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Early CCM Rims
For anyone looking for early CCM bicycles (pre 1920), it is very common to find "restored" bicycles that are painted in a glossy black with wooden rims that have been refinished with varnish. Although this is now a nice way to display wooden rims that are now a novelty, is this really an accurate restoration? For anyone who wants to go to the trouble of examining early catalogues and photographs, it may become apparant that CCM offered many types of wooden rims, that were usually painted in a distinctive colour scheme linked to various models. It may seem surprising, but CCM was also offering steel rims as an option as early as 1899 (these were made by Dunlop). In England, Raleigh was offering an "All Steel Bicycle" by the turn of the century.I have looked through my own early catalogues. Here are some details of the rims being offered:
1899 Brantford - 28" Westwood steel rims, Dunlop or Warwick type.
1900 Cleveland - all models shown with wooden rims.
1904 Cleveland - Best Boston laminated, handsomely striped.
1908 John Millen, Toronto - wood rims with enamelled centre.
1912 C. Munson, Toronto - Dunlop and Cescent single piece wood rims, single piece, 32 or 36 holes
1915 CCM, - Dunlop and Crescent single piece and laminated wood rims, Made in Canada and striped according to model, with rim colour specifications going back to 1911. Steel rims are also offered (Dunlop British Made) in Westwood or Clincher styles (clincher tires were available separately) in nickel plate or painted black.
1918 CCM - Wooden rims "Made by CCM" in Dunlop or Crescent styles, single piece or laminated, striped according to model. Sulky or Tandem wooden rims were also available. Steel rims from England were unavailable, probably due to WWI.
1919 Hershbain Bros., Montreal - Steel-lined wood rims, Steel rims painted black, and wood rims that were varnished, painted black, or painted in various colours.
1919 CCM Massey - single piece wood rims, handsomely striped, second-growth Maple, perfectly seasoned.
Wood rims continued to be used on all models until 1927, I believe, when CCM made the switch to steel rims. Replacement wood rims were offered in CCM catalogues until 1945. I suspect that many of the wood rims found on early CCM bicycles now are replacements. Some appear to be sulky rims. Of course wood rims were prone to blowing out at the sides when bicycle owners attempted to inflate their tires with more than 30 to 35 psi. I have several wood rims obtained from a local bicycle shop that are missing sections
All of this suggests that when early bicycles are restored, appropriate steel rims can be used, and wood rims can be painted.
John Williamson
Well the way i see it John, when I look at the 1918 CCM catalog on page 54, you could get the wood rims painted in 14 different patterns and you could also get it PLAIN.
So yes, restoring a wood rim simply with varnish is in my opinion an accurate way to do a restoration if the rims don't seem to ever have been painted because no one will ever know which way the bike was ordered back in the teens or twenties.
Hi locomotion,
I thought that the early catalogues specified the colour of rim striping for each specific model. You would think that at least some of the wood rim bicycles around now would have the correct striping on them. The vast majority are now just plain varnished wood. This is what makes me think that most of them have either been refinished or replaced with newer plain wood rims. Of the two painted wood rims that I have had, one was just flat black, and the other was painted in Cleveland colours. All of the newer CCM wood rims that I purchased from a local bike shop were just plain varnished wood. Some unfinished rims were used by CCM as packing material. If you like the look of plain varnished wood, go for it.
John
hi John,
I totally agree with you, I would really prefer seeing a wood rim with those awesome paint schemes that they were offering, but I find it hard to believe that the painted rims were not at an EXTRA cost, because as you might know, painting a rim with those patterns is not an easy job, so I suspect that most came out plain or were ordered plain by the dealers to the factory. The dealers probably only custom ordered the pinstripping when a buyer was ready to pay for it. But thats only an assumption.
Like today, just an example, when you walk in a GOOD bike shop in town, most bikes are priced between $800 and $1200, and maybe only 1 bike priced in the $5000. It was probably the same way back then, with much lower prices.....lol.
The last 2 bikes i have found, the 1915 and the 1925, i suspect were original plains from the factory because of the patina of the varnish.
But anything is possible when you talk about bikes being 100 years old, who knows what REALLY happened to them through those years.
And the bikes that I have found in the past with painted wood rims were always painted with one color and rarely pinstripped. i have never seen most of the 14 different available combo.
it would be interesting if the other members could provide pictures of the (original, unrestored) different pinstripping combos that they have in their collections.
I have seen many old wood rims and none of them had the nice paint and stripes on them. Some were black, some house painted but most were varnished wood. I will be doing a pair of wood rims in black and maybe green with the gold stripe. Hope it works out nice.
I think that the lack of painted wood rims today is a reflection of just how difficult it is to find original 100-year old wood rims today.
