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CCM Crescent Bike
I was just given an old CCM Crescent bike and although this is not my first vintage bike I do think it might be the oldest that I own. The serial number is N35741 which I believe in a 1929 but correct me if I am wrong. I am super excited about owning a 90 year old bike and
I need to put some new tires on it and do some tlc but it has a real nice patina on it and I would like to keep it as original as possible to preserve it's history. I would be open to any ideas you want to share? Thanks in advance for any insight and assistance you can give me..
This is out of a catalogue I have some photocopied pages from.
Thank is awesome thanks. So do you think the bike is a 1929?
The N in the serial number means 1929, and the bike looks consistent with 1929. I have a 1934 CCM with the same chainring. From 1935 onwards CCM used the chainring with the c-c-m letters. The shiny bits are nickel plated, not chrome plated. I can sell you a pair of fenders if you're interested.
Thanks for the information and are he fenders in nice shape? How much would you need out of them and where are you located?
I'm in Toronto. Email me at brianrreynolds@yahoo.com (note extra r in the middle).
Question so according to the 1929 catalogue this bike only came out in maroon so do you think the bike was repainted years ago or just badly faded? If its just badly faded I would like to keep it like that but if it has been repainted then I would sand it down and redo it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
To me it looks like the white colour was a repaint that has not aged well. On the head tube (around the badge) the paint has broken down into tiny patches, something the factory paint doesn't do. The good news is the nickel plating seems in good shape. Recently I had a frame blasted for the first time, and was very pleased with the result. It left a smooth finish, a "blank canvas" free of paint and rust. It was blasted with walnut shells and glass beads. I've been told that sand leaves a rough surface that needs to be sanded before primer.
So, if it were my bike, I would dismantle it, clean and grease the bearings, have the frame blasted, then prime, sand, prime, sand, and paint with maroon. Some people insist on an original finish regardless of condition. If that's you, you could hit it with oven cleaner for 10 minutes at a time, then wash it off. Wear gloves. You might uncover most of the original maroon. If not, the blasting option is still available. Then reassemble with your good nickel parts, new rubber grips, and ride.
I see you're in Alberta. I could mail you a pair of fenders for $60 plus shipping. If you're interested, I'll post photos.
Brian, I really appreciate the information you have gave me and I just started using oven cleaner to repair the old paint and it works awesome.
You can follow up the oven cleaner with grade 0000 extra fine steel wool and hot soapy water to remove the last stubborn areas of paint. That trick works well on rusty chrome and white wall tires, but done gently can also help clean up tired paint.