Picked up another stray (bike): 1962 CCM singlespeed
 

Found on my walk this AM... I couldn't resist. "Free," the sign said.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1412002722

It's a CCM, made here in Ontario. The year is 1962, if a little sleuthing about the serial number -- B54682 -- can be trusted.

Other than a kinda crunchy bottom bracket (probably dry as a bone), it works. Tires (28 inch) even hold air (so far)!

The neat thing about these old bikes is the company made almost ALL the components too. EG: CCM branded crank:

(Yes, those are cobwebs on the chain. :D)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1412002722

CCM caps on the fork:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1412002597

Tons of patina. (A.K.A. surface rust.) But it looks to be mostly garage stored, for the amount of rust on it, and how little dry rot is on those old tires.

A previous owner re-painted it this neat sort of turquoisey/silver. Original colour looks like it was a dark red/maroon.

I'll clean it up, put grease & oil where needed, and ride it around.

.

Good score... :thumbup:

And of excellent vintage...;) :D

I had a few CCM's growing up. A early 1970's 27" 10 speed. A early 60's girls 28" with a basket that I used to deliver newspapers with. And a earlier (much earlier) 28" men's single speed that had a original grey wool hair seat. It was my grandfathers that he used to ride back and forth to work with.

The girls bike is still in my family. :)

I wish however, I still had my grandfathers bike. :(

You should try riding that bike in the snow.

I rode that 28" girls bike year round delivering newspapers. A foot or so of snow meant nothing to that bike...

Thanks for sharing.

>

Looks good. Some penetrant, green scuff pad, and some automotive paint does wonders.

Agreed. I think I'll clean & wax the chrome as best as possible, but leave the frame & fenders as-is for some character. :)

I bet it was pretty much the same bike as this one.

I can't get over how high & upright the riding position is! Very different from my usual around town ride these days, on my other CCM:

http://ecomodder.com/imgs/ccm-evox-120.jpg

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...t-ccm-121.html

I bet. My dad was given a really nice white CCM 10 speed in the late 70's not long before the company shut down. I wish that was still around.

I am glad I kept my first 3 spd Huffy from 1967. It is getting refitted with double gears front and on the hub to be a 12 spd.

Clear it up good and clear coat the paint.

Looks good! I didn't know CCM made bikes as well as hockey pucks :D

Should be a good around town cruiser, but good luck getting new tires if you need them!

Really? I was wondering about that. There's not much tread left on 'em, but at least they're not in danger of exploding from dry rot (as I've had happen before). And as of this AM, they're still holding air!

Yesterday I fixed the rear rack (wasn't properly mounted), secured the rear fender better, straightened the front forks a little bit and then rode it all over town. Fun fun.

But singlespeeds sure are silly. I haven't had one since I was a kid. You have to stand up to power up hills or accelerate quickly, and then it's geared too low to go really fast downhill.

Listen to me complaining about my free classic cruiser. :D I love it.

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I had my brother in-law snap a picture... :)

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps736fbaf2.jpg

>

What size are the tires? Remember, a fractional size and decimal size may fit completely different rim diameters.

Perhaps you have these... 28 inch (635 mm) Bicycle Tires from Harris Cyclery It looks like Kenda (bless their hearts) sells old 28" sized tires- see the link. I have a set of Kendas on my 63 Schwinn and they are pretty decent.

Or, as Mr. Brown says, it could just be the Canadian name for modern 700C (622mm BSD) size tires which are available at any bike shop.

redneck: cool bike!

Sven7: you're right. One tire's a 28 ("Canadian size", it actually says :D), the other is a 700.

Instead of working, I've been disassembling & repacking bottom brackets & axles since lunchtime. Everything's as good as it can be. No more sloppy crank & clunky axles.

Good for another 52 years!

Lucky duck getting to work on bikes in your down time at work! Better than being on forums lol.

Oh, it wasn't exactly down time. I just wanted to play with the bike. (My clients already have low expectations.)

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I spent an hour or so with some steel wool & penetrating oil on the weekend and most of the chrome cleaned up nicely.

I've been riding it around a lot. I can confirm it's still a pretty terrible bike to ride (single speed, duh). But it's definitely amusing.

Be sure to put some wax or something on that chrome so the oxide doesn't bloom up again!

Did you rebuild the coaster hub? I recently started mechanically refurbishing a '74 Schwinn Stingray a friend sold me, and it's quite difficult to pedal. The hub is the last thing I have to regrease on the bike, so I'm wondering if you might have a similar problem.

Or it could just be the single speed :)

Didn't really rebuild it: just took it apart, cleaned and re-greased.

