Toeslider

Wasn't sure if I should put this here or in the MTB forum. I've gotten pretty good at ID'ing stuff on my own, but this one has me kind of stumped...it is a Ross Mt. McKinley mountain bike (obviously), but from what I have read, the original Ross bicycle company went out of business in 1989, then it's kind of unclear to me what happened? Bikepedia lists a couple higher-end Ross Mt. McKinley mountain bikes (1993 and 1994), but that's as far back as they go. Those bike had mostly Deore XT groups, and almost everything else was Ritchey. This bike has Deore DX components, and Araya rims. Deore DX would mean it was a bike made from 90-93, correct? I can't seem to find a Ross catalog for those years, and Bikepedia doesn't list a Mt. McKinley model past 1994.

I paid more than I normally would for a bike in it's condition, but the components/bike should be worth at least as much as what I paid for it. I was going to pass on it, but I thought it was interesting how the cables passed through the frame. I know the Mt. McKinley model was towards the top of the Ross MTB line, so it seemed worth picking up. Anybody seen one of these or have more information on it?

Pictures:

Toeslider

More pictures:

Toeslider

More:

metabike

You are correct on the Deore DX era, the STI probably is 1991. My guess is that the frame is a re-badged Sakae. Here are a couple of links to photos of similar models: https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/4552498/, https://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/vie....php?p=1534219. Note the distinctive seat stay configuration (and internal cable routing). Here's MOMBAT's Ross page that has copies of 1992 and 1994 Ross ads. Sorry, that's all I can come up with. (The 1994 ad is very interesting and educational in that stainless steel was being used on the stays - I wonder if that was a Sakae innovation?)

Toeslider

I guess if I had taken a moment to search on Sakae Litage I would have gotten a lot further. Interesting reading. Seems like this bike is from the era when the Ross name was still around, but not being promoted much. I wonder what this bike sold for new? It doesn't seem as nice as the ones that came after it, but still doesn't seem "cheap"...

mparker326

I bought a GT MTB with similar components around that time and it cost me around $700. Yours probably cost in that range as well. Altus/Alivio equipped bikes ran in the $500 range and the XT equipped were greater than my budget.

Mt.McKinley

See my post here concerning my Mt.McKinley. Same same as Toesliders!!!

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...inley-Ross-MTB