Mountain Biking - Ross Mountain Bike

Is anyone familiar with Ross Mt. Bikes? I have aquired an older one that looks like a better quality, possibly Police model. I cleaned it up, new grease etc. and it rides nice. Lots of scratches, pale blue, pink and white, I thought it may be a good commuter since it doesn't look worth stealing. I remember seeing advertising years ago for Ross Police Bikes. Anyway I was thinking of replacing and upgrading some parts but wondered if it was worth putting money into it.

never heard of it (but that doesn't mean anything)

what's the frame material?

Ross made some low end bikes and a lot of cruisers. Their frame were mostly hi-tensile steel, some were chromoly. Nothing to get excited about.

Would definitely make a good commuter.

I currently tuning up my neighbor's Ross. It's old, but a good sturdy bike. His model is black with gold aluminum wheels and gold trim. It's a tank, but good for riding around the neighborhood.

L8R

Probably depends on how old it is. My first "real" MTB was a Ross Mt. Hood aquired used in around '91 - triple butted cro-mo frame, Araya rims, Cunningham brakes, giant sized Dia-comp brake levers and Suntour drivetrain. Took a hell of a beating from this ex-BMXer and was sold to someone else a few years later when I upgraded. Don't really know what they have offered since.

It is a Ross Winning Spirit,18-speed, cro-mo frame, SIS shifter/derailleur, dotek chain wheel, weini-jann rims. I have been using it for a few months, works fine, seems to be a solid bike and I like it for the urban commute and shopping. Most of my bikes are from the 60's (3-speed English) and 70's 10-speeds I raced on. Anyway since I am new to Mt. Bikes I wanted to know if it was worth updating some of the components?

Originally posted by jfz
It is a Ross Winning Spirit,18-speed, cro-mo frame, SIS shifter/derailleur, dotek chain wheel, weini-jann rims. I have been using it for a few months, works fine, seems to be a solid bike and I like it for the urban commute and shopping. Most of my bikes are from the 60's (3-speed English) and 70's 10-speeds I raced on. Anyway since I am new to Mt. Bikes I wanted to know if it was worth updating some of the components?

if by upgrading components you mean to scrounge for quality used parts other riders or shops no longer need...then maybe. otherwise any new component you purchase today will cost more than the frame may be worth.

Updating the components on that rig after you factor in labor (if any) will cost you more than a new bike of comparable if not superior (in most cases) quality. Ross did make some half way descent stuff in the late 80s to early 90's. They bought Barracuda and tried to use their design and skills but it never really caught on.

My first mountain bike was a Ross Mt Hood. Black frame with stylin' gold rims and huge bullmoose handlebars. I got it for Christmas in '83 or '84. This was when mountain bikes were just starting to come out and I was so amazed that I could take this bike through the snow and over the wooded trails around my home. It was such an incredible machine for a youngster like myself. For years it was my main form of transportation. I rode it to school, rode it to work and did training rides on it. I took it to Cape Cod where I worked during the summers and I took it up to upstate NY during my first year of college. I did a mountain bike race on it in Cape Cod and came in second. I would strip it down about every year, clean it, spray paint the frame flat black and cover it with reflective stickers. I don't have the bike anymore, but I would buy another if I ever stumbled across one. I was sad to see that Ross Bicycles essentially went out of business.

http://members.aol.com/fenzdeck/ross2.jpg

B

This is my current project. A 1991 Ross Signature series Mt. McKinley. Large diameter alu frame. Shimano Deore group, Rithcey headset, hoops & bars, Marzocchi fork. Haven't had a chance to ride it as it's taking some time to make things happen. the fork crown was the subject of a Marzocchi recall. :(

http://mysite.verizon.net/tegants/ross01.jpg

Not too bad for a ten spot at the Salv Army :D

Ross made some low end bikes and a lot of cruisers. Their frame were mostly hi-tensile steel, some were chromoly. Nothing to get excited about.

Would definitely make a good commuter.

I currently tuning up my neighbor's Ross. It's old, but a good sturdy bike. His model is black with gold aluminum wheels and gold trim. It's a tank, but good for riding around the neighborhood.

L8R

Ross made some quality bikes too. They even sponsored a race team (a large one at that) for several years. The most legendary of their racers was Cindy Whitehead who lost a seat bolt within the first 2 miles of a 50 mile race:eek: . She raced the entire race standing up...and won it!

Here's pictures (http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/whitehead.htm) of Cindy.

