1980s Ross Bear Mountain
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1980s Ross Bear Mountain
On a lark, I bought a 1980s Ross Bear Mountain on Friday for parts. I paid 20 bucks for the whole thing, thinking I'd snag some parts off it, like the QR skewers and hollow axles and the high rise handlebars, and discard the rest. For some reason, I have a desire to "restore" it into something similar to what it was new, but not exact. I think it's the big stylized "R" on the front of that huge stem -- it has a certain flair that some other bikes don't. Seller's photo:
It came with a 5-speed freewheel and a triple chainring crank set. I don't need near that many speeds for what I would do with this bike, and am actually considering going with a single ring in the front and a 14-28 5-speed freewheel. I'm thinking about turning it into what an '80s hybrid might have been -- not "beach cruiser", but not "mountain bike" or "road bike", either. A 1x5 drivetrain would probably be plenty. Maybe add some chrome fenders and platform pedals. I'm not entirely sure, yet.
Besides the crankset situation, I need to decide on brakes before I invest anything in this bike. It has absolutely enormous aftermarket Lee Chi scissors-type calipers on it. I'm the last guy you'd call a "weight snob", but, seriously...these calipers must be 1,000 grams each, or more. Seller's photo:
I thought they might have been roller cam brakes (sort of looks like they attach to braze-ons on the seat stays), but they're just regular single-post caliper brakes that mount to the bridge above the tire. I would like to use "period correct" caliper brakes, or at least ones that won't look out of place on this bike, but I don't need these huge pieces of art, either. The ONLY caliper brakes with which I'm familiar are the cheapo Sunlite chromed jobbies on juuvie bikes...all of my newer stuff uses direct-pull cantilevers.
What would you all recommend for brakes for this bike? I'd like to use silver/polished to stay with the color theme. I also don't mind paying up (within reason) for a quality set of brakes -- I don't want chrome pot metal specials off eBay.
As far as the rest of the frame goes, I think I can keep all of the original Ross decals. There are areas of surface rust on the frame, and I think I can abrade that down and color-in some areas of white to cover that up. The blue paint that is there is in pretty good condition. I'd call it close to the same blue that Chrysler used on their engine blocks back in the day...it's a baby/sky blue. It had faded grey/white cable housings that I would like to replace with new white ones. I also have my eye on the Continental Retro Ride tires...probably in black, but possibly in white.
Any suggestions/comments appreciated. More seller photos:
It came with a 5-speed freewheel and a triple chainring crank set. I don't need near that many speeds for what I would do with this bike, and am actually considering going with a single ring in the front and a 14-28 5-speed freewheel. I'm thinking about turning it into what an '80s hybrid might have been -- not "beach cruiser", but not "mountain bike" or "road bike", either. A 1x5 drivetrain would probably be plenty. Maybe add some chrome fenders and platform pedals. I'm not entirely sure, yet.
Besides the crankset situation, I need to decide on brakes before I invest anything in this bike. It has absolutely enormous aftermarket Lee Chi scissors-type calipers on it. I'm the last guy you'd call a "weight snob", but, seriously...these calipers must be 1,000 grams each, or more. Seller's photo:
I thought they might have been roller cam brakes (sort of looks like they attach to braze-ons on the seat stays), but they're just regular single-post caliper brakes that mount to the bridge above the tire. I would like to use "period correct" caliper brakes, or at least ones that won't look out of place on this bike, but I don't need these huge pieces of art, either. The ONLY caliper brakes with which I'm familiar are the cheapo Sunlite chromed jobbies on juuvie bikes...all of my newer stuff uses direct-pull cantilevers.
What would you all recommend for brakes for this bike? I'd like to use silver/polished to stay with the color theme. I also don't mind paying up (within reason) for a quality set of brakes -- I don't want chrome pot metal specials off eBay.
As far as the rest of the frame goes, I think I can keep all of the original Ross decals. There are areas of surface rust on the frame, and I think I can abrade that down and color-in some areas of white to cover that up. The blue paint that is there is in pretty good condition. I'd call it close to the same blue that Chrysler used on their engine blocks back in the day...it's a baby/sky blue. It had faded grey/white cable housings that I would like to replace with new white ones. I also have my eye on the Continental Retro Ride tires...probably in black, but possibly in white.
Any suggestions/comments appreciated. More seller photos:
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Based on the graphics, this appears to be circa 1987. Those studs are designed for Rollercam or U-brakes. FWIW, the next up model, the Mt. Hood, came with Shimano U-brakes (yes, even on the front). These days there are some more svelte u-brakes available for BMX.
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Some people have used BMX side pull brakes for bikes like that, where you need a bigger reach to clear a large tire. A lot of lower end all-terrain or city bikes came with a similar caliper in the 1980s. something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cruis...ide+pull+brake
I have a Ross Mt Hood, 1986 I think.
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cruis...ide+pull+brake
I have a Ross Mt Hood, 1986 I think.
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I was thinking of a brake set similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/TEKTRO-Reach-...0619628&sr=1-6
They're called the "R559"...I presume that means they're set up with a reach long enough for 559 wheels ("26 inch"). I'd have to measure the reach to be sure.
They don't look too "racy" for the day for me, and they're similar enough in appearance to a U-brake that may have been installed on higher trims.
Oooh...these are available in white:
https://www.amazon.com/Origin8-Class...r%2Bbrake&th=1
That might be pretty -- if I can find some with the right reach.
I hope I'm on the right track here. Again, I have basically zero experience with single-post caliper brakes, so I really don't know what to look for. If it has a single mounting post, the only measurement I really care about is the arm reach, right?
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Nice! Yours definitely has the U-brakes that I thought mine had from the not-so-clear pictures.
The guy advertised mine as a "1993 Ross 13 speed". I'm not aware of any math that can make a bike a 13 speed (except for a 1x13, I guess, which doesn't [yet] exist). Ironically, though, he was the original owner, and even had the assembly manual. There's a "15 speed" scribbled on the top that could be mis-read as "13 speed". The copyright date on the manual is May 1986. The Suntour RD (which, unfortunately, has irreparable damage) appears to have a 1984 manufacturing date on it. T-mar above says 1987, and that correlates with the date on the manual and on the RD. I'll go looking for some Ross sales materials to see if I can spot this thing in a catalog or something. The "Bear Mtn" model seemed to be a lower trim and I don't see much online about it.
But it still has that funky phallic handlebar stem!
The guy advertised mine as a "1993 Ross 13 speed". I'm not aware of any math that can make a bike a 13 speed (except for a 1x13, I guess, which doesn't [yet] exist). Ironically, though, he was the original owner, and even had the assembly manual. There's a "15 speed" scribbled on the top that could be mis-read as "13 speed". The copyright date on the manual is May 1986. The Suntour RD (which, unfortunately, has irreparable damage) appears to have a 1984 manufacturing date on it. T-mar above says 1987, and that correlates with the date on the manual and on the RD. I'll go looking for some Ross sales materials to see if I can spot this thing in a catalog or something. The "Bear Mtn" model seemed to be a lower trim and I don't see much online about it.
But it still has that funky phallic handlebar stem!
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You are correct, that the important dimension is from the mounting bolt to the rim brake surface. The Tektro brakes are for a road bike and won't work on your bike. The 559 is just a model number may refer to how much reach they have, not what wheels they go with. You will likely need something more like 70-90 mm reach. I'm just guessing, since I don't have your bike in front of me. The brakes I linked above have 73-91 mm reach. They are just one example. There are a lot more colors and styles if you search BMX brakes. Good luck!
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Nice! Yours definitely has the U-brakes that I thought mine had from the not-so-clear pictures.
The guy advertised mine as a "1993 Ross 13 speed". I'm not aware of any math that can make a bike a 13 speed (except for a 1x13, I guess, which doesn't [yet] exist). Ironically, though, he was the original owner, and even had the assembly manual. There's a "15 speed" scribbled on the top that could be mis-read as "13 speed". The copyright date on the manual is May 1986. The Suntour RD (which, unfortunately, has irreparable damage) appears to have a 1984 manufacturing date on it. T-mar above says 1987, and that correlates with the date on the manual and on the RD. I'll go looking for some Ross sales materials to see if I can spot this thing in a catalog or something. The "Bear Mtn" model seemed to be a lower trim and I don't see much online about it.
But it still has that funky phallic handlebar stem!
The guy advertised mine as a "1993 Ross 13 speed". I'm not aware of any math that can make a bike a 13 speed (except for a 1x13, I guess, which doesn't [yet] exist). Ironically, though, he was the original owner, and even had the assembly manual. There's a "15 speed" scribbled on the top that could be mis-read as "13 speed". The copyright date on the manual is May 1986. The Suntour RD (which, unfortunately, has irreparable damage) appears to have a 1984 manufacturing date on it. T-mar above says 1987, and that correlates with the date on the manual and on the RD. I'll go looking for some Ross sales materials to see if I can spot this thing in a catalog or something. The "Bear Mtn" model seemed to be a lower trim and I don't see much online about it.
But it still has that funky phallic handlebar stem!
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Thxs for clarifying that. If I look closer at the picture, I can see the brake bolts though the rear bridge and fork steerer.
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Some people have used BMX side pull brakes for bikes like that, where you need a bigger reach to clear a large tire. A lot of lower end all-terrain or city bikes came with a similar caliper in the 1980s. something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cruis...ide+pull+brake
I have a Ross Mt Hood, 1986 I think.