It's not what I'd call "hard" to pedal, but the rear axle bearing races aren't smooth, so there's some lumpy resistance for sure. You don't really notice it on the road, but if you turn the crank by hand it's obvious.

Getting the ball bearings totally clean may be the hardest part if they are not loose. The other consideration is adjusting the play on the bearings. When putting the hub back together allow enough free play so that when the axle nuts are tightened against the frame there is no drag. make sure all the links in the chain are free also.

Waxing the chrome and spokes helps but if you have a store that sells CRC Marine Clear spray, that is awesome protection against salt corrosion. Rustoleum or automotive clear coats work well on all components and acrylic enamel is safe to use over most paints.

Sounds like rebuilding to me! Anyway, maybe it would be worth it to you in enjoyment to get new races and bearings at the LBS. They'd probably last another 50 years. :)

I think it's good enough now. That was a rebuilding, huh?

They aren't loose, no.

I'm sure it can use some fine-tuning.

It'll soon be put away anyway, despite today's freakish summer-like blast of weather we're getting from the south, winter is around the corner and I won't subject this old girl to harsh conditions & road salt. That's what the Pirate Bike (of unknown lineage) is for: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...-bike-300.html

My "new" winter bike is a curb side NEXT full suspension mountain bike. Different wheels, chain rings, fenders, seat tube rack, and full fairing will complete the build.

Nice bike(s)!
Like to see them crop up from time-to-time.
I have two single-speed 50's Higgins Colorflows, one springer front, one not.

The older of the two was my first "big bike" 40 years ago! :eek:

~CrazyJerry

Picking the right bike is a bit more complicated than going to a store and picking the one that looks nice. Weather, terrain, and traffic density affect the type of bike whether hybrid, commuter, or road bike. Next is getting the frame sized properly for your body dimensions. I use Zinn Cycles online program for recommendations on frame, stem, and crank arm sizes. Gearing is a matter of plotting the steps between a suitable low and high. If you are in stop and go traffic without steep hills, an internal gear hub is easier to shift when stopped. I have a 24 spd Jamis Aragon 700C and a Huffy 3 spd 26" as favorites. The aluminum Jamis is great on hills and towing a trailer. The Huffy is slick in traffic. I have fairings and bags for both.

Zinn's calculator is not too far off overall, but I disagree with the longer crankarm length (theory) that is a theme with Zinn. I still have a variety of crankarms here with some longer Bullseye 190's and then down to 152's. Over two years of using a variety of length adjustments on the powercranks and data from the Computrainer, I repeatedly found VO2max through the roof with longer cranks not to mention the aero disadvantage that accompanies them via poorer aero profile due to lower seat height. (This was also the experience of a few of my competitors at the time). My best years racing started as soon as I switched to the shorter cranks and making better use of the gears and decreased shorter crank circumference. With the powercranks and additional pedal weights, it was possible to actually pedal around the entire 360 circle, even in the full aero position. Not possible with the long cranks unless the front bars were raised. Almost 15 years later, the industry started gravitating that way (beyond the stock 175mm) and you could see the shorter ones being more readily available as opposed to the stock 175-ish ones.

Interestingly, like engines (with their bore/stroke ratio), people (with their leg length ratio) have a relationship when it comes to power output in cycling. When a longer crankarm is used and a higher cadence is desired, the footspeed is also considerably higher and the lower leg (and knee) get to deal with this increased speed as a result.....

On a downhill, "spinning out" was nearly impossible with the short cranks, no bounce either like with the long cranks..

Ok, sorry for all the blabbity, blab but I'm not convinced an optimal crankarm length can be based on a formula. There's way too many variables to include fast-twitch/slow-twitch as well as the actual event itself (distance/sprint/mountain/etc..)..... And then there's the rabbit trail of the KNOPS (knee over pedal spindle). It never ends! :rolleyes:

~CrazyJerry

I agree. The bike needs to fit the person, the terrain, and gearing. Some people ride around town at 60 rpm. I gear for 90 rpm and those who road race will spin higher. There is a great range of options in sizing a bike. That is what makes a bicycle different from a scooter or motorcycle. So how long is your femur;)

Agreed! At the time I had a Softride (for fitment and training) and used Powercranks, so I was able to see every adjustment's affect on heartrate and power output. After switching focus away from racing, I used that same setup again when generating electricity from the bike for the house. The goal was to get as many watts possible from these getaway sticks. This resulted in yet another extended study of the longer lever idea with crankarms....

On the Vengeance (diamond frame) for speed there is a 56 tooth front ring and an 11 tooth rear.
On the Challenge (recumbent) for speed there is a 60 tooth front ring, then a mid-drive, and an 11 tooth rear. If I need more on a downhill a Schlumph is my Hail-Mary! :D YeeHaww!

