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Packard newbie wrote:
Interesting stuff, Leeedy. I know it's a bit off 'Packard-topic' but this thread IS about 'Packard' bikes, and they're not REALLY 'Packard'-related, so hope it's okay if I get a little bit further 'off-topic'. Just as a tidbit sidebar, I mentioned that my bike was a single-speed as opposed to a 3-speed, which was what was available at the time, before the 5/10/18 speed gear-cluster versions that hit the market shortly after. Most CCM 3-speeds had a Sturmey Archer gear-changer, that we all remember as having that little chain coming out of the centre of the hub and being activated by a thumb lever on the handle bars. They were considerably more expensive than CCM's single speed and clearly out of my price bracket in the early 60's. When I say my bike was a 'top-of-the-line' CCM, I should probably rephrase that as saying it was the most expensive single speed on the floor at my home-town hardware store. There were several and I remember riding away on MY new 'steed' thinking I had the world on a string. It came with a very cool motorcycle like kickstand and a spring-loaded air pump that engaged in a couple of point brackets under the main cross bar. And the reason I mention the 3-speed hub is because there was an old English fellow who lived in town named Archer McCrumb. He said his Mom's maiden name was 'Archer' and was the related (I forget just how) to James Archer of Sturmey-Archer. I recall him talking about the company having some pre-war motorcycle pedigree, but said his relative James, was in on the design and development of the famous 3-speed bicycle hub. Knowing you lived in Canada at some point, thought that might be of some interest. I have no 'proof' of the claim, other than his story, but no real reason to doubt it either. You seem to be pretty up on your bicycle history; know anything about it?? I know it was quite common back in the day to 'preserve' a woman's maiden name in the naming of the children of a marriage. Cool bit of trivia, eh? (as we Canadians so love to say! LOL) Chris.

RogerDetroit wrote:
In the early 1940s the Detroit bike licenses were stamped with the year of registration. One would suspect the license was renewed annually.

Packard newbie wrote:
Very interesting stuff, Leeedy, Roger. Bike licenses were not a 'thing' when I grew up in BC and my Dad was always strict about recording serial numbers and having pictures. I did have a gorgeous 3-speed stolen. It had every bell