A Few Questions About My Concorde

The Concorde only catalogued for two years, 1973 and 1974. Yours is definitely the 1973, as it has the steel, cottered crankset, as opposed to the 1974's aluminum, cotterless, Sugino Maxy. 

As a former CCM dealer during this era, I can tell you that it was common for CCM 10 speeds to sit around for a year or two, unless it was a Targa. The 10 speed market was dominated by teenagers and young adults who were counter-culture oriented and tended to view well established, domestic companies with disdane. The "hip" thing in 1973 was to have a European 10 speed from a European company like Peugeot, Gitane or Raleigh. If the prospective buyer had their own money, they almost invariably bought European. If they didn't and had to rely on their parents, the parents often bought CCM based on reputation and national pride, but tended to buy the entry level model, the Targa. The Targa was the only CCM lightweight that sold in any appreciable quantity. 

While I'm not positive, I'm not aware of CCM using operator's stamps. More likely the HB is a marking pertaining to the bottom bracket shell supplier.

The big German pedal manufacturer in the 1970s was Union but they were typically stamped with a U inside a crest. I'm not sure what these are.  

The front derailleur appears to be one of the several Shimano Tourney variants. If you look on the back of the cage, there should be a stamped part number and two letter date code which will allow us to determine the exact model and year.

I forgot to mention that the disc behind the cogs is properly called the spoke protecctor plate/disc and often colloquially called a "dork disc" because it protects the spokes from owners who don't know how to properly set up a rear derailleur. 

Also, 1973 was the peak year of the 1970s bicycle boom. During 1972 and 1973 it was not uncommon to see manufacturers substitute parts that were different from those specified due to shortages. Consequently, don't get wound up over small details like variations in spoke protectors and chainring guards. The defining difference is the steel, cottered crankset on the 1973 Concorde, versus the aluminum, cotterless crankset on the 1974 Concorde. 

HB may stand for Hayden Brothers, a British manufacturer of lugs, bottom bracket shells and frame fittings.

Hi T-Mar & All!

Thanks Very Much for the great information! I'm now available to complete my list of what's-what on my bike.

It is nice to be albe to lock in the model year as 1973 based on your crank tyoe explanation. There was way too much conflicting information in the cyber world for me to know with certainty (before today!).

To be honest, I have always gotten along better with cottered cranks than with cotterless. If I would stop taking things apart for maintenance, this would not be important, but that ain't gonna happen!

My list of the components that came with my bike is almost complete & available in case it is helpful to someone to learn  which components the 1973 Concorde was equipped with. (At least the stuff that came on my particular bicycle). Still unknown are pedal manufacturer & original tire brand.

Let me know if you would like a copy & I'll e-mail it over or post it here if appropriate.

Why Concorde?  When I was a kid, my siblings & I never could have good bikes. They would get stolen while riding or even from in the house. My brothers & I would chain our bikes to the basement columns, but still they would vanish. I had a series of trash picked bikes or franken-bikes I built from all manner & brand of donors. I'd paint them all up ugly so no one wanted the bike. If they survived, they'd get handed down from sibling to sibling until poor Brother Number 7 inherited it. I don't think that kid ever did get a new bike and he's 50 something now.

When I was fianlly 'all grown up' at about age 19 I got a job as a police officer in Detroit, making a whopping $8200.00 a year. I moved to a nicer neighborhood and started saving for a brand new bicycle of my own.

You hit the nail on the head about people wanting European bikes. Around here, Raleigh was king. I always thought them to be fragile, perhpas incorrectly, so I wasn't sure what bicycle I wanted.

One day, I was in Windsor saw the CCM bicycle line. I was leaning toward Targa. OK, I'll be honest- My wallet was leaning toward Targa. Then I rode the Concorde. For some still unknown reason- That bike was for me! I think the frame is too big, but I may have shrunk. I still prefer this bike over all the others I;ve ever owned. It's a keeper (and certainly will never be a wall hanger).

Thanks for the Hayden brothers information. I toured their web stie. It was a fun read and quite informative.

The pedals look something like Atom 440 to me, but there is no Atom marking. I also think Atom is French, but I'm not sure. I don't remember if my pedals came with cages. I may have ditched them, as I never was coordinated enought to survive emergencies having my feet in the traps. 

I like the name "Dork Disc" . Very appropriate, indeed. Once I had a bike without one. Yep- Lost some spokes due to my poorly executed adjustments. (We won't discuss the resultant sudden stop!)

