Hey Dan ,
I'm really curious about your fine old CCM frame set .
Questions :
1.) Would somebody please explain that extra cable-housing-stop , brazed onto the upper seat-tube , just below the Reynolds tubing decal ?? ??
I see the housing-stops for the rear brake cable , on the top-tube , nicely positioned at about the 4:30 o'clock position .
I see the single shift-lever-boss , for the rear derailleur , brazed onto the down-tube .
I see the brazed-on bottom-bracket cable-guide , for the rear derailleur .
So , what's the intended purpose of that housing-stop , up near the top of the seat-tube ?? ??
Is there a brazed-on bottom-bracket cable-guide , for a front derailleur ?
If that seat-tube housing-stop is for a front derailleur ( top-pull ? ) , then where would the shift lever have been located ? Why not on the down tube ? I'm pretty sure that extra braze-on wasn't for a randonneur-style generator . . .
2.) Where were those Benelux drop-outs made , do you suppose ? England ? France ? Belgium ? They definitely had a few ideas of their very own . I really like those drop-outs , both front and rear . And speaking of eyelets on front dropouts , those are very interesting .
3.) I love ANY frame with brazed-on fittings to put the pump behind the seat-tube . I see the upper pump peg , behind the seat-tube . How was the bottom of the pump supposed to stay in place ? Was there a lower peg , now missing ? Was a pump supposed to simply wedge between the chain-stays ? Something about the chain-stay bridge ?
4.) Do you know anything about the manufacturer of the Alatet headset ? France ? Quebec ?
5.) Back in the 1970's , didn't CCM start the whole "modern" bicycle helmet era , by selling plastic hockey helmets to cyclists ? Which resulted in the Skid-Lid ? And the rest is history ? Or did the Skid-Lid come from REI selling rock-climbers' helmets to cyclists ? :^)
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Also I have to say that I'm very tempted to communicate with you off-list , to avoid having other folks become interested , and drive the price up ! However :
A.) Even though it's just exactly my "perfect" frame size , at 24-inches = 61-cm , center-to-top . . . I may not be the perfect person to own it . I mean , it should really stay in Canada . And it might take me forever to find just exactly the perfectly correct vintage parts for it . And , of course , like most of us , I have too many bicycles already . . .
B.) I'm extremely curious to read other folks ideas .
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A special note for Hilary Stone , Sheldon Brown , and any fans of the literary genre called , "Historical Fiction" :
This frame set is such an wonderful mix of Canada , and England , and France . It got me thinking . And now I'm fascinated with the idea of a Canadien custom bicycle that never was . ( Although this frame set really is it , and a perfect place to start ! ) Let's make it maybe circa 1949 , the peace years , after WWII , before The Korean Conflict . Only the best parts , but limited to three countries of origin . 1st choice - Canada . 2nd choice - a balanced mix of England & France .
**Question - What nice bicycle parts was Canada producing ?
Frame size , where English meets Metric , 18.5in=47cm or 22in=56cm or 24in=61cm or 26in=66cm ( but 24=61 is more precisely equal than most , and happens to be my size ! )
Tubing - Reynolds - England
Lugs & Bottom-Bracket Shell & Fork Crown - Nervex - France
Drop-outs - England ? or France ?
Headset - England ? or France ?
Crankset - English Steel ? or French Aluminum ?
Brakes - GB England , or Mafac France ?
Derailleurs - Cyclo ? Simplex ? Huret ?
Seatpost & Saddle - post and saddle from one , clamp from the other ? Or , just use a Simplex post with a Brooks saddle , skip the clamp ?
Wheels - English hubs with French rims ? Other way around ? Airlite-Mavic ? Normandy-Dunlop ? I've always thought that "Trois Etoile" was the prettiest name for spokes . ( And say what you will about the spokes , the nipples were incredibly high quality ! )
Tires & Tubes - Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre , Michelin invented the pneu radial ( but none for bicycles ) - So , Dunlops-made-in-France ? Michelins-made-in-England ? Woods valves ?
Handlebar & Stem - did any of the various companies in England & France make truly compatible parts , back then ? Could we have a stem from one land , and a handlebar from the other ?
Dropped Handlebar with English Dunlop racing grips and also French Velox cloth tape on upper sections ?
Maple Leaf Motif , from stem to lanterne rouge , in colours red and blanc .
Cheers ,
Santé ,
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
Shameless ebay outing of 1950's products.
1950 Torpado Road Bike with top of the line Gian Robert 55 cm
http://ebay.com/
Mid 1950's CCM Flyer Frame & Fork. 61cm center to top
http://ebay.com/
1954 GB Coureur Brake and correct GB SuperHood lever.
http://ebay.com/
1950's GB Kromo stem 125 mm and 38 cm bars.
http://ebay.com/
Or you can search under my ebay users name of rollfast2. Email me with any questions.
Thanks
Dan Rivers
Toronto, Canada