T-Mar

Yes, it's definitely no older than 1987, as that is a SunTour Alpha 3000 derailleur, which was introduced in 1987. The optional colour that year was "Snow White" with red forks and bars, which is what you have. The stem looks black in the catalogue, as opposed to blue but we've seen some variations in stem and bar colour combinations. Despite the name difference, the brakes are OEM. I posted some blown up pictures of the brakes from the ad copy, in the other thread.

rlstites

Hi all your Ross fans!
I could purchase this Ross for $120. I road it and it rides well and does not feel like it is 32 pounds for sure. Everything has been tuned up. It has 27 inch tires/rims.


Let me know what you can tell me about what year/model it might be.

Thanks, Robert

DiegoFrogs

This has all the hallmarks of a pretty low-end bike, and Ross made many of those types. I'm far from an expert in Ross bikes, but I suspect it's from the early 1980's.

Saying this as a guy who is planning on some small upgrades to a 1980's Ross MTB with the same decals when I visit my family not too far from Allentown this fall, I think $120 is too much. You can probably find a better bike for less money if you have the patience to look.

Bikedued

I would say that is double what it's worth, but really not worth spending the money on anyway. There are MUCH better bikes out there for that price if you look around.,,,,BD

due ruote 

I would have to agree with others. I paid $160 for a Signature 294S and it came with Record hub/MA40 wheels. Maybe that was a lucky deal but all the same, if it were me, I would hold out for a better frame.

RiddleOfSteel

I paid the same for the same bike about five years ago. All Campy Triomphe. Lucky you with the Record/MA40s. Knowing what I know now, $160 in either of our cases is a truly great deal. I still have the bike, and it serves as a stellar winter/rain bike.

Lazyass

Can anyone ID this bike? I think it may be a Mt. McKinley? Fillet brazed triple butted Tange? I can get it for $45 but it appears to have some serious seat post issues.



It looks like this one except for the top tube decal:

https://budgetbicyclectr.com/1987-ro...n-bicycle.html

4funbikes

Seems like the one McKinley. Rear wheel appears to have been replaced unfortunately.
For $45 I don't think you can go wrong. That's a pretty cool frame. The seat post will require some patience.

due ruote 

I agree; for $45 I would buy it and do battle with the post. If you have to bail on it you can likely recoup your outlay on parts. The shifters alone would probably get you at least half way there.

Revracer

Auchen, I am curious if you or others know if the Paragon / Aristocrat / Utopian were built in Allentown or overseas? I see your frame has a Ross Allentown head badge. My Utopian head badge does not include "Allentown" but I am led to believe they are all the same Ishiwata 024 frameset. I understood from other posts these were from 83-84, anyone have any certainty? Wanted to understand the history and whether this frame was truly made in my back yard in PA.

T-Mar

The serial number should tell us the exact year and who manufactured the frame.

Revracer

T-Mar, thanks for the response. Attached is a pic of the bottom showing ROSS 290 and a serial of 0883113147. Guessing that is a 1983, but curious to know what indicates the production facility?

EchoBravo

I am in the process of saving an old, ugly Ross 4130 frame from an unpleasant fate in eBay purgatory. Its a 66cm and will be a SS/FG ride for me. I had the "Ross" decals made and found a foil headbadge sticker on eBay. Paint by Rustoleum.

T-Mar

Not very many members have been willing to disclose their Ross serial numbers but based on the couple of dozen that I've been able to collect, I believe that your frame dates to August 1983. That is in the grey area where it could be either a 1983 or 1984 model.

Regarding the source, the known Allentown manufactured models from the mid-1980s all have an 'R' prefix to the serial number. Yours doesn't have one but there appears to be an isolated 'R' stamped into the drive side of the shell. If this was just sloppy workmanship and meant to be part of the serial number, then it could be an Allentown bicycle but I can't make a definitve statement.

RiddleOfSteel

My '85 Signature 294S had a serial number of 0485100816. I believe, somewhere on the internet, somebody decoded the SNs for them, and 04 = month, 85 = year, and 100816 = sequence number during that year.

Revracer

Thank T-Mar, but I for some reason am failing to see the R on the drive side in the picture. My eyes aren't what they once were though.

T-Mar

You have the bicycle in front o fyou, soI'm likely mistaken.

ROS' post adds further value, given that his serial number is from 1985 and matches your format (i.e. mmyyxxxxx). I have a handful of other 1985 serial numbers and they are format RAyymmxxxx. Besides the RA prefix (Ross Allentown?), the year and month positions are reversed and there is one less 'x' character. A couple of the samples have one and two places holding zeroes at the start of the 'x' character string, so it would appear that this portions of the serial number was a maximum of four characters, for this format.

RiddleOfSteel

Clever, and perhaps fitting, except for their Signature line (290/292/294 plus a unicorn or two above that) in the '80s (at the very least). A bit 'too little too late' but nevertheless very good frames built by skilled craftsmen.

- former Signature 294S owner.

DQRider 

I wouldn't paint them with so broad a brush, especially based on your subjective judgement of just one model.

To expand on what the honorable RiddleOfSteel said, they certainly did have at least two master framebuilders in Tom Kellogg and Jim Redcay. They were responsible for the Signature series of roadbikes, and I suspect they had a hand in the design/build of the Aristocrat, Paragon, and Utopian as well. These were all built with Ishiwata tubesets, either 022 or 024, and are widely recognized as high quality bicycles. I know my Aristocrat is one of my favorite rides.



Of course, the Ross bikes that were sold through department stores or as the low-end "economy" models in bike shops certainly were mediocre. On that we can definitely agree.

Kristine29

Interesting! Didn't know this before

due ruote 

@T-Mar, here is another SN for you, from my Signature 294s. I have been calling it 1985. Just uncovered the SN and now I don’t know what to think. Looks to me like two different numbers struck one over the other, with a second cable guide hole drilled in the middle for good measure.

When I bought the bike it had a mix of parts, but enough Campy Victory/Triomphe still there that it looked like a pretty good match with the 1985 catalog page.

The other marking reads “Ross 200” fwiw.

T-Mar

Umm, thxs, I think. The original S/N appears to be from April 1983 and at that time, the 200 model was the Paragon. The Paragon and 294S frames are quite similar, with the main difference being 27" versus 700C wheels. My only suggestion is that the frame got caught up in some sort of rework process, though why it would take that long is a mystery. Regardless, it's final configuration certainly sounds like a 1985 Ross 294S and the overstruck S/N looks like it could be from November 1984, which would be appropriate for a 1985 model.

due ruote 

Thanks. I can’t decide what the first digit of the top serial number looks like. If it’s a 1 as you suggest, that makes sense. My first thought was 0 (Jan ‘84). Do you know if the 1984 bikes were Victory/Triomphe-equipped like the 1985’s? I think I have only seen a 1985 catalog. Not that it makes a lot of difference to me.

I am also wondering if the frame specs of the Signature bikes changed as production was handed off from Kellogg to Redcay etc etc, or if they were all made as Kellogg originally designed them. Anyone know about that?

T-Mar

Triomphe and Victory were introduced in late 1984 for the 1985 model year, which is why I assumed the lead character was a '1'. The 1984 version of the 294 (model name Gran Tour) was equipped with Shimano Altus derailleurs, Shimano Tourney crankset, Dia-Compe 500Q brakeset and Maillard hubs laced to 27" Weinmann 718 rims. My understanding is that the Triathlon/Triad and the 29x series Signature models were all new Redcay designs.

due ruote 

Thanks, that’s all helpful info.