature and a 1985 024 tubing Paragon)
Ross gave it a fling but I wasn't aware Murray may have tried also.

Could it have been a sponsorship situation where they took a top-notch racing bike then just put their own decals on it ? I seem to remember seeing some kind of Murray badged thing like that back in the 80's. Huffy did the same thing, I know about that because I once rode a "Huffy" racing bike ( a long, sad story so lets just move on Alright ?) :eek:

This is what happens when two dozen riders all over 50 start talking over a Tim Hortons coffee.
Supposedly Murray bicycles attempted to build a quality road bike (4130cro-mo tubing,Shimano 600 components)in the mid 80s.
Anyone know if this is fact?
I'm well aware (because I own both a Kellogg {not Redcay**built Signature and a 1985 024 tubing Paragon)
Ross gave it a fling but I wasn't aware Murray may have tried also.

I don't know about high end, but I have an early 80's Murray that would be classed with Schwinn World, Raleigh Record, Peugeot U08, etc. Decent Suntour, alloy rims, actually lighter than the 80 Peugeot that I have. Certainly not X-mart junk.

Murray did sponsor the olympic team in the 80s but the bikes were
built by Serotta and badged Murray. I have a pic of one somewhere. . .
ok got it.

Marty

I remember a '70s era white Murray that came in occasionally for tune-ups at the LBS I used to work at and it had a full Dura-Ace group. It was all the old first-generation stuff with Dura-Ace centerpull brakes and it looked like it was all original. I didn't really look at the frame and this was about ten years ago so my memory of it is a little faded.

I remember a '70s era white Murray that came in occasionally for tune-ups at the LBS I used to work at and it had a full Dura-Ace group. It was all the old first-generation stuff with Dura-Ace centerpull brakes and it looked like it was all original. I didn't really look at the frame and this was about ten years ago so my memory of it is a little faded.

First gen. D-A? Did it have those neat aero suicide brake levers?


I have a pic of one somewhere. . .
ok got it.

There's something paradoxical about the words "Murray" and "Campagnolo" appearing on the same bike.

-Kurt

hey lotek there was a murray like that one on ebay last week buy it now 275.00 but it was a 59cm way to big for me.it got scarfed up quik.

This bike was on Craigslist last year for like $500. I never called on it but wish I had.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure that the pic
I posted isn't a Murray paint scheme on a more modern
Serotta.
I keep looking for an original Murray/Serotta or Huffy/Serotta in
my size. Eventually one will turn up.

Marty

I have no idea to your original question,but I've seen Musselman olympic track hubs on ebay---from the 20s maybe.Musselmann was a division of Murray of Ohio.

I have heard of a Ross Professional, which does indeed sound oxymoronic, but they were reportedly very respectable framesets.

that would have been a great buy rave. lotek and i will battle it out lol i think he rides a 54cm like me.whenever one comes up

that would have been a great buy rave. lotek and i will battle it out lol i think he rides a 54cm like me.whenever one comes up

If memory serves me the seller was in Dallas but was willing to ship it. At the time it seemed way too good to be true, but later I found out that someone on the Forum had done business with him in the past and that he was legit. Oh well, there's "Catch Of The Day" and in this case the one that got away.

Ross was pretty loose with their "Professional" designation. I picked up a NOS for cheap & still in the box off e-Bay a few years ago. It had a full Shimano 600 "le Fleur" group with the highflange hubset. Still have the frame which was just High Ten steel & weighs about 7 pounds. Sort of a weird marriage of a Schwinn Varsity type frame with quality Japanese parts. The frame decals are "Ross Professional" on the down tube & "Super Gran Tour" on the top tube.

I rescued a Ross from a trashpile. Am considering making it into a shorthaul second bike. Do you know what size seatpost Ross used?? This one is a "Grand Prix" and I measured it at 26mm. Is that the right size? I have to find the right seat post before I consider buying anything else for it.

Give me a day or so to look, I believe I still have the NOS seatpost.

yah, if you find a 54 or 55 cm NOS, used, beat or otherwise 7-11 bike
lemme know! Lofter and I are in the market for one, like he says should be
a good battle!
now if anyone is looking for a 56cm Zieleman. . . . :D

marty

"Do you know what size seatpost Ross used?? This one is a "Grand Prix" and I measured it at 26mm. Is that the right size?"
Found it & mine measures 25.0 mm so yours sounds like a better grade of tubing. Your LBS should have a tool for determining the correct seatpost size. Ask them to check your frame. Don

There were "Murray" sponsored bikes, made for the 7-Eleven Pro and Amateur teams.
Framebuilder is Ben Serotta, Saratoga Springs, NY (USA)

Here's a photo of minehttp://www.campyonly.com/images/retrobikes/2003/dcp00863.jpg:)

i have one of these murray bikes it is a 10 speed with the year 1985 on the badge thats on the front of the bike.

i have one of these murray bikes it is a 10 speed with the year 1985 on the badge thats on the front of the bike.

Let's see some pics of it. :thumb: