Ross (bicycle company)

Ross Bicycles Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryBicycles
Founded1946; 78 years ago (1946)[1]
FateBankruptcy in 1988; 36 years ago (1988), re-established July 31, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-07-31)[2]
HeadquartersRockaway Beach, Queens
Currently: Totowa, New Jersey
Key people
Shaun Ross, Randy Ross, Barbara Ross Sherwood Ross, Patrick Cunnane, Albert Ross, John Kirkpatrick, Fred Wilkens
Ross road bike circa 1980
Ross cruiser bicycle

Ross Bicycles Inc. manufactured over 15 million bicycles[3] under the Ross brand between 1946 and 1988. The company began in Williamsburg, New York, United States, later moving its headquarters and manufacturing to Rockaway Beach, Queens.[4] The headquarters remained in Rockaway when manufacturing was later moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania where Sherwood could focus on designing his high end Gran Eurosport model which featured synthetic grease, polished bearings, and 26 skip tooth front sprocket for friction reduction.[5] Sherwood Ross,[6] against the advice of his vice president Randy Ross, retooled the Allentown factory and experimented in unrelated bicycle endeavors involving government contracts. Randy Ross moved Ross bicycles manufacturing to Taiwan to keep margins competitive and bicycle manufacturing profitable, but Sherwood Ross's decision to keep the Allentown factory working on government contracts ultimately led to the company having to file for bankruptcy protection in 1988[7] Ross Bicycles was re-established[8] on July 31, 2017 by Shaun Ross, the current CEO of Ross Bicycles.

Ross competed domestically with bicycle manufacturers including Schwinn and Huffy, and was noted as a pioneering manufacturer of mountain bikes.

  1. ^ United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. (July 22, 1985). "ROSS BICYCLES, INC., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CYCLES USA, INC., Defendant-Appellee". Public.Resource.Org. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  2. ^ Moylan, Tom (February 11, 1988). "Ross Bicycle Files For Bankruptcy - U.S. Contract Blamed In Move". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  3. ^ Moynihan, Colin (March 15, 2008). "A Blue Ross 10-Speed Isn't Hard to Find; A Bomber Who Rode It Is". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  4. ^ Lloyd, Barbara (May 22, 1989). "ON YOUR OWN; Bicycle Oldies Are Making Good". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  5. ^ "Ross Bicycle". Fine Vintage Collectibles. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Ross Bicycle Files for Bankruptcy U.S. Contract Blamed in Move".
  8. ^ "Division of Corporations - Filing".