Sprylikeaneagle

Hi guys,
I am still in the market looking for a decent light weight city bike. with the least amount of work. Can I get some help on this bike? Pros cons?
Thanks!
Heres the info to go with it "Vintage Ross bike in great condition. Not sure the exact dimensions, but would fit someone in the range of 5'2 to 5'8 very well (I'm 5'6 and it's just about perfect, but seat and handlebars can be adjusted). Just adjusted tires, brakes and seat -- everything in excellent working condition. Could use new handlebar tape for more comfortable riding."

Igualmente

Hard to comment on a particular bike, and that photo doesn't help a lot. The bike is 30+ years old. Depends a lot on maintenance and history.

Some helpful comments at this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...oss-bikes.html. Note comments 3 and 4 in particular.

Sprylikeaneagle

Yeah I don't know the first thing about buying a bike. But I'm going to go check this bike out tomorrow any pointers?

GP

Make sure that
1. there's no dents or bends in the frame. When you ride it it should track straight.
2. the crank and wheels spin freely and true.
3. it shifts properly; cables are not rusty.
4. call a bike shop and get a cost on new bar tape. The tape runs $10 - 35 plus installation.

If it needs work, take it to a shop and get an estimate before you buy. New cables, a derailleur adjustment and a wheel truing can make the cost rise considerably.

Sprylikeaneagle

AWESOME! Thank you!

Caliper

Before even throwing a leg over the bike...

Give the tires a squeeze to be sure they are inflated, they should feel firm.
Squeeze the brake levers (the main levers at the drops, not the extensions for the bar tops) They should travel some but feel firm. They should also hold the bike firmly in place if you push forward/back.

Ok, it's probably safe to ride.

Shift through all the gears while pedaling along slowly on level ground. Don't cross-chain but it should shift well. Can't tell, but it may have friction shifters. ie: no clicks, you just move the lever to the right spot.
Pick up each end of the bike and give the wheel a spin, it should run true. A tiny bit of wobble is ok and can be corrected if desired. (but you'll probably never notice it while riding)

I do notice that both axles are nutted, not quick release. Something to consider if you need to remove the front wheel for transport or storage. Also means you'd need a wrench to change a flat (in addition to the normal tools).

Johnny Mullet

I had an old Ross 10speed with 27" wheels. It was not really a lightweight bike, but not bad either. Some of the components on mine were cheap, but it worked well.

Homebrew01

It's worth $30-$50 or so. Looks like it has aluminum rims. If so, that will help the braking. if they are shiny chromed looking rims, they are steel and have poor braking. Bring a magnet to see.
That one is actually reasonably priced at $60, compared to most bikes I see on CL which are wildly overpriced.

Corben

Looks like a great first bike to fall in love with a great hobby/sport/life style! Nice lugs too. Hope it turns out to be a keeper. Buy some bar tape and watch a few yuotube lessons on bar wrapping. Its pretty easy. As a matter of fact YouTube is a great place to learn to work on vintage bikes. And modern bikes! Have fun!

Artkansas 

The mixte frame will make it less likely to be stolen. Make sure that the rims are true. That will cost too much to fix. Pick one wheel of the bike off the ground and spin it. You can see if it wobbles up and down or sideways if it is not true. Check both wheels.

Brennan

"decent light weight city bike with the least amount of work"
"vintage bike"

These things rarely match up. If the former is what you want, buying new from a shop is the way to go.

fietsbob

BeneSugg: bring someone with you that knows more about bicycles than you do . to look at it, in person ..

VegasTriker

I never saw a Ross brand bike that I would want to put a leg over the frame. The ones I saw happened to be the cheap versions. I do see on adhuntr that Ross also made some expensive models. Just never saw one of them. I would take along a bathroom scale. Weigh yourself and then weigh yourself again holding the bike. The difference between the two weights is the weight of the bike within about a pound. If the bike weighs 30 pounds or less, it is not one of the junkers.

There is one for sale on CL in Philadelphia for $30. It isn't the crappy Ross bikes I remember. It definitely looks decent but obviously a bit out of date compared to a modern road bike costing $$$$. If everything works on it, it would be a real bargain.