I scored this Ross on ebay.

From the pics the seller had posted, it looked English built(I had a Raleigh built Ross Armstrong awhile back)so I jumped for it. Imagine my surprise when I picked it up and beneath the headbadge were the words 'Made In France'.

There is a curved tube betwixt the chain and seat stay on the left side. There is also a braze-on for a taillight on the same side.

Some lug details.


1020 gas pipe, Dynamax cottered crank, pump pegs, braze-ons for a chain guard and what looks like a steel Stronglight(probably not)headset round out the frame. The rear hub is a 1961 F&S Komet coaster but there are Sturmey bits on the frame and they are old enough to be all steel.
I'm not familiar with the front hub.

Beneath the trademark is H. R. Patter, then Made in England under that.
The rims, which are shot, were EA3.

I'm guessing late 50s, early 60s'. Any thoughts on whodunit?

I have no clue, but I like the cool coaster brake brace!! Funnier still is that alot of the new Specialized mountain bikes have the same brace, to keep the disc brake from stressing the stays I imagine.,,,,BD

I am totally digging the design on this head badge!

Makes sense. What little bit of info I have managed to scrounge so far, the bike was built in France for Ross and built with BSC threading. Whew!

^ So this has the makings of a fun project - IF you can get that seat post to move!!!

(This is a cliff hanger!)

It came out.


And quite easily, I might add. Appears to have been assembled with care some fifty years ago.
Definitely BSC threading. Seat post is 25.4mm and steerer will accept 22.2mm. Completely dismantled now. I'll need to talk nice to the tattooed young fellow that works for me to see if one of his hot rodder buddies can media blast the frame and fork for me.

Congrats! You're on your way ! ! !

Stripped and in primer. Hope to have the painting done by the weekend.

That style of lug, with a horizontal notch where the top tube and down tube enter, is characteristic of bikes from the 40's to early 50's.

Totally cool!

I hope it's getting a two-tone paint job?

Yup. Metal flake gloss black with Cream accents. The head tube already has its' color coat.

Very Nice. Keep the pictures coming!

This is going to be cool.

You see that curved "off drive side" brace on French Porteur style bikes from the 50's.

https://www.blackbirdsf.org/courierracing/velos.html

Thanks for the link, David. Neat stuff.

Couple more pics of what got done today.


The chain guard is the only thing I was able to salvage from a pre-war Elgin I dumpster dived years ago. I wasn't sure how well it would work with the Ross frame but it looks like it may be the ticket.

Hot Rod Boy is going to mask off the head tube and raised portions of the chain guard tomorrow and I will shoot the frame, fork, and guard on Friday.

Is that bake on enamel?

Rattle can Rustoleum Primer and Ace Premium Enamel at this point.

Paint's done. All rattle canned.

so cool! Great project

Very cool, can't wait to see it built up!

Cheers,
Chris