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cruis...ide+pull+brake
I have a Ross Mt Hood, 1986 I think.
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Here's a picture of the 1987 Mt. Washington, which was one step below the Bear Mountain. It looks like it has the same brakeset. The graphics are consistent with Pompiere's Mt. Hoods, with same decal scheme and contrasting colour for bar, stem and forks. Curiously, yours has the contrasting fork but not the bars and stem. Unfortunately, I can't see much of the decals in your pictures, due to the heavy shadows. Serial number?
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T-mar, the serial number on mine is RK6KC3615. Can you glean a model year out of that?
Also: the distance from the brake mount to the center of of my 559/26" wheel is about 85mm on the forward side of the fork. Is that the "reach" dimension I need to hit when shopping brakes?
Also: the distance from the brake mount to the center of of my 559/26" wheel is about 85mm on the forward side of the fork. Is that the "reach" dimension I need to hit when shopping brakes?
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T-mar, the serial number on mine is RK6KC3615. Can you glean a model year out of that?
Also: the distance from the brake mount to the center of of my 559/26" wheel is about 85mm on the forward side of the fork. Is that the "reach" dimension I need to hit when shopping brakes?
Also: the distance from the brake mount to the center of of my 559/26" wheel is about 85mm on the forward side of the fork. Is that the "reach" dimension I need to hit when shopping brakes?
Anyways, here's some good news. I found a 1987 Bear Mountain advertisement. From what I can of yours, it looks the same except for a white stem versus blue.
Yes, it sounds like you should be looking for brakes with a 85mm reach.
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Thanks. Do you have a higher-res version of that catalog image? I can't tell the type of brakes it has. It almost looks like the same type of scissors brake that mine had (though I'm pretty sure the Lee Chi Sine Power calipers on mine are aftermarket). That definitely looks like mine minus the white stem. My blue stem looks factory, so I don't think it's a repaint. Thanks much for your research on this.
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Here's a tighter crop, so you see if the decals match.
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Thanks. Do you have a higher-res version of that catalog image? I can't tell the type of brakes it has. It almost looks like the same type of scissors brake that mine had (though I'm pretty sure the Lee Chi Sine Power calipers on mine are aftermarket). That definitely looks like mine minus the white stem. My blue stem looks factory, so I don't think it's a repaint. Thanks much for your research on this.
It looks like yours in that the arms are mounted to a bridge which is then mounted to the frame brake bridge. it also appears to have the black rubber bumpers that look like Rollercam/U-brake posts.
Last edited by T-Mar; 03-27-17 at 08:58 AM.
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Thank you! Both are very helpful -- the fork decal (with the series of digitized squares) is a certain match, as is the brake caliper style. The rear caliper shows the rubber bumpers between the main mounting boss and the seat stay (down where U-brake braze-ons would be). The pictured calipers have the exact same type of threaded ferrule/adjuster at the top, and look to be identical to the ones I have. Based on this, I may think twice about replacing them, and may see if I can overhaul them or at least lube them to get them working smoother. Mine look to take standard smooth-post cantilever brake pads. I'll get some pictures of mine later today to post for comparison purposes.
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Doubled scan resolution to 400 dpi.
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In addition to a caliper overhaul and lubrication, new cables with Teflon lined housing will make a big difference in the smoothness of the brake operation. Looking forward to hear on your progress.
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I'm pretty sure whaT you have are 1987 models. The 1986 Mt. Hood was chrome and used SunTour with Rollercams. 1987 saw the move to the pastel colours with a contrasting fork and stem (the bulbous one) and Shimano with U-brakes. The decals are also an excellent match for 1987, right down to the descending size rectangles with shadows on the fork blades. Here's the 1987. Serial numbers?
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Here are a few pictures of the front brake caliper. These are a certain match for the ones depicted in the 1987 catalog. Knowing that these are stock, I'm more inclined to keep them and refurb them. They move freely, but the cable attachment in the center rides vertically up and down in a C-channel, and this movement/mechanism can want to bind sometimes. I think everything just needs to be disassembled and cleaned.
I probably could, yes. The 559mm rims fit good, as they are the factory wheels, and I could probably put up to a 26x2.0" tire on it. The current tire in the photos above is a 26x1.50" that measures closer to 1.6". A 2.0" would be a bit tighter, but I think it would work okay.
I could go to a 584mm wheel, and I think I'd have to use a 35 or 38mm tire to keep to a similar overall diameter. I could probably stuff a 622mm wheel in there, but I think I'd have to go down to a 28 or 32mm tire at the max. I have my choice of various 622mm wheels and tires from other bikes that I can test fit. The smallest is a 622x35mm tire that really measures 31mm tall fully inflated, so it would be a good test case.
