General Cycling Discussion - Quesion about a company

umm hi :)

ok, i was recently given a bike as gift from a friend of the family. The bike is made by a company called Ross, i looked online and i cant find a single thing about the company except for a recall it had like 4 years ago. i figured this would a good place to ask

the bike seems ok.. 21 speed, shimano gears and such. nice sturdy looking frame.

can someone tell me something about this company?

goink ...

I don't have any details but I do remember the company from several years ago.

I did find this though ... not sure if it is current ... Ross Bicycles, 51 Executive Blvd., Farmington, NY 11735, Phone: (516) 249-6000; Fax: (516) 249-0342

well thats cool, but i was hoping for something along the lines of some opinions of the company or like a link to a site which they dont seem to have. :)

As of ten years ago, Ross bikes were fairly well respected as a brand name. They weren't anything exceptional but were solidly built with good quality Cr-Mo tubing and your general run of Shimano components. I had many friends back when I was in junior high in the early 1980s who had Ross bikes of the 10 and 12 speed variety and they seemed well built... certainly better than the Huffy I had. I don't know how they are today. I heard a rumour they suffered the same fate as Mongoose.

Does this help?

http://www.roadbikereview.com/Ross+Bicycles+&+Fitness/MCL_6080crx.aspx

Oops, posted that before I realized there were no reviews or any other significant information there. Further searching has found only general promotional stuff apparently aimed at retailers.

Irritating. :mad:

hehe i found that link before too.

at least its good to hear somone saying that it at some point was a respectable bike. what happened to mongoose? im not big on biking, so i really dont know anything about them

the bike i got is a Ross MT 1600 Rock Machine, which brings up 0 results on google

Mongoose was a very reputable bike brand but a few years ago was purchased by Pacific Bicycle Co. and the quality got diluted to the level of Huffy to be sold in big-box dept. stores such as Walmart and Target. All that's left is the name. GT and Schwinn just underwent the same fate as well. :( Another of my favourite bike companies was Nishiki which also succumbed to a similar end.

Ross is now manufactured by Rand International Leisure Products Ltd. who are known principally for childrens' bicycles and mobility toys such as tricycles, scooters, and the ever-popular Barbie sneaker skate. I could not locate a webpage.

http://www.arentfox.com/quickGuide/businessLines/advert/advertisingLaw/ftcUpdates/0199ftc/0199ftc.html

• Rand International Leisure Products, Ltd., a New York corporation, is a wholesaler of imported bicycles and accessories. The settlement resolves allegations that Rand's packaging for its "Signature Self-Sealing" bicycle tire tube (which includes a self-sealing fluid to prevent a flat tire) misrepresented the origin of the product. On the outside of the package is the statement "Made in the U.S.A." However, the FTC's complaint alleges that Rand's Signature Self-Sealing Tubes are not all or virtually all made in the United States, because a substantial portion of the labor and components of Rand's Signature Self-Sealing Tubes is, or has been, of foreign origin. The settlement agreement would prohibit Rand from misrepresenting the extent to which any product is made in the United States.

Ross has been around for awhile. They were another generic American made 10 spd similar to Huffy and Columbia until the mid-70's when, because of competition from the Japanese and European markets, they decided to upgrade their product by producing a full line of lugged frame bikes. These were solid, serviceable bicycles.

The flagship of the Ross line in ~79/80 was the Signature Series. These were touring and racing bicycles handbuilt by one of the premier American frame builders, Tom Kellog. The Signature Series models were as good as if not better than Schwinn Paramount bicycles. If you can find one of these, it would be a true collectible.

I thought Ross bicycles went out of business, but I may be wrong.

When Ross, hImself, died in the Mid-eighties (I think) is when Rand bought the company. Until then the company had a fairly good reputation.

wow! thanks for the replys! :)

some interesting stuff right there. i did see on google a lot of "Rand/Ross" but wasnt sure what that was about.

i guess since there is like hardly any information on the company so the only way for me to see if the bike is good is to just ride it. but like i know nothing about bikes, first time ive ridden a bike in 2 years so i dont really know what is considered good in a bike and what isnt. i guess as long as the breaks are good, the gears work and isnt heavy (which i dont think it is) ill be happy with it :)

Goink, it's really important that the bike fit you (which it may not if it was sprung on you as a gift)! Search Google.com with keywords like "bicycle fitting", "buying bicycle", etc.

Your Local Bike Shop (LBS) may also be willing to help - offer to pay them, they may just do it for free since you're a potential future customer. If the frame size is not too far off for you, adjusting the seat &/or bars may do it.

The most important part is standover height. You should be able to straddle the top tube in your riding shoes, tires fully inflated, with a bit of room to spare, but not more than a couple inches or so.

American icon Schwinn has become another victim of the global corporate "race to the bottom": their bikes are now made in Red China.

actually, i already rode the bike home from his garage. it was only like 10 blocks. the bike seems to fit me just fine. i straddle the top tube with like 2 maybe 3 inches of space. the bar isnt like too close or too far from me and the heat is at a nice height

If everything works, it is a good bike. Don't be intimidated by not knowing what the latest fad is in bicycles. (There is no consensus about what is good, better or best. Almost every member has their own idea about that.) Just enjoy the riding and the bike. By the time you've worn this bike out you'll have a better idea of what you need and want a bicycle to do. Enjoy!