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1917-1920 CCM Serial Number Project
Hello! This thread is to continue a discussion started under the title "Cleveland Model 458". I would like us to collect information on bikes made in the Weston factory between 1917 and 1920 with the goal of creating the best estimate of matching years to serial numbers. These bikes will say WESTON on the head tube badge, not Toronto, and typically have shallow, rounded fenders, with the front fender extending forward past the head tube. The men's bikes will have straight top tubes. 1917 is the first year the Weston factory was up and running, and 1921 was the year that CCM started using serial numbers with a single letter to indicate year, starting with the letter A. We have found bikes made in these years that have three, five, and six digit serial numbers, which seems to indicate that the run of serial numbers in these years was sequential, and not restarted at the beginning of each year.
Hopefully, new information will come to light that will make this job easier, such as CCM production numbers, or government statistics on how many bikes were produced in Canada in those years. If that doesn't materialize then I think the plan should be to collect serial numbers here, and after a period of time we can see the highest serial number found, and divide that number by four (years) to estimate which series of numbers most likely belongs to which years.
This is what we have so far:
I have a Ladies CCM Cleveland Model 455 with serial number 028.
Marc has a Mens Cleveland frame with number 12,317.
Cbgimse has a Mens Cleveland Model 458 with number 57,951.
I have a Mens Cleveland 458 with number 101,294,
and I have a Ladies CCM Gendron Model 855 with number 103,645.
Please post your serial numbers and Model numbers of your WESTON bikes here, with any explanation or photos that you would like to add.
Thanks,
Brian
The Dominion Bureau of Statistics did publish a figure of 34,958 bicycles having been produced domestically in 1920. Of course, that is total production by all Canadian manufacturers and not just CCM. However, we know that when CCM was formed the output of the merging companies constituted 85% of domestic volume. Assuming the same proportion would put CCM's volume at approximately 30,000 bicycles for 1920.
The CCM Story (p.58) also states that CCM produced close to 40,000 bicycles in it's first year. In CCM; The First Fifty Years (p.26), Denison states that 1904 production, "almost reached the level of 1899 only to drop off more than 50% in 1905. At this point sales levelled off until around 1910....Starting witth 1911, the records showed a steady increase in output " . Based on these statements one assumes that 1904 productuion was approximately 40,000 bicycle and that 1905-1910 was aprroximately 20,000 units and that production increased by an average of 1,000 bicycles per year, to achieve the previously estimated 30,0000 units for 1920.
This would estimate CCM production during the 1917-1920 years at 27,000, 28,000, 29,0000 and 30,000 bicycles respectively. Total production for the subject period would be approximately 114,000 bicycles.
These estimates do not not seem too far off given another statement in The CCM Story (p.129) that the Weston factory quickly ramped up to producing 900 bicycles per week. This would provide for an annual volume of approximately 47,000 bicycles, assuming year round manufacturing of bicycles. However, we know this not the case. I would expect about 32 weeks of bicycle manufacturing which, at an average of 900 bicycles per week, would result in an annual production of approximately 28,800 bicycles. This is quite close to the previosuly estimated 1917 volume of 27,000 bicycles, only deviating by 6.7%.
Pending further evidence, I would estimate annual production for the years in question at 27,000 - 30,000 bicycles. Assuming a purely sequential serial number allocation during this period would result in the following serial numbers:
1917: 00001 - 27000
1918: 27001 - 55000
1919: 55001 - 84000
1920: 84001 -114000
If you have access to any of the VIM newsletters from the era, they are likely the best source for any actual production figures.
Well, that was fast! Thank you T-Mar for another super-helpful post. Although I think T-Mar nailed it I still hope members post their serial numbers here. I'm especially interested to see a bike with a four digit serial number, and any numbers higher than 104,000 (we have 103,645).
This is a great idea. What interests me is finding out how many of these old bikes are actually still around. I suggest creating a database or registry of known antique and vintage CCMs catalogued by serial number. This could create a lot of value for the owners of these bikes because the database would provide some information on rarity of the various models.
Which range of years did you have in mind for this, all of them or just the non-letter code 1900-1920 bikes?
Logic says that the older the bike the fewer will be left so a registry would have the most value for pre 1920 bikes. It should include all bikes regardless or at least popular models like the Flyte. Probably the best thing would be categories like Pre-CCM, CCM-Toronto, CCM-Weston (pre-1921), and so on. Im pretty sure that there are some knowledgeable people on this forum that could group them by major changes such as bottom brackets, headbadges Or model etc......
We can use this Excell spread sheet for now, until somebody more clever can come up with a more practical solution.Send me your serial #, I will add it to the seet, and post an update as required. My version is in color, but it won't take on this site
Marc.
CCM-Built pre-1921 bicycles serial number data base, using T-Mar's theory posted on 29 Sep 2018ModelGender (M/F)Serial numberThe year of the bike passed on to you from the last owner (if known)Location of the build if knownBicycle owner MF 1917 series (Serial # 00001 - 27000) CCM Cleveland 455 X28 Brian R. CCM Cleveland 455X 12,317 Marc from Ottawa 1918 series (Serial # 27001 - 55000) 1919 series (Serial # 55001 - 84000) CCM Cleveland 458 X57,951 Cbgimse 1918 series (Serial # 84001 - 114000) CCM Cleveland 458 X101,294 Brian R.
Well that did not work very well for me. Will need to think of something else.
marc.
Brian an all,
Benzo One on facebook is posting this pre-1921 Crescent for a friend of his. It is for sale. I have asked if he could provide with the serial number for this data base project. Stby for more.
Marc from Ottawa.
1917 CCM Crescent Serial number 4551. This is is the bicycle (with no wheels) Wayne had for sale recently.
To be added to the list.
Marc from Ottawa
hello there i am new in the group and i am trying to figure it out the year but i cant see any letters in the serial number....
maybe somebody here have an idea ?
Weston Ont in the badge
sorry looks like was and H not properly stamped ! lol
I wonder what we are to make of the production goal stated on this sign given the number of 34,958 for the entire indusctry in 1920 according to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (mentioned in a post above).
Includes production for the army perhaps?
I picked up a Weston Cleveland 458 frame today with serial number 23449