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1974 CCM Elite 5speed
Last week I purchased a complete working CCM Elite in reasonable condition with a 23" frame. It is equipped with a Shimano Tourney rear derailleur and clunky looking Shimano shifter. Last summer I was given an Elite Mixte also 1974 according to the F serial#. It was equipped with a Sun Tour Honor rear derailleur and Sun Tour shifter. I'm sure the mixte was original as it was a one owner bike and they did not recall any work being done on it. The 23" frame mens bike appears to be oriinal as well ecept the saddle. Would this have been common to use varous shifters? I like these old 5speeds and find them good town riders.
That Shimano shift lever is their Flat model. It was OEM spec in 1973, the first year for the Elite. In 1974, the Elite switched to SunTour for both the derailleur and shift lever. Consequently, I believe the F prefix on the prefix may be a incompletely stamped E. The original rear derailleur was a Shimano Lark SS.
Non-spec components from the factory was an issue, though you see it largely on 1972 models. By 1973, supply had caught up with demand and factory substitutions were very rare. Furthermore, the Tourney was two steps above the Lark SS and not spec'd on any other CCM models, so they shouldn't have had any stock in the factory. Consequently, I believe it's a replacement.
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