Greetings From Detroit

Submitted by PJB on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 06:45

Good Day To All!

I am new to this user group and am glad to have found it. From what I have read, it sure is filled with friendly & helpful people.

My Almost-Vintage CCM is a Concorde that I bought new. I only call it Almost-Vintage because if the bike is old enough to be called "Vintage", that makes me really, really vintage!. I'm not ready for that title quite yet!

I have ridden many, many bicycles over the years and this CCM Concorde is my hands down favorite. It's my daily rider. (Actually- Right now I only own two. A Schwinn Typhoon from when I was a kid & this CCM)

I don't know if my loyality to this Concorde is simple sentiment based on this bicycle being my first brand new bike (for which I saved many years to purchase).  Or is my loyalty (more likely) based on the fact that this bike is a very fine piece of equipment?

I like how it handles my daily trips & travels. It shifts pretty well, rides very, very straight, stays adjusted and is easy to maintain. The frame is stiff when it needs to be and quite compliant if necessary. And yes, I like my brakes' Suicide Grips.

Around here, the streets are disasters. My Concorde's frame & forks do not complain in the least about the holes and cracks!  After thousands of miles on poor streets and my share of "Yikes ! Car ! Jump !", I would have expected some brazed joint cracks or twisting. Not with this CCM. It ain't no sissy!

Having more than 10 speeds is not important to me. I only seem to use 4 of the combinations anyway. Weight is certainly not an issue. It isn't like I am trying to set a land speed record. Heck, if I reach 24mph I'm celebrating. And most likely going down hill. I ride for serentiy and health. As far as health goes, the heavier the bike, the better! (Or so the Stethescope Crowd tells me)

Sure, it doesn't have the latest & greatest components. Nor does the bike contain fancy brand name parts. My bicycle has it's share of paint scrapes from emergency dumps and the decals are disintegrating, but by age 40, I had some imperfections, too!

What vintage CCM bicycles all have is, integrity! There is nothing fake nor pretentious about any vintage CCM bike. They are what they are. Good Bicycles.  (Sorry Preppies) 

PS: I ride in street clothes & have a dorky helmet, too. Please don't tell the cool kids.

Thanks for letting me brag about my nifty bike! Thanks, too, for all the great information in this site. It's fun to explore.

Enjoy This Day!

Paul

PS: I've attached an amateur photo of the Concorde. Just showing off my spiffy bike.

Please pardon the add-ons in the photo, like the seat tool bag & pump & stuff

 

4 Comments

Submitted by T-Mar on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 11:02.

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you are getting so much enjoyment out of your Concorde. They are a rare enough bicycle in Canada let alone Detroit! Unfortunately, rarity does not always equate to valuable, though this one is obviously very precious to yourself. From what I can see, you've kept in very condition, given it's age and usage.

Submitted by PJB on Fri, 08/29/2014 - 08:48.

Hi T-Mar!

Thaks for your kind words aobut my bicycle!

I try to keep it nice & am maintenance crazy. Upon closer inspection, you would see lots & lots of paint chips and decal problems (including yesterday's 'Yikes! Crazy Driver! ' dump scrapes on the left fork). Folks have got to stop playing with phones while driving! I don't as well as I used to.

Someday I hope to source proper replacement decals and stickers,. It looks like a combination of some decals & some stickers. A couple seem to be under clear coat & some over. I'd like to even have made another Detroit license from the olden days.

I'd also love to do a total re-paint. (But that's a big maybe at this point. Perhpas it should be left alone & original.) When I can no longer ride a bike, which ever museum I give it to can decide, assuming,of course, a museum would want it.

 

Thanks Again for your cheerful reply!

Paul

Submitted by T-Mar on Sun, 08/31/2014 - 07:39.

I'm not aware of any manufacturers of replacement transfers for the CCM boom era models. I've owned four models from this period and they all used a dry, self-adhesive, sticker style transfer. None were under a clearcoat.

There are about a handful of manufacturers that specialize in replacement bicycle transfers and most offer tubing decals for the major suppliers. Try Cyclcomondo or Velocals for a replacement decal of the notoriously fragile Reynolds transfer. 

Submitted by PJB on Mon, 09/01/2014 - 06:23.

Thank You Once Again T-Mar!

I must have mis judged about the stickers being under a clear coat. I was kinda-sorta feeling around with a fingernail. After reading your reply, it just looks like some transfers are thin & some thick. One thing I never paid attention to in the past was how great the paint job is. CCM sure did nice work.

You sent good news that that these are dry transfers. A quick search shows that they are much less expensive to have created in small runs than traditional water slide decals would be.

In the 'way-back' days (before internet and Kikos Print Centers) I'd get dry-stick labeling for custom electrical equipment from the folks who own the concession trailers one sees at fairs & carnivals. I asked one operator once where she got the nifty art on the trailer & windows. She said "My basement!". All I had to do was provide artwork.  Who'd a thunk it?

These days, it might even turn out to be a do-it-yourself project. This sounds like a great wintertime adventure to explore. And, if I have a brain, I'll get photos and dimensions right away before any more damage or peeling happens.

Thanks, too, for the 'Reynolds 531 Frame tubing' sources. All the places I had found to-date were way more expensive than either of these two vendors. Each also has a great site to browse.

The sun just came up, so it's off for a ride!