General Information

Serial #

4T1531

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

metal frame, headset, handlebars, forks, stays, crankset, chain and parts/ rubber pedals and tires/ leather saddle/ synthetic? hand grips

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

184.0 cm

Width

54.2 cm

Height

104.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Non-motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Cycles & cycling

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

CCM

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Weston

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

this example: 1948 to 1975-1976

Canada

A type sample of a Canadian bicycle made by a prominent Canadian bicycle manufacturer and used in Canada. The Canada Cycle & Motor Co. was the largest manufacturer and supplier of bicycles in Canada until the mid 1950's. CCM was formed in 1899 through the amalgamation of the five largest bicycle manufacturers in Canada: Massey-Harris Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of Toronto, H.A. Lozier and Co. of Toronto Junction, Gendron Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of Toronto, Welland Vale Manufactuting Co. of St. Catherines and Goold Bicycle Co. Ltd. of Brantford. Lozier and Gendron were subsidiaries of American bicycle manufacturers; Massey-Harris had secured the Canadian rights to the American firm Pope Manufacturing Co.'s Columbia in 1895 and its first products somewhat resembled the latter. Massey-Harris produced the Massey-Harris and the Silver Ribbon, Lozier the Cleveland, Welland Vale the Perfect bicycle and Goold made the Red Bird. These companies had all started producing bicycles in Canada in response to the bicycle craze in the 1890's which had reached Canada by 1895. High tariffs on imported bicycles and parts encouraged manufacturers to enter the field and/or upgrade their factories. Goold and Gendron were producing bicycles before 1890, H.A. Lozier, Welland Vale and Massey-Harris by 1895. By the late 1890's, the demand for bicycles was beginning to weaken and Canadian manufacturers began to realize that too many bicycles were being produced and also that cost cutting, price reductions and improved production methods were not enough to maintain the industry. The five largest Canadian producers, which together accounted for about 85% of the market, decided to bring order to the market by controlling the supply of cycles and in 1899 joined their cycle making operations together to form CCM. Their object was to reduce production and competition in order to maintain prices in a context of declining demand and face the American competition, as well as modernizing their plants and equipping a factory to produce automobiles. The collapse of the bicycle market in 1899 and questionable financial management led to a reorganization of the company in 1902. Branch offices and factories were closed and reduced production was concentrated in the former Lozier plant in Toronto Junction. The company survived until 1911 until bicycle sales stabilized and began to climb again. By 1914 business was much improved and a new facility was built in Weston, ON which opened in 1917. Until the 1960's CCM grew and prospered. After that time outside factors such as economic instability, high interest rates and foreign competition as well internal problems such as poor labour relations, failure to modernize the plant and unsuccessful changes to the marketing policy led to the eventual bankruptcy of CCM in 1983 (Refs 1-2)..

Function

A human-powered personal transportation or recreational vehicle for one person.

Technical

Typical technology of the period, at least since 1937. It has CCM's 37 coaster brake, which had been available since at least 1940 (it appears in a 1940 catalogue) This could be a low-range quality bicycle made by CCM.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

plate on head tube reads 'REGISTERED/ CADET/ MADE IN CANADA'/ serial number '4T1531' incised on seat tube/ incised lettering on rear axle reads 'CCM 37 MADE IN CANADA'/ label on down tube reads 'MADE IN CANADA'

Missing

original rear reflector/ tool kit

Finish

frame, rims, parts painted maroon/ plated handlebars, parts/ back portion of rear mud guard painted white/ black pedals and tires/ red-brown hand grips

Decoration

white striping on frame, rims, parts