I could go to a 584mm wheel, and I think I'd have to use a 35 or 38mm tire to keep to a similar overall diameter. I could probably stuff a 622mm wheel in there, but I think I'd have to go down to a 28 or 32mm tire at the max. I have my choice of various 622mm wheels and tires from other bikes that I can test fit. The smallest is a 622x35mm tire that really measures 31mm tall fully inflated, so it would be a good test case.
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You are right. I was confusing them with something else. The grey bike's serial is RT6 J1662. The green/ pink one is RK6 K0422. Decals are the same style as your catalog pics. One odd feature is the heavy motorcycle-type brake cables on the U brakes. They were still in good shape so I kept them.
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Here are a few pictures of the front brake caliper. These are a certain match for the ones depicted in the 1987 catalog. Knowing that these are stock, I'm more inclined to keep them and refurb them. They move freely, but the cable attachment in the center rides vertically up and down in a C-channel, and this movement/mechanism can want to bind sometimes. I think everything just needs to be disassembled and cleaned...
Lee Chi Sine Power Brake
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Whether my 'C' really is a C, or half of a zero, it either way has one more character than Pompiere's serial numbers. Interesting.
I installed a spare sealed BB bearing I had and mocked up some front crank arms. I have a spare set of Shimano 105 square taper cranks with a set of 42/53 chain rings. I'd prefer something much smaller, given that this is really more of a town/utility bike build for me, but this'll do for now.
I've been going back and forth on the suggestion of a larger wheel set, so I didn't have to buy such long brake arms. The distance between the fork eyelets and the brake mounting hole in the crown is about 365mm. A 559mm wheel leaves me with a reach of about 85mm. A 584mm wheel is about 73mm reach. And a 622mm wheel is about 54mm reach.
The primary issue with a larger wheel is the fork crown is pretty thick, and I have about 335mm at the most in terms of total distance from the fork eyes to the highest fork crown clearance (in terms of tire clearance). If I choose a 622mm wheel (311mm radius), this leaves only about 24mm of tire height allowance. I prefer much thicker tires than that, so the 622 is out. A 584mm wheel (292mm radius) leaves me 43mm of tire height allowance. This would be okay. I'd try to find a 40mm tire for a "650 rim" or something close to that. This tire size (650) isn't all that common, so this really limits my tire choices.
I do like a number of tires in the 559/26" size. First choice might be the Continental Retro Ride, in 26x2.0. With the frame and fork I have, I think I'll just need to take the longer brake arms in exchange for running the tire size/choice I'd like to run. I'm currently looking at Dia Compe Bulldog calipers or Odyssey 1999 calipers. I prefer silver, polished, or white, to go with the color scheme of the bike. I will probably run the Lee Chi Sine Power calipers for now, but I don't think these will be on the bike long term.
Any feedback on these brakes, or others you might run on a vintage mountain bike or cruiser, is appreciated.
I installed a spare sealed BB bearing I had and mocked up some front crank arms. I have a spare set of Shimano 105 square taper cranks with a set of 42/53 chain rings. I'd prefer something much smaller, given that this is really more of a town/utility bike build for me, but this'll do for now.
I've been going back and forth on the suggestion of a larger wheel set, so I didn't have to buy such long brake arms. The distance between the fork eyelets and the brake mounting hole in the crown is about 365mm. A 559mm wheel leaves me with a reach of about 85mm. A 584mm wheel is about 73mm reach. And a 622mm wheel is about 54mm reach.
The primary issue with a larger wheel is the fork crown is pretty thick, and I have about 335mm at the most in terms of total distance from the fork eyes to the highest fork crown clearance (in terms of tire clearance). If I choose a 622mm wheel (311mm radius), this leaves only about 24mm of tire height allowance. I prefer much thicker tires than that, so the 622 is out. A 584mm wheel (292mm radius) leaves me 43mm of tire height allowance. This would be okay. I'd try to find a 40mm tire for a "650 rim" or something close to that. This tire size (650) isn't all that common, so this really limits my tire choices.
I do like a number of tires in the 559/26" size. First choice might be the Continental Retro Ride, in 26x2.0. With the frame and fork I have, I think I'll just need to take the longer brake arms in exchange for running the tire size/choice I'd like to run. I'm currently looking at Dia Compe Bulldog calipers or Odyssey 1999 calipers. I prefer silver, polished, or white, to go with the color scheme of the bike. I will probably run the Lee Chi Sine Power calipers for now, but I don't think these will be on the bike long term.
Any feedback on these brakes, or others you might run on a vintage mountain bike or cruiser, is appreciated.
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650B, 27.5, or 584 mm is becoming the preferred MTB size, so if you are considering new wheels, that would have a lot of tire choices. 650A is the old English 3 speed 590 mm, also known as 27x1 3/8, and has limited options. The current 26 inch, 559 mm tire choices are starting to get more limited. It all depends what your goals are and how much you want to spend.