mapleleafs-13 

can anyone remember what this retailed for? if there's any document on the web that states the actual price? i know on randy's site he says it's somewhere around 600 bucks back then. But i need to find some picture or catalogue that says this.

here's the bike i'm talking about:

old's'cool

Our best hope is T-mar, let's see what he has to say.
Couple of points in the catalogue specs got my attention.
"Crankset... 50x40"... I thought 41T was the absolute minimum for 144 BCD cranks...?
"Kickstand not included"... let's hope not, and also that one never gets added!

big chainring 

What year we talking?

T-Mar

+1. I need to know what year. Prices ranged from about $500-$600CDN. You can't date these via the serial number, so you'll need to post pics and/or pull the date codes off the Campagnolo rear derailleur, crankarms, hub locknuts and Maeda freewheel.

BTW, why the need for MSRP? It's a bit irrelevant in the C&V resale world. Are you buying or selling?

Old's Cool, the OEM chainrings were 46/50T paired with a 14-18T freewheel. Ridiculously tight for anything but flat criteriums and even then the 50/14T was too low, unless you were a junior. Poor specing on CCM's part.

old's'cool

Yeah, that seems a bit wacky for anything but a race stage that is flat to moderately uphill...
Easy enough to modify of course, but not much excuse for such gearing from the factory at that price point.

mapleleafs-13 

I was trying to prove someone wrong. Owner claims he bought it for $3000 "back in the day" so I was gonna prove him wrong.

T-Mar

$3000! I was selling CCM during the boom and sure wish I could have gotten a $2600 profit margin on a TdC. I don't ever recall the TdC going for over $600 CDN before it was discontinued at the end of 1976. You could buy just about any Italian brand with a full Campagnolo NR/Record group for under $1000 CDN. To exceed that barrier, it had to be something pretty exotic, like a Speedwell or have a pantographed Super Record group.

Dannyboy21

Hi everyone - Did Tour du Canada ever come in a step through with Campagnolo kit? I think I have a bead on one for a reasonable price. Hope to hears from you soon. - Dan

T-Mar

The CCM manufactured Tour du Canada never came in a step-through frameset. It was double diamond only. CCM didn't offer female frames on their adult, lightweight models until 1973 , when they introduced mixte style frames for the Targa, Concorde and Mistral. The Silver Ghost and TdC were never offered with the mixte frames.

When Procycle resurrected the TDC model name in the early 1980s, they did offer it in a mixte frame but it was entry level and did not use Campagnolo components.

Please post pictures of the subject bicycle.

Dannyboy21

I kept digging after posting the question because I can't let things go. In the digging I searched instead for pictures of the 80s models. Of course I found a dbl triangle that looked a lot more like the bike in question below. And of course the pic is non drive side. Seller says derailleur says brev campagnolo. I told seller to send me pics and I would arrange the purchase. He told me to hold on. Oh vey. Caveat emptor. This is my short answer.

T-Mar

The pictured bicycle is the mixte version of the TdC manufactured by Procycle in the early 1980s. The spec derailleurs were an unspecified SunTour model but in the literature they look like a low end model, possibly Honor/Spirt. Despite the non-drive image, your picture clearly shows SunTour Power Shifters which at least corroborates SunTour derailleurs. The frame is hi-tensile steel.

The other possibility is that the seller has mistaken a CCM Concorde for a TdC. Both came in similar colours (slightly different shades of purple) and the Concorde did use Reynolds 531, though it was only plain gauge and only in the main triangle. The Concorde was available in a mixte frame. I could see someone who is not knowledgeable about bicycles confusing the two tubesets and not picking up on other differences. While the Concorde was never offered with Campagnolo components, its not inconceivable that the OEM Simplex Prestige were replaced by an entry Campagnolo model, such a Valentino.

Dannyboy21

Nah you can see Tour du Canada name on the chain stay on this picture. I think the seller knows the difference and decided to have some fun with me, get me a little excited. He followed it up a little later with an lol comment so ... Well played seller! Good thing I have nothing better to do right now.

Dannyboy21

Regardless, your input is very much appreciated.

merziac

Going to jump in again, you seem to have a knack for this, if not a bit overzealous but that can be a good thing and can be tempered with experience moving forward.

That CCM is cool just for being a mixte and while it may be entry level hi-ten, it looks like maybe forged rear dropouts or at least not plain stamped ones. Most else looks reasonable mid quality at least, that Suntour gear made it onto many bikes that fought well above their weight class.