Our bikes are lighter, smoother and tougher today but who would even think of going on a 50 mile 'ride' much less a race!

Any links?

Hi,

I posted above about my first mountain bike, an 83 or 84 Ross Mt Hood. Earlier this year I found a 1984 (?) chrome Ross Mt. McKinley frame in my size on the local Craigslist for $50. Over the last couple of months I have collected parts for it and have finally got to the configuration I want. I really liked the way my old Ross rode and I wanted that kind of ride updated with more modern components, or at least modern for me (early nineties). So the McKinley has an LX rear derailler, a basic Shimano front derailler, beefy DX rapidfire shifters, LX brake cantilevers, silver SPDs, a cromoly quill stem, basic aluminum Forte handlebars, Ritchey grips, a sealed BB, Specialized Prolong saddle and black knobby tires. The bike is a little heavy, but it is solid and well balanced with a very comfortable riding position. The components all work flawlessly-the brakes stop the bike on a dime and the shifting is quick and smooth. The chroming is attractive and also practical because there are no real worries about scratching the frame.

Anyway I was so happy with the way the bike turned out that I thought I would share my story with other Ross aficionados. Next week I am getting a late eighties Ross Mt Hood (a recent birthday present) back from the powder-coaters and will have fun building that up.

B

http://the-anointed-one.com/frame1.jpg
http://the-anointed-one.com/ross1.jpg
http://the-anointed-one.com/ross2.jpg
http://the-anointed-one.com/ross3.jpg

Sweet jeebus that's gorgeous!!!! Congrats :beer:

Nothing like digging up the dead.......

No makin' you happy is there? :D

My dad had a Ross Mt. Mckinley that was my first bike. When I got into it at age 12 the bike was huge for me, but I rode that thing to hell and back.

I rode with a bunch of kids whose fathers were motocrossers and enduro racers, so they were always after the jumps. Inevitably, I did some really bold and really stupid stuff on that too-big-Ross. Once I even tacoed the wheel off an 8 foot drop.

So, yeah, those Rosses are bikes...and they can do bike stuff ;)

I have 2 Ross mountain bikes from the early 80's. These were from their original line of US made mountain bikes. The top bars are parallel to the ground, and the components were of good quality. One has a chrome plated chrome/moly(?) frame, the other is painted. The model names were Mount McKinley or Mount Whitney and the second is Mount Saint Helen's - I think they later gave these names to other configurations. I bought the chrome one new, and eventually passed it on to my son, while the 2nd one I obtained from a police auction. The picture a few posts up matches the chrome one my son is using.

I don't think these are elitist type bicycles, but they have served well for commuting. I've never really used either for rugged "mountain" riding - the Mt St Helen's that I still use has a very large frame - more like a road/touring size, and certainly would not give enough clearance for real rugged riding. I've replaced some of the components as I went along - 25 years or so of use takes a toll.

Still using the original cantilever brakes on both - those are really strong brakes! Original shift controls and brake levers also. Pads have of course been replaced. I'm pretty sure the chrome one is still all original. On the Mt St Helen's, I've replaced wheels, gears, and deraillers - some used parts, some new. I get a real charge out of riding these, and an even bigger charge out of keeping them going!

Here is my old school high end Ross.

Here's my Ross Mt. Saint Helens - a number of the components have been replaced.
It's from the early 80's, bought at a police auction

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/ElGuitana/stuff029.jpg

I have a matched pair of 1982 Ross 3 speed mountain bikes, black with red lettering. Man's 23" and a woman's 19". The original receipts list them as "Cruisers". I have both original Assembly and Maintenance Manuals. We used to ride them in the mountains of Idaho to go stream fishing where noone else could go. They're beautiful bikes and I would love to keep them. My neighbor has been trying for the past 4 years to get me to sell them to him, but I have no idea what to ask for them. Since you all are so familiar with Ross bikes, can you give me some idea of their worth. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Since my husband has passed away and I've become disabled, I can unfortunately no longer ride. The bikes need to be ridden and enjoyed by someone who will care for them as much as we did. Thank you. Judy

Ross Bryce Canyon TSI 7005 Series Frame-18Inch. -I bought the frame (Brand New) off of E-bay for $20.00 Believe it or not. I then decided to build this bike from scratch. I built it up with Shimano LX and XT components with LX V Brakes and Rapid fire shifting. Wiemann ZAC 19 Wheels with LX Hubs. The bike is 24 Speed, with XT rear and LX front derailleurs. Titanium Handle Bar, with AZONIC Ball Burnish Stem. DIA COMP/GT AHeadset. Rock Shox Pilot Air and Oil Shocks. The Frame was built in Framingdale NY by the Ross Company. Now here is the question, what year was the frame made? Honestly I don’t have a clue. I am guessing it was built the last year Ross was in business. I know I built a hell of a bike out of the deal, and it rides awesome.
Ozzy
I will get more pics up soon.
206324

Looks like the forum now has an official "Tell us your Ross bike story" thread (sadly I have nothing to contribute to it).

