Re: [CR]Ross Signatures explained somewhat

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Falck)

From: "Garrison Hilliard" <garrison@efn.org>
To: "Bender-Zanoni, Joseph" <JBender-Zanoni@fishneave.com>
Cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 11:38:21 -800
Subject: Re: [CR]Ross Signatures explained somewhat


>I have in front of me a 1986 Ross catalog which I need to fax a page of to
>Larry Black. Fax # Larry?
>
>There are two series of Ross Signatures (at least in 1986) which leads to
>this Taiwan / US handmade confusion. The 200 series bikes look like decent
>Taiwan made sport bikes. The Signature Triad 508 is a handmade bike
>available with sizing every 2 cms, any Ross color, in Columbus SL with an SP
>downtube, Eisho lugs, Shimano dropouts and Shimano 600 components.
>
>I suspect other sizes and components were available for the top model
>because the one pictured is a 56cm and the supposed sizes run 51, 53 etc.
>and the lower 294S bike use Campagnolo Triomphe components.

A bit from framebuilder Bill Stevenson's bio:

At the age of twenty, Bill took up cycling and worked in a local bike shop as a mechanic. In 1971, he took one of Albert Eisentraut's frame-building classes. Excelling in the class, Albert offered him a job on the spot. In 1972, he worked for Albert Eisentraut only six months, in Oakland, CA. He brazed frames while other workers completed the clean-up. This “apprenticeship” lasted only six months, as he returned to Washington and continued to build custom frames at his own shop. Then, in 1985, Bill embarked on an “around the world” odyssey that would last seven years.

Bill's first stop was Ross Bicycles in Allentown, PA, where he was hired as the primary designer and product manager. (Tom Kellogg and Jim Redcay preceded Bill as Ross Signature Custom frame builders) Eventually, Ross transferred Bill and his family to Taiwan so he could supervise production and quality control for Ross mass produced frames. This experience gave Bill a unique glimpse of the industry that most small custom builders never see. How many builders can say that they once rejected 3,000 frames in a single day?

This “apprenticeship” lasted only six months, as he returned to Washington and continued to build custom frames In 1985, Bill embarked on an “around the world” odyssey that would last seven
yearsat his own
shop.
.