Ok so how old is my Ross?
#1
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Ok so how old is my Ross?
I'm curious as to how old my bike is? I can't find information that goes back past 1993 on Ross bikes.
It's a Gran Tour Professional model.
171.5 "SR" "meltforging"marked on the front of the cranks, 3 bolt. "Japan" on the back.
Shimano "touring" marked cantilever brakes and derailures.
27" wheels, "fingertip" shift levers
It's a Gran Tour Professional model.
171.5 "SR" "meltforging"marked on the front of the cranks, 3 bolt. "Japan" on the back.
Shimano "touring" marked cantilever brakes and derailures.
27" wheels, "fingertip" shift levers
Last edited by AngelGendy; 03-11-11 at 09:03 AM.
#2
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,324
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,379 Times
in
3,692 Posts
Your best bet to age that bike is to get the two letter codes from the back of the Shimano components. Then go to Vintage-Trek.com and match them up.
https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano
https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano
__________________
#3
No, your OTHER left!!
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central Virginia, USA
Posts: 547
Bikes: 2 motos and a schwinn (road bikes more or less)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I am very hesitant to say this... but does the fork look bent to anyone else?
andy
andy
#4
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,324
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,379 Times
in
3,692 Posts
Wheel is slightly turned. Look at the angle of the stem shifters. I would guess the fork is fine.
__________________
#5
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
So far no codes are visible without taking things apart, I'll run the boy to skool and be right back!
#6
No, your OTHER left!!
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central Virginia, USA
Posts: 547
Bikes: 2 motos and a schwinn (road bikes more or less)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#7
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times
in
339 Posts
I think I see center pull brakes, rather than cantilevers. If so, they may well have a two digit date code on the back. The visible components --no water bottle braze-ons, stem shifters, non-aero brake levers, large flange hub on the front (and presumably rear) wheel, etc., all point to the early 80's or earlier. And is that an aluminum cottered crank? If so, that's pretty unusual, more likely late 70's.
edit: Ha, Andy, beat me to it! And I share your concern about the fork.
edit: Ha, Andy, beat me to it! And I share your concern about the fork.
#8
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I checked the fork! It's not bent!
So far the codes aren't making sense, YI and YG on the center pull brakes(I tend to call all brakes with the cable loops cantilever)
ZB code on the front hub
YI codes on the turkey levered Shimano brake levers.
I can't find codes on the deraulers
That's showing 2000 and 2001 dates according to that chart!
I doubt that.... But you never know... I thought Ross was long gone by then, and it is a lugged frame...
BC code on the rear hub 1977 according to that, and the freewheel uses that goofy old tiny removal nut
So far the codes aren't making sense, YI and YG on the center pull brakes(I tend to call all brakes with the cable loops cantilever)
ZB code on the front hub
YI codes on the turkey levered Shimano brake levers.
I can't find codes on the deraulers
That's showing 2000 and 2001 dates according to that chart!
I doubt that.... But you never know... I thought Ross was long gone by then, and it is a lugged frame...
BC code on the rear hub 1977 according to that, and the freewheel uses that goofy old tiny removal nut
Last edited by AngelGendy; 03-11-11 at 11:30 AM.
#9
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I'm stumped, I have found a few pics of 80's Ross bikes and none have the 3 bolt chainrings, although most look to be 5 bolt SR cranks,
anybody got a clue?
Love the bike just want to know more about it.
anybody got a clue?
Love the bike just want to know more about it.
#10
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,324
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,379 Times
in
3,692 Posts
As far as I can tell, the Shimano letter/number code goes back further than Vintage-Trek's chart.
YG would date to July 1974.
YI would date to September 1974
ZB would date to February 1975.
YG would date to July 1974.
YI would date to September 1974
ZB would date to February 1975.
__________________
#11
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
That sounds reasonable, older than I thought. Where did you find this info, google seems to be hit or miss on some things, but way better than bing....
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Haven, CT area
Posts: 1,415
Bikes: Trek 7.5 Hybrid, Trek 1.1 Road, Holdsworth touring,Raleigh International,Ritchey Commando,Italvega Speciallissimo,et.al.
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
10 Posts
That looks to me like 1975 to 1979 vintage year Ross, excepting the Brooks saddle. I distinctly remember the bike , especially the long spring loaded stem shifters.
#13
Nipples of Steel!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ABQ
Posts: 413
Bikes: Borthwick, Specialized, Ross
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Thanks for all the help, I have seen disparaging talk about Ross bikes in the past but this bike disproved all of those, the only thing I may do is add some bar end shifters, and maybe clean and buff the existing paint.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FastJake
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
25
04-25-12 11:14 PM