New member to site

Submitted by DaveCurrie on Thu, 02/11/2021 - 10:33

Hi all,

Thought I'd make a post to introduce myself. Long time reader of this site, new time poster.

Just want to say it feels good to know that I am not alone in being a fan of products of pre 1982 Canada Cycle and Motor.. It seems useful to stay in touch with each other to keep these old beauties riding on the road.

Just spent some time making a 1927 Flyer into a rider but got stuck on the crankset. Those ProLite Triplex cranks seem tricky for me to find and have current owners part with! So I went with a Velo Orange crankset and it works ok. Forgone the wooden rims in favour of aluminium for practical purposes. So not a correct restoration, but it gives the feel of a nice rider.

I got this one from Jimmy Matsui for helping to deliver the premises of Grove Cycle on College Street Toronto around 2006. Jimmy was the son of one of the owners. Jimmy says he got the bike in the 70's and converted to have ten speeds and hand brakes and a new chrome fork and raced OCA races on it. I was lucky to find the correct old fork in a giant pile of scrap metal that had piled up behind the shop. Since Jimmy drilled the frame for a back brake, I went with it and it is a little safer to ride with thet hand brake. Back hub is Solite, front hub is CCM Delta. Bars picked up from Brantford meet in 2019.

Brings joy when ridden,

Cheers,

Dave

Introductions

6 Comments

Submitted by DaveCurrie on Thu, 02/11/2021 - 10:39.

Whoops a picture worth a thoussand words.

Here it is at University College, Toronto. Fun to ride around the oval in front of the old school. . .

Submitted by John on Mon, 02/15/2021 - 09:45.

Welcome to the site Dave. Nice looking ride.

Submitted by T-Mar on Thu, 02/18/2021 - 20:37.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but only if taken from the drive side. Obscuring the drive train with a non-drive side photo will only lead to more questions, particulalry with derailleur equipped bicycles.

Submitted by Dave Brown on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 07:54.

I don't t see a derailleuron on it.

Submitted by DaveCurrie on Wed, 02/24/2021 - 11:46.

Hi Dave and T Mar,

Yes you are correct that is a pretty so-so picture. I was excited because it was the first ride on the fixed gear version of the bike in a while.

To be clear - it had two simplex derailleurs, down tube shifters, a Maxy crank, Mafac brakes, chrome 27" fork and a Maes handlebar on it when I got it from Jim Matsui (son of Grove Cycle (downtown Toronto CCM dealer) owner), because in the 60's or 70's he used it for criterium racing. Mr. Matsui also repainted it with what looks like blood. I was lucky to recover the fork from a gigantic pile of scrap metal - it felt like pulling excalibur from a stone.

I didn't like his setup so I've been trying to return to to closer to the frame's original design. So I removed the derailleurs and 42/52 crank and put on a track back hub and a Velo Orange single speed crankset.

The only original parts are the headset, fork and maybe the BB lock ring.

All other original parts were lost to history.

Regrets not a correct restoration, but it is a joy to ride.

Dave Currie

Weston