Femur-wise is around 22.5 inches. I used to stumble over all that info at one time, now it's all buried somewhere! :o

~CrazyJerry

spotted another one...
 

So, you know how when you get a new car, all of a sudden you start seeing them everywhere?

This is not exactly the same.

And you know how some people like to decorate their properties with old bikes painted in bright colours?

Yesterday I spotted an old CCM just like my '62 (the "kinked" top tube is a dead giveaway), but painted bright red -- a bauble on a farmer's fence. I'm tempted to stop in next time to check the serial number to see what year it is. Possible trade up/down?

Is this how it starts?

Yes, this is how it starts.

CCM out of hibernation; first mod!
 

The old machine wintered well! It still had 30 PSI in both tires! (Seems the tires on my cars aren't even that good.)

First mod: CCM pickup truck. AKA wicker basket on the rat trap. 100% more useful!

However the singlespeed made it -100% useful to start with, so we're really just getting back to zero on the utility scale.

But now I have an inexplicable desire to pedal to a market and buy some French bread.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1430947980

"And your little dog too." I keep a selection of chain rings front and rear to adjust gearing.

Makes sense. This old bike's chain & rings don't look like standard (modern) sizes, so maybe not easy to find alternative gearing?

I'm content to just complain about it.

old ccms
 

Nice ride metro, looks pretty good in that color. Cool old seat too. My 48 on 28s is my favourite bike by far. Rolls so fast. Its made from at least 2 dump scores. And some old bars.

Wait - yours is a 1948 frame?

And is that the rumdog? :D

more ccms
 

Yea thats right 1948, badged CCM Cleveland. Prob not original forks but not 100%. Wheels are off a donor 1952, the originals were no good, but looked great with a double pinstripe on each side.
Ha no thats the security system, Jakedog.
heres a busy pic of two more ccms... both 26 inch wheelers, and my first one with baloon tyres. Not sure on the years yet.

Can anyone give me an idea of how old this is? I nabbed it at a police auction. It's a Raleigh with a 3 speed hub. I didn't know if it was a new repro of an older bike, or an actual older bike, but there was a sticker on it from the store that sold it originally, and that store hasn't been around for a long time, so I am guessing it's '80s era? There's also a decal that says something about being made with steel, and made in Canada if I remember correctly. I figure if it wasn't made in china it at least has to be from the '90s. I know a bit about BMX bikes, but nothing about this stuff.


http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8itkacti.jpg

Do me a favor, and measure pin to pin on the chain. It should be all standard single speed chain, in which case you could use whatever sprockets you wanted.

Newer than 1970 based on the 36-spoke wheels. Possibly a 1980 based on the white cable housing on the top tube, if that's original. You'll have to go through this thread and look for the details:

Sheldon Brown's Raleigh Twenty Bicycle Page :)

Looks like a nice bike in need of some vintage parts. ;)

CCM cache
 

WE GOT A HOARDER!!

Just kidding. :D I have more bikes than cars myself. One for nearly every occasion! I've discovered there's something special about riding around on a really old bike. The style, plus something else.

I did, and right you are: it's standard size. The chunky looking width & depth of the CCM's crank ring is what made me think it was different.

Check the gear hub as it appears to be a Sturmey Archer rather than a Shimano. My 1967 Huffy came with 36 spoke wheels and white cables when I bought it new.
Modern chains will have the same pitch but may be 3/32" wide for derailleur use rather than 1/8" for internal gear hubs.

Baha i prefer collector! Don't make me count them! Someones gotta grab those gems and polish em up. I like the oldies... Its like riding a piece of history.
I dont have a recumbent, trike or tall bike (yet!)

Yes, it is a Sturmey Archer, I looked at it today. The hub was stamped with a 76 and a 12, so is that Dec. 1976 for the production date?

Yessir.

Could be this. They changed the chain guard design for '77.

retro bike share program
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1430947980

After a bit of spring maintenance (replaced a busted spoke and a tube with 5 patches on it), the old CCM was put back in service last week.

It caught my nephew's eye, and he asked if he could use it to commute to his summer job this year (~10 km round trip / 6 mi.).

Yes! I will happily enable a family member to leave a car parked when possible.

I told him a used $45 mountain bike would be far more practical & useful, but apparently retro fashion trumps utility.

Hopefully he enjoys the bike, and it returns in 4 months without too much damage!

Since it is very flat terrain there this would work fine. A light set and horn are recommended and a chain guard would be good too. I am finishing a paint job this week on a 80's CCM mixte frame.