| The Canada Cycle and Motor Company was formed in 1899. It was Canada's premier bicycle manufacturer until its bankruptcy in 1983. Its manufacturing plant was located in the Town of Weston, Ontario which is now a part of the City of Toronto.
Although the company produced various products over the years including automobiles and motorcycles, it is probably best known to the average Canadian for its bicycles and ice skates.
CCM, as it was known, produced many types of bicycles over the years: juvenile, utility, and sports.
In the late 1920s, it started to produce its “Flyer” track bicycle. With its flat plate fork crown and its elegant pencil thin seat stays, the Flyer was instantly recognizable. It was ridden to victory by many of the star Six Day riders of the period. The Flyer track frame was manufactured up until the Second World War and a few may even have been produced after the war.
In the late 1950s, CCM produced a small quantity of Flyer road frames. These frames had Reynolds 531 tubing and Nervex lugs. The frames were equipped with top-of-the-line components and were raced by several local riders in the early '60s. These bikes are relatively rare.
In the 1970s, CCM came out with a Tour Du Canada bicycle to meet the need for a high end product. Those in the know say that the first lot were CCM badged frames from Pogliaghi of Italy. Subsequently, CCM produced its own frames under the Tour Du Canada name and these were reckoned to be of a poorer quality than the Pogliaghis.
When CCM went into receivership in 1983, the company's assets were sold. Ironically, probably its most valuable asset, the CCM name which had very strong brand recognition across Canada, was acquired by others and today there are still bicycles and ice skates being produced under the CCM name. |