Locomotion asks why CCM would go to the extra trouble and expense of adding decorative striping to wood rims. Throughout much of its history, CCM offered high-priced bicycles and lower priced bicycles. Cleveland, Massey, Columbia, Perfect, and Red Bird were generally higher priced bicycles, although in the early years they could be ordered with two grades of equipment. Things such as tires, crank, pedals, hubs, and saddles could be either top quality, or merely good quality at a reduced cost to the buyer. Names such as Rambler, Crown, Crescent, and others were an indication of a lower cost bicycle. CCM continued to offer premium and regular models at least until the 1960's.
I have to take the information presented in the early catalogues as an indication of what CCM was actually offering.
The 1919 Massey Catalogue says the following for all models with regard to rims; "Single piece, handsomelly striped, second-growth Maple, perfectly seasoned, Specially treated and waterproofed to withstand moisture and changes in temperature". Frames came in a brilliant gloss black which was said to be the most durable finish. The following optional colours were also offered:
No.1 - Black with Green and Gold Stripe.
No. 2 - Black with Red Head.
No. 3 - Maroon.
No. 4 - Maroon with Gold Stripe.
No, 5 - French Grey with Red vand Gold Stripe.
No. 7 - French Grey with Red Sunburst Head, Red and Gold Stripe.
No. 9 - Green with Gold Stripe.
No. 10 - Green with Gold Sunburst Head and Gold Stripe.
How many of the optional colours (available at a small extra charge) do you see now?
In the 1915 catalogue, CCM was offering basic frames, with fork and one-piece Hercules crank as the Model M for $19.50, or the Model F for $17.00. Coloured enamel was an extra $1.00, as was pinstriping. The cost of striping a pair of wood rims was 50 cents. Wheels, bars and stem, saddle, chain, and pedals would have to be added to make this into a rideable bicycle. Undoubtedly many plain varnished wood rims were sold.
Steel rims were available early on, but were more expensive, but also superior. Early cyclists may not have been quite so excited about displaying their plain varnished wood rims. Now, this situation is completely reversed, and those who are fortunate to have such rare, collectable items usually want to show off their varnished wood rims.
John Williamson
Here is an original wood rim with the optional striping. In this example, the stripe is dark blue with red pinstriping. This is the only example I have ever had.
The striped rim
OOPs, the file was too big to load. Here are the pics.
tks for posting road, beautiful rim, this is the first time i see a wood rim with that nice of a combo
Hello here is some wood rimers from WI purchased through a CABE friend ?Had rims bikeflighted to. Buffalo .
I amazed the quality and condition of these rims for the age .I believe they are. #2 any information would be helpfull.
Approx year and model that they could of belonged to
CCM efront and New Hercules rear hub Still have the. OG rim tape
thankks. Gt
Hello here is some wood rimers from WI purchased through a CABE friend ?Had rims bikeflighted to. Buffalo .
I amazed the quality and condition of these rims for the age .I believe they are. #2 any information would be helpfull.
Approx year and model that they could of belonged to
CCM front and New Hercules rear hub Still have the. OG rim tape
thankks. Gt
GT
Have you tried to fit tires on them.
Dave
If the rear wheel has a New Hercules hub, they were made between 1920 and 1925.
John Williamson
Yes I used a swallow tire 40 622 made to fit a F13 rim little tight to get off but not too bad. Then. I tried those white 37 622 tires that were included with those wood rimers I purchased off you and there the best size .Maybe I'll have drop in for a router party and BYOB bring you own bit.what do you suggest Dave ?
Thznks gt
Drop in any time just give me a heads up. Picked up a couple of wood rims the other day. One is spoked up to match the rim with the morrow ccm hub with metal liner for the front nice rim very true.
Dave
Thanks John 90 95 years old .
Ok Dave I would like to see those rims should I bring some cash ?
Always bring cash.
Those wheels with the New Hercules hub could go back further than 1920. That hub is in the 1918 catalogue, so it goes back at least that far.
Hi Tom,
My 1918 Catalogue shows only an "Improved" Hercules Coaster Brake, but the picture and parts list show the early friction drive unit introduced in late 1908. The "New Hercules" Coaster Brake is not mentioned.
John Williamson
CCM French Grey? - I'm thinking of painting my 1918 Ladies bike, discussed on this site under the thread title Gendron 855 Project using one of the fancy paint schemes from the 1918 catalogue. I'm thinking of French Grey with Blue Sunburst Head, and Blue and Gold Stripe. I think this bike is a good candidate for this colour because with the nickel plated fork ends it appears to be one of the "high grade" bikes mentioned in that catalogue. Plus, it has a mysterious grey-blue paint on it now so it might have been the original colour (although black was found under the fenders). So, I have a few questions:
Does anyone have an example of something painted with CCM French Grey? Can someone post a photo of a CCM from the teens or early 20s with a sunburst head so I can see the pattern? Does anyone have an idea what the blue and gold stripe scheme would have looked like? For this colour, the catalogue specified this rim striping (see photo below). If nobody has an example of CCM French Grey I can use, would it be logical to use shades similar to the light grey and blue shades on that rim in the colour picture in the 1918 catalogue? (see photo):