If the price was right, this might well be worth circling back, I've never seen a CCM mixte although it sounds like they made plenty of them.

randyjawa 

I used to have a picture of my bike, a 1976 Tour du France and on that picture was the original price - $649.00 CND. I did look for that picture but cannot find it. I also remember emails from the original owner, who told me that is what he paid. The location was Vancouver Island. $3000.00 - pooey-stinko (much nicer than saying bovine poo.

I paid $500.00 for the TdC and, quite frankly, would not do it again. I do, however, have a scan of the original decal set, in case anyone wants the art, let me know.

Dannyboy21

Thanks - Yes tempered with experience will be a good thing. My wife sometimes recounts the story to friends that early on in our relationship she was concerned about my wandering eye. After a pause she fills the silence elaborating that I was always checking out some glittery, hot ... bicycle. All good. You know that I was thinking about the Marinoni, right? Nuovo Record would look good on it too.

Dannyboy21

If the bike was closer to me I definitely would consider it as it does seem to be in mint condition, except for those tires. But not worth the effort and favours I was going to have call in.

I have been trying to research whether or not any so-called women's frames were ever equipped with higher end kit, as they often can be found for far less than their straight top tube counter parts. Hence, a possible less expensive avenue to good parts.

Closest I have found so far is a Miele step through in my basement that came with Ambrosio rims.

Here is a picture, for fun, of my other big find of the year.

T-Mar

There are lots of CCM manufactured mixtes out there, in near mint condition. Unfortunately they are the E-series city bicycles (Encore, Elan, Elite, Esprit) with 26" wheels. The Elan is particularly numerous, as it used a 3 speed, internally geared hub. Consequently, it appealed to the middle aged consumer who wanted to participoate in the bicycle boom but suffered from Derailleur Anxiety Syndrome.

Of the 27" wheel, lightweight models, there were lots of CCM Tarag mixtes sold and theseare generally not too hard to find. Being bought primarily by females, they do tend to be in much better condition male versions of the Targa, which are typically trashed. While much harder to find, the CCM manufactured mixtes to look for are the Concorde, Torino and Mistral. All were based on the same frame design, which was plain gauge Reynolds 531 main tubes mated to hi-tensile stays and forks. All were poor sellers, as the consumers gravitated to Peugeot, Raleigh and Sekine at these price points.

Randy, the reason the TDC that you bought had a retail price of over $600 was due to the Vancouver Island location. The bicycles couldn't be shipped direct by land. They had to cross to the island by air or ferry, then be shipped by land again. That adds substantially to the shipping costs.

merziac

IME there were far fewer high end equipped mixte's in general and the good ones with good parts command a premium. I am on the constant lookout and see very few, I did score a 78 Moto Grand Touring for my wife that was in great shape, Vitus tubing,Super Champion rims, a very nice bike and well equipped but with Suntour so not a high end find but still paid too much for it having found little else even close to it.

Also have a Austro Daimler 531 frame that is cool but was also overpriced.

Lets see the Miele.


Paramount's are the ones you see with Campy, but they are always overpriced so.....

Most other Campy fitted examples are custom and pricey in their own right.

Dannyboy21

I don't have a pic on my phone and in my current state. Casted from toe to knee with a big metal brace surrounding the whole business, I am supposed to be lying in bed. Hence all the time looking for, reading about, and and talking about bikes on here. I did make my way to the fridge today to get a beer. Come on though, isn't that RDV a find?

Dannyboy21

This Motobecane is quite the elaborate machine.

merziac

Absolutely, very cool, sorry, was going to circle back, got sidetracked.

No worries on the Miele, be careful, I'm still dealing with a broken arm after a year, seems ok, CT says not fully healed, they got nothing, back off work and should be tearing through projects but here I sit working this and trying to manage a kitchen remodel that started 2 mos. ago and is just now finally getting the ceiling done so cabinets can be installed.

T-Mar

The best Miele mixte I've seen was a circa 1986 Miele Nova with Ishiwata Magny main triangle and Shimano Z-series derailleurs and brakes. It would only have been considered upper entry level for the era.

Dannyboy21

Z104 shifters for sure. Too funny I am half way through replacing the kitchen cupboards too, but cannot walk. My wife is going insane.

old's'cool

I once got spanked by my girlfriend for rubbernecking at a hot car... I guess she must have noticed another gal in the vicinity that she viewed as competition