laman012

Here is a ross frame i picked up for $25. It has ishiwata 024 tubing. is this a high end tubing/bike/frame?
thank you
ladule

unworthy1

The tubing is probably a bit higher grade than the bike. Ishiwata 024 was a bit heavier than the 019 and 022 that went into many very nice bikes, including such as: San Rensho, Trek, Bianchi and some Ross bikes that sold for more than this one. I figure 024 as being akin to Columbus SP or a Touring set of 531, it's gonna be plenty strong but a little...heavy...probably not something you'd notice in the ride. This looks like a mid-grade Ross, likely made in Japan rather than Allentown, PA...it's got stamped rear DOs, that weird ""safety-C" fork end, and probably .833 size stem...fix it up and ride it!

kantquit

Looks like the Enhancer to me

JohnDThompson 

Ishiwata 024 was seamless chrome-moly tubing, slightly heavier gauge than the more common 022 tubing:

RiddleOfSteel

Harking back eight years, I would agree with unworthy1. Ross used 024 tubing on their top (or...nearly top if you can find the super unicorns above it) 294S Signature model, of which I have. Hand-built in PA, all that. Ride is sublime, and the bike came in at 23 lbs ready to ride (25" / 64cm frame, no less).

Darth Lefty 

How should I read this for seat post diameters? I have an 024 bike now with no post.

I found this post from T-Mar on bike-air from 2007... he says 27.0. The math doesn't make sense to me. 28.6 minus 2x.7 = 27.2, righ? https://www.bike-air.com/Help-ID-ing-..._10395024.html

busdriver1959

Your math is good but you now want to subtract .2 from 27.2 so the seatpost will have just a little extra room to allow it to slide in and out.

T-Mar

While the main tubes are Isiwata 024, the presence of stamped dropouts indicate that the stays and forks are almost certainly hi-tensile steel which compromises the weight, ride quality and level of the bicycle. The remaining components appear to be mostly upper entry level, with a swaged crankset, steel headset, non-micro-adjust post, etc. I'd say this bicycle was just above the cusp of entry level and mid-range during it's era.

nikkorod

I had a similar Ross Paragon, but it was probably a higher quality build as it had forged dropouts and the seat stay caps were nicer. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...s-paragon.html

Darth Lefty 

Sorry @T-Mar and @nikkorod to be confusing. This is a zombie thread but I replied to it because JohnDThompson posted the tubing specs. The Paragon that I picked up also has forged drops. I don't know if the one in this thread's OP is a Paragon.

Darth Lefty 

Thank you for the explanation.

danco

My 1982 Ross Super Gran Tour XV has the heavy duty touring spec I****awa 024 tubing. It was their top quality (and price) calalog model with the exception of the hand built "Signatures." It is a fabulous 15-speed ride. Just my opinion.