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Looking for info/advice on my vintage CCM
Hello!
My grandmother very recently gave me her old ivntage CCM. She can't remember the name of the model, so I was hoping someone around here would recognize it! It's from about the early 50's, and it's a 3 speed. Here's a picture! If there are any tips that you can give me in regards to its restoration, that would also be incredible. Thanks so much in advance for any info :)
The serial number says its a 1970 but the model, I don't know...
I know, I'm really confused with this bike. I have my grandma AND grandpa AND mum AND uncle all going on about how they remember this bike being around when they were little in the 60s. However, everything I find online dates it between 1970-1977... I'm super confused! lol
They must be remembering a different bike. :-)
The rectangular CCM headtube decal was only used between 1973 and 1976.
The only brown 3speed I know of between those years is the CCM Futura.
I have a nice one with an "F" serial number.
Is that perhaps a sloppy "G" code serial number?
That beautiful streamlined chainguard was a 1970's innovation.
There's an easy way to find out within a few months when your bike was built - clean off the grime around the Sturmey Archer AW 3 speed hub - you'll find the year and month the hub was made stamped on it.
cheers - now you can tease the GrandPa!
Mink_Elan
Seat and head tube decal style indiuactes a 1973-1976 model, as previously stated. So, I'm assuming that's a partially stmped G-code and it's a 1975 model. The 3-speed, middleweight during this period was the Elan. It's a good match outside of the colour, which should be a metallic olive green. The seat tube decal is heavily faded, so I guess there's a possibility the paint turned colour but the other pssibility is that the somebody converted an Elite 5 speed to a 3 speed. One piece of evidence that supports this, besides the basic brown/bronze colour, is the presence of what appears to be a CCM aftermarket, generic (i.e. no model name) chromed chainguard.
The 1975 catalog shows the brown (Sparkle Sierra Bronze) Futura. It is identical to this bike, with exception of the what appears to be chrome chainguard. Is it chrome or just severely faded?
I've seen a few chainguards which have lost their color at a faster rate than the frames. At first glance they look like they may have been chrome.
It's obviously not a Futura, which used a camelback or, as CCM called them during this era, a drop bar top tube. No The subject bicycle uses a traditional, horizontal, straight, top tube. Now, there was a non-camelback Futura in 1973 but it used 24" wheels, which these do not appear to be. Unless those decals are replacements, it should be an E-series frame.
It is obviously not a CCM Futura.. because I have one ( futura )..and my headbadge is in metal, serial number is A485935....
Denis, we can't say it isn't as Futura because of the head badge style. The Futura was introduced in 1973 and used the rectangular, vinyl head sticker through 1975 and at least into the start of ther 1976 model year. The metal head badge (i.e. vertical CCM logo surrounded by laurel wreath) was introduced part way though the 1976 model year and continued into 1977 when the Futura was replaced. Your Futura, with a metal head badge, was among the last manufactured and the ealier, rectangular, vinyl sticker, as seen in the photo, was the most common style used on the Futura.
The Futura was basically a boy's version of the Elan. To achieve this CCM used a camel back / dropped bar frame, allowing them to produce a frame with a shorter seat tube, while still using the head tube and fork from the 21" frame for economy. When CCM dropped the Futura for the 1977 model year, they replaced it with an 18" Elan, which used the old Futura camel back frame. The Futura was only offered in one size for any model year and always with the camel back frame. Consequently, the fact the OP's bicycle does not have camel back frame, is the best indicator that it is not a Futura.
I'm still leaning towards a revamped Elite. Besides the generic, chrome chain guard, the bicycle appears to be equipped with a Shimano 3 speed hub and shifter. All the Elan (and Futura) I've seen have used Sturmey-Archer and even the 1977 models are catalogued with Sturmey-Archer. CCM doesn't appear to have switched to Shimano until 1978, when the model name was changed to Breeze and the graphics were totally different. The head, seat and fork decals on the OP's bicycle are typical of 1973 to early 1976 models. When you consider that, along with chain guard and hub, a revamped Elite appears to be the best candidate.