Well I got to admit, the company does have some history to it, makes it a interesting topic. Still working on getting some photo's up.

FYI: Came across these guys if you looking for any information regarding Ross. They are making Steppers now. http://www.randyrrross.com/ross/bicycles.php
They have a contact number in there of 888-414-2453
I am going to call them today and see what the story is.
Sad to see a well known bike company go down the tubes like it did. They should really go back to the drawing board and start making some decent bikes again.

Looks like the forum now has an official "Tell us your Ross bike story" thread.
http://pinglio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/young_frankenstein.jpg

It's . . . ALIVE!

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http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/pencil.png

Its alive alright!

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http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/pencil.png

http://pinglio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/young_frankenstein.jpg

It's . . . ALIVE!

Now, listen to me very carefully: Whatever you do... don't... put... the candle... back.

OK, top this story. In '82 I worked in a shop in Huntsville, Al that was a big Ross dealer. I was getting ready to do a tour of Baja and Mainland Mexico and my boss called Ross to see if they could send me a (at that time) unreleased new mountain bike, the Ross Force 1. The Force 1 ended up becoming the Mt. Hood due to some lawsuit or something. When Ross heard the story they wanted to make me a custom frame since Jim Redcay was then on staff but unfortunately the timeline wouldn't work because it was going to take so long to get it to me. They then said they would give me a Force 1 but when push came to shove they actually ended up selling it to me at "cost". The second line of BS came when they said if I would take pics on my tour they would use some of them in their ads. Never happened. On the plus side the bike performed like a champ with zero mechanical issues. I started in Bisbee Az, rode into Nogales then west to Baja the down to Cabo. I then took the ferry to the mainland and continued from there. That old Ross sure saw a bunch of miles and I hate to say I sold it years ago. I've been looking for another one but there don't seem to be any left in my neck of the woods.

wow theres a bike company named after me how lovely

My friend has a Ross mtb with a green lugged frame and bronze colored rims. It looks sweet. I've been trying to get it off him but no luck. It still has the original gum sidewall tires.

My first MTB was a Ross Mt Hood. I think I bought it in '87. Put a "Farmer John" on the rear and some sort of panaracer (I think) on the front. Had some fun on that bike that's for sure. MTB's were just hitting the mainstream in stride back then. Shame Ross couldn't survive.

Ebay my friends. Look up Moutain Bike Frames or Ross Frames. That is how I found mine.

http://geobiking.org/images/CollegePond.JPG
I have a 1984 Ross Mt Whitney.

18 speed Friction shifter, strong center pull cantilever brakes.
It has a Chrome-Moly frame - chrome finish still in good shape.
Kickstand and fenders of course aren't stock.

Bought it new, used sparingly while kids were young. Used it to map trails for a few years before upgrading to a 2007 Gary Fisher Piranah to get a front suspension, select shifter and disc brakes. Still use it sometimes when out of town people join me for a ride.

That is a good looking bike! WOW! That would be worth putting new shifters and derailers on, maybe some better brakes. Anything you put on it can be taken off in the future and used in a new build. The main probelms with the rear derailer is its a 6 speed. I was there when we got excited about 18 speeds-yehaw!

I love those chrome Rosses, beautiful bikes! I'm still kicking myself for passing one up at the flea market a few years ago because my garage was at max capacity.

Any time a thread with links to Cindy Whitehead photos comes up, it's going to be a good day :)

Question: Are any of my pictures showing up from my older post of my Green Ross Bryce Canyon

Question: Are any of my pictures showing up from my older post of my Green Ross Bryce Canyon

Yes they are.

Cool thank you. Just wanted to make sure this thing was working.

I have a late 80's Ross Mt. Rushmore, that I was actually thinking about chopping to make a recumbent, but you all have talked me into cleaning it up and riding her again...she is a big girl probably an xl frame as I am 6'4" and is big for me... Thanks for amking me remember what a diamond in the rough I have.