Hmmmmmmm.... I thought my father gave me his bike, but then he told me yesterday that he was going to sell it. So he has a Ross 10 speed bike from circa 1977, still in good condition. He claims that it was a professional racing bike (it wasn't, but I can't make him understand this) and is in good working condition (it is in decent condition, but hasn't been serviced in a long time). I'm trying to figure out what a bike like this is worth. He claims it's worth at least a couple of thousand, but I told him he was insane. I told him a couple of hundred, and we're still working out the detail. Does anyone know how I can determine the worth of a bike from a non-existant bike company?

Koffee

Koffee,

Check on e-bay for prices of the same bike. search for Ross in titles and descriptions.
Now, this may be a shock but there were some Ross/Huffy/Murray bikes that are worth
alot, they were custom builts by folks like Ben Serotta, Tom Kellogg etc.
However the chance of actually finding one are one in a gazillion. they were usually
team bikes (I think US olympic team rode Serottas branded as Murray).

Marty

Could it be a Jim Redcay or Tom Kellogg Ross Signature bike? If so, it'd be worth quite a bit.

I'll take a look at the bike and see if there's something on there that gives a better idea of what the bike actually is, but I don't remember seeing anything else but the ROSS stamped on the bike. It does have some really old Shimano components, but that's about all I remember right now.

The sentimental value alone is worth something to me, as my father is getting pretty old and he's been sick lately. I know I shouldn't nickel and dime the old man, but damn... I'm not going to let him stomp all over me either! Besides, I'm sure that feisty old man would love for me to put up a fight... he sounded uncharacteristically happy when we started bargaining yesterday...

Koffee

For what its worth, a few years ago someone was selling new in the box Ross "professional" Super Gran Tour bikes. Available in several sizes. The bike had a so, so Hi Ten frame but was equipped with a full Shimano 600 component group with Araya 27 x 1 1/4 rims on Shimano 600 hubs. I was high bidder on a 20" frame model at $100 & stripped everything off including the headset & bottom bracket to use in restoring my 1971 Raleigh SuperCourse. I saw several other bikes from same seller go for $110 to $195. These were brand new bikes. Don

Theres a guy near me selling an old ross for $10.

Some info on Ross in the later years:

Ross' top three models would have gone something like Super Gran Tour, Gran Tour, and Gran Tour II. The Super Gran Tour would have been a Shimano 600 equipped with Araya alloy rims, the Gran Tour had Dia-Compe Brakes and Shimano Titlist/Altus derailleurs with steel rims and high flange alloy hubs, and the Gran Tour II would have been probably Dia-Compe brakes (either side or center pull) with low end Shimano derialleurs and steel rims and low flange steel hubs. The next models down were the Eurotour, Eurosport, and Compact, which often used a Shimano Front Freewheel system, one piece cranks, and steel mostly steel components.

The Redcay and Kellogg built bikes came about in the early to mid 80's and were nearly all Campagnolo, Dura-Ace or second and third generation Shimano 600 equipped. (Components could be specified when ordering these bikes).
By 1985 the Super Gran Tour was replaced by the Signature series, which consisted of 4 models, the 290S with Shimano "Z" derailleurs, the 292S with Shimano 105, the 294S with Ishiwatta 024 tubing and Campy Triomphe, and the Triad 508 with Columbus SL tubing and Shimano 600 (I believe 6400 series).

An Allentown, PA built bike should also have a date code stamped on the rear dropout opposite the serial number and in '77, I believe they used a round red and silver aluminum "Ross" glue on headbadge. All of the custom built frames I've seen have has the newer "R" logo decal badge. Pre-Allentown bikes were Asian imports and of lower quality, they wore a headbadge which read "Ross" "import division".

Ross bikes, other than the Redcay and Kellogg models, don't seem to have much collectable value, like Ollo Ollo said, they are good for the sum of their components. The Redcay and Kellogg bikes were built to order bikes, and were few and far between, most serious riders looking for a custom built high end bike probably weren't going to be looking at Ross as an option. Somewhere in the early to mid 80's Ross shifted production to military ammo boxes and all of the bikes were then imported from Asia. Not long after, Ross went bankrupt and the name was sold to Rand Bicycles which is and was a department store bike builder. 1985 is the latest record I have of Ross in Allentown, PA. I am not sure if the bikes in the '85 catalog were still being manufactured there or in Asia, there warehouse was huge and probably could have survived several years on old inventory from the Allentown plant.

The last I heard the Allentown plant was still sitting abandoned, since the bankrupcy and sale, and the property was contaminated and awaiting cleanup. This was in the late 90's. Maybe someone in the Allentown, PA area can update us on that matter.

WOW! Thanks for this information. I'm going to definitely head over to my parents at some point and use this information to determine what the value of this bike is. Now I'm just more curious than anything else as to the history of the bike.

I was at a bike place yesterday and ran into 3 other Ross bikes. What a coincidence!

Thanks everyone!

Koffee

If you have in your area a shop that sells used bikes, and especially if you know them, visit them with your bike. Explain the situation and ask them:
1. how much they would sell that bike;
2. how much they would pay you if you were to sell that bike through them.

My parents have used that system a few times for used cars and furniture, as it is a fairly decent way to know the fair market value.

Regards,

Hmmmm, sounds like a good idea. I know the perfect place!

Thanks!

Koffee

i guess that makes me a millionare, cause i got one!! doubt its worth much though. kenny

I have a ROSS 294S Signature w/full campy, and rigida 1320's, it is circa 85-86, a very nice riding road bike from that time frame, hard to put a value on it, I purchased it from the original owner w/papers and it had not seen the road in 15 years, This bike stired me into riding again at 40, I prefer the old school steel bikes, and I do own a nice alum/Vitus w/600 and 105 parts, but then again people will spend a lot of money on a bike that is way to much for thier riding habits, what it is worth is to me, what I have into it, and I ride along w/the $3000.00 bikes as well, get a lot of compliments on the bike, the 294S ROSS will do all of that.

The value of that Ross to you is whatever you are willing to give for it. Or, as someone who was very intellegent once said . . . "It's worth whatever the market will bear." Sounds to me like your dad is trying to teach you a valuable lesson in life. Many so called experts are more than willing to say what something is worth, yet they themselves are unwilling to pay that price. ebay is just one market. If someone really has their heart set on something, they will usually pay top dollar. The sellar must remain patient until the right buyer comes along. Let us know how much you eventually gave for the Ross.