Two Speed CCM's ?

Submitted by Mink_Elan on Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:06

In early 1938, two American coaster brake manufacturers introduced 2 speed epicyclic coaster hubs for the first time in many decades.  these were the New Departure model DD and the Musselman 2 speed.  Postwar, Bendix introduced their version, the MultiSpeed Power Brake.  All were shifted by either a large hand lever (early Musselman - see photo of a Sears Elgin twin-bar) or a crossbar cable trigger.

Does anyone know if any of these were ever fitted by CCM to their premium bikes, say  Flyte, in place of the Hercules coaster hub?

5 Comments

Submitted by Alan on Sat, 05/25/2013 - 18:05.

not sure but that is incredibly cool. Looks awkward to ride but the cool factor totally makes up for it.

Submitted by roadworthy on Sat, 05/25/2013 - 19:39.

My recently bought 1940 FLYTE is fitted with the ultra rare CCM factory installed  Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub/drum brake setup as per the catalogue option.  I am not aware of any 2 speed options.

Submitted by Mink_Elan on Sun, 05/26/2013 - 00:26.

Roadworthy, do you have a picture of your recent Flyte?  That is a key piece of onformation -if CCM was fitting the 1936 designed Sturmey Arher AW (in drum brake form) in 1940, there would have been no point in an American 2 speed for a similar price.

Could you tell me the month/year stamp on the hub, and its model number?  Given that war had broken out, this may have been a Swiss made Sturmey.

Much obliged,

           Mink_Elan.

Submitted by roadworthy on Sun, 05/26/2013 - 18:43.

The hub reads as follows:  ENGLAND     STURMEY ARCHER     AB- (the rest is unreadable as in too faintly inscribed)   PATENT APPLIED FOR    This is all it says.   The shifter reads  MADE IN ENGLAND

Submitted by T-Mar on Sun, 06/02/2013 - 10:02.

There's no mention of any multi-speed models in my 1938 or 1941 catalogues. The only multi-speed mentioned during this era was a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed option for 1939 and prices lists for that year show price dops, so I'm assuming they were liquidating existing stock, which they had exhausted by 1941.