I found the codes on the front derailleur. You hit the nail on the head- Tourney FD-TY25.  I wonder why I never noticed it before? I've had it off many times for frame washing & waxing.

It has the date code SA. Could that be January 1994? I bought it in 1999, so could it have been something the bike shop had sitting around or a take-off from a different bike? Or, did I de-code wrong?

Thanks Again for the great information! I sure appreciate the time you spent writing and the generosity of knowledge sharing. 

Enjoy This Day- It's Free!

Paul

I'm glad I could help. The Concorde was a quite nice riding bicycle for it's price point. While the geometry and most of the components are the same as a Targa, the plain gauge Reynolds 531 main tubes provided extra resiliency and a small weight savings. You may have picked up on that difference, even if you couldn't explain it at the time. The same frame was also used on CCM's Mistral and Silver Ghost., with cosmetic differnces, so it basically did triple duty. 

Atom is indeed a French brand, though the most common French pedal of the era was Lyotard. The only other German pedal manufacturer from the era that I recall is Buchel, but their logo was a four leaf clover. Still, I'm wondering if DBP might stand for Deutsch Buchel Pedal?

Yes, that part number indicates the front derailleur is definitely a Tourney model and 1994 is the correct year. It's not uncommon for parts to hang around in shops for several years. If you want to restore the Concorde to OEM spec, it shouldn't be too hard to hunt down one of the Simplex piston derailleurs.

Hello All!

I am still stumped on the pedal brand, but found a clue.  Perhaps you all will recognize the marking on the pedal.

I had looked at the left pedal for markings, never thinking to look at the right pedal. The axle end cap on the left is 'textured". It seems that 'textured' really means scratched up from skidding on the pavement. when I fell. The right pedal is also scratched, but has faintly visible markings. 

I have not been able to figure out who made the pedal by searching for the logo & the found numbers. 

The logo is a W inside a circle. That circle is inside an almost complete circle. There's a long version of the tilde character in the area, too. The alpha-numberic on the pedal end cap are K10486 and Mod. 75.  I could not get a good photograph, so I've attached the best one I could shoot. Also, I posted a snap shot of "Unknown Pedal" wth the same markings that I found on line. 

Thread Size is also a mystery. The person with the 'unknown pedal' matching the marking on my pedal says it is French threads. I fi remember correctly, those are M14 with 1.25 pitch

 My pedals, I think, are 9/16-20. But this is just conjecture based on age & brand at this point. You all will know far better than I what came on CCM.

The two sizes (M14-1.25 and 9/16-20) are quite close, so measuring is ttricky for me. My thread pitch gauges for 20 and 1.25 do not precisely fit the pedal threads, so no help there. (The profile on each gauge is taller than the pedal threads, but the pitches are the same for both.I think 1.25 is 20 TPI)  The stud measures 0.553". diameter. so it is quite close to14mm and 9/16. The wrench flats take a 14mm wrench better than SAE sizes. 9/16 won't fit & 19/32 is too loose. 

Do any of you recognize the logo or know what the treading is? It certainly isn't critcal, but I like to learn as much as I can about my CCM bicycle. (Love this bike!)

T-Mar, you were right again! It was quite easy to find a new-old-stock Simplex Prestige piston type for what I think is a good price. (About 40.00 USD). It is in France, so it may take a whle to arrive. Prices sure vary on these!

It will be nice to be able to bring my bike one step closer to "Original Factory" equipment.

Actually, the original Simplex always shifted more precisely than I have ever been able to get the Tournery shifting so I'm excited to install it & use the front gearing again.

Thanks For Ideas & Help!  It is always much appreciated.

Paul

Sorry- I goofed on the file attachment in my last post. Here's a photo of the "Unknown Pedal" I saw on line. It is easier to view than the one of my pedal.

Paul

When I mentioned the availability of the front derailleurs. I was thinking more along the lines of hitting a local shop that has been around since the boom era. These guys generally have a few good, used samples hanging around in bins and would probably charge about $10. For instance, I'm pretty sure I have a couple lying around. If you haven't ordered that NOS Ebay front derailleur and are interested, let me know. I'll dig them out and post some pictures.

Thanks T-Mar for your  offer to search your parts for one to sell. I sure appreciate it. I guess I didn't shop too well afterall.

I had checked the local bike shops. Around here, there is only one family owned place left. They didn't have it and one of the chain stores had it but wanted over $200.00 used. I left that one behind.

The chain stores seem to have done to bike shops what the big box stores did to Mom & Pop hardwares. Sad, ain't it?

Today's adventure is brake repair. A week or so ago I had to do an emergency bail out when a car decided to occupy the same place I was riding. (Cell phone driver). The brake lever sides & one side of the hood got bent, so the lever is quite wobbly and can't pull in properly.

It looks like Cherry used a good quality of aluminum, so   s l o w   re-bending & aligning should go smoothly. Thankfully the assist lever survived. Good excuse to take things apart to clean & re-lube!

Thanks Again & Enjoy This Day!

Paul

Well, I finally located the two Simplex front derailleurs. Unfortunately, both are for the slightly smaller, metric seat tubes used on French bicycles of the era. Sorry!

Thank You  Very Much! T-Mar for digging these out. I sure appreciate your efforts, help & advice.

I was able to carefully get the brake hood & lever bent back into almost original shape. I chickened out, fearing too much manipulation would tear the aluminum. The lever works well now with minimal side-to-side play. As soon as I can learn to stop staring at it while riding...

Today I'm going to repair the left pedal. It started grinding & turning stiffly. Surprisingly, the pedal is able to be disassembled.  (Exploded View attached)

When I removed the dust cap, I found that the jamb nut on the axle had unthreaded itself. The dust cap is deep enough to allow the nut to completely come off the axle. It got wedged against the threaded portion & the housing.

I found it interesting that the nut is right hand thread on the left hand threaded pedal. But who am I to question? I can't get my dyslexic brain to 'do the physics' right now. Perhpas a bit later...

Fortunately, the balls & races look good. Actually, the races are removable & are pretty cool. They have dividers between the balls. I'm impressed. A photo of one race is attached.

The cone is a bit chewed up. On the way off, it got stuck on some damaged thereads on the axle.  I was very careful to unscrew the cone with a back-and-forth motion using plenty of oil. Kind of like using a threading die. Fortunately, the cone threads survived.

It threads on with a bit of difficulty at a point of damage on the axle threads, but will pass it. Hopefully it will be able to snug up at the proper position. If the damaged threads interfere with it, I'll try thread locking compound (?).

I think I may be able to do some careful sanding to remove the upsets on the cone's taper (while using my strongest Optivisor!!). The tabbed washer (Perhaps more accurately called 'bushing') survived fine.

The lamb nut is also damaged, but may still be serviceable. A few threads on the axle itself are also squashed where the jamb nut got wedged after it came off.  I think the damage is  where the assembled & adjusted system won't be troubled.

I couldn't find a replacement jamb nut locally, but believe it may be usable after a bit of file work.  Bike & fastener stores didn't recognize the thread.  i am guessing it's M7 x 1 (6.76mm diameter) The hex is 10mm- So I am concentrating on it being a metric thread.

Perhpas some removable thread locking compound on the jamb nut would be a good idea? What do you think?

Whie looking for the jamb nut, all 3 local bike shops immediatley said to junk the pedals. One said to junk the whole bike.

What a throw away society we live in!. Whatever happened to keeping things original?  (Not to mention out of landfils).  At worst, I'll do my best to repair the pedal and then ride with it until it self destructs. Heck, maybe it will last another 40 years (Hope I last that long & am still riding!)

Funny, too, was that, out of 3 shops I visited one said the pedal crank side threading is French "Because CCM is from Quebec" (Huh?), one said "Beats Me"  and one said non-standard. (I'm thinking 9/16-20). 

So, that's today's little project for the rainy hours. Sould be kind of enjoyable. I sometimes don't know which is more fun- Riding the bike or working on it. Both, I guess!

Thanks You Again. T-Mar,  for looking for the derailleur for my bike. I really do appreciate your help!

Paul

The pedal threads are almost certainly 9/16" x 20 TPI. CCM did use 1/2" x 20 TPI on some models, but the boom era 10 speeds I've owned have been 9/16" x 20 TPI. 

After CCM when bankrupt in 1983, the brand was bought by Procycle, who were a Quebec based bicycle company. They almost immediately sold the hockey rights to Sport Maska (a division of Reebok) but kept the bicycle rights and started  manufacturing CCM. In 2010 Sport Maska bought the bicycle rights and licensed out the brand name to the Canadian Tire Corporation, who contract out the design and manufacture to various companies.

The one shop may have been familiar with the Procycle era CCMs and assumed they would be metric threaded, as Procycle was also a licensed Peugeot manufacturer. However, metric pedal  threads pretty much disappeared in the mid-1980s, when ISO came out with their bicycle standards. Even before that, North American market Peugeot were using imperial pedal threads. While I've never specifically checked, I'd be really surprised if any Procycle era CCM used metric pedal threads. 

I find there is a lot of personal satisfaction in resurrecting a damaged or broken bicycle component, even if the tiime and effort involved far outweigh the cost of a replacement. However, a shop owner must look at it from a purely economical standpoint and I completey understand his statement, having lived in his shoes. It's fine if you are doing it for yourself but impractical if you are running a business. 99.9% of your customers just wouldn't be willing to pay the labour charges. 

I also have a 73 Concorde mixte. The back wheel has the radial slots as well. It came to me without a front wheel. I replaced the wheels with period alloy 27x 1 1/4. I had a Schwinn Le Tour Luxe and took all of the alloy parts and put it on the Concorde. Now alloy Sugino crankset, Araya alloy wheels, and alloy cruiser bars. I set it up like this for my wife. With the alloy parts it is very light and rides superbly. My wife likes it very much. It still looks good and the mixte frame draws a lot of attention.

The reynolds 531 and CCM decals are still readable. The Autenburger centerpull brakes work well with new blocks. All of the bearings were cleaned, inspected and replaced as needed. Nice tight bike.

When this bike was built I still lived in Mi and worked for TRW between 14 and 15 mile roads. I now live in Tn.

Paul

I certainly did not mean to be disrespetful to the bicycle shop persons, except for the guy who told me to junk the bike. One should never, ever insult the customer's choice of product.  

All but one of those shops do not sell any component parts at all, just entire assemblies.  I couldn't even buy brake pads  (for a newer Taiwan Schwinn bike). The one that sells pads only has them for high end brakes. Modern times I guess.

I do understand the economics of it all, inlcuding space to keep small bits around.  Gotta pay the rent, taxes, lights, taxes, heat, taxes, insurance, taxes...    Sometimes clients will bring me, for example, a switchgear in need of repair.  More often than I would like, I must tell them it is more economical to buy new from a wholesaler than to repair the existing unit. (Although being a very small business, I can afford to do $5.00 per hour repairs. A 'real' business could not.)

Perhpas I was waxing nostalgic about the days when the local bike shop had boxes of used  'smalls'. There was one like that in my neighborhood when I was young enough to have to 'cross at the light' (Puritan Bike Shop on Puritan & Wildemere for you Detroters). The owner was a very nice lady who loved kids. Her mechanic, Mister Jim, would reach into a 'box-o-magic' & pull out a bearing, nut, clamp...  Whatever one needed, Mister Jm had it.  And, we could bring our bikes inside so they wouldn't disapper. What a nice store that was! (We all boycotted the other local shop. They were a chop shop for stolen bikes. Boo!)

Since we were very polite and respectful kids, the price was usually "Bring me a donut later" which lead to a trip- at exactly 3pm- to the local market where the bakery lady would give us the leftovers; all tied up with string in a crisp, white box for Mister Jim. The good old days!

The pedal rebuilding went well. I also opened the right pedal for cleaning & lubrication. I found that one bearing ball was missing. (Guaranteed not dropped- I work in a magnetized, padded, deep wall tray.) Beate me. So, I will search my box-o-magic for a 4mm ball. (Bikes are funny- Always a mix of metric and SAE sizes- Even in the  olden days.)

Paul, your Concorde Mixtie sounds really neat. I've never seen a mixtie Concorde. If you get a chance, do you mind posting a photo? Someday, I hope to find a catalog reprint of the 1973 or 1974 CCM line to view all the versions. Honestly. I really like my Concorde.

Did you work in TRW's Van Dyke faciltiy? I've done some projects there over the years. Amazing place, indeed!

Enjoy Today!

The Other Paul

1973 catalogue picture. 

Thank You for posting the Mixtie page, T-Mar.

That's a good looking bicycle! 

Paul

I did work at the Van Dyke plant for over 18 years, finished as a maintneance supervisor. I left in 1986. I will post a picture of the mixte when I get a chance. I have replaced a lot of parts and now it is a very light bike. We live in the mountains in Oneida Tn. and riding is challenging with the hills. All of my bikes end up with megarange freewheels to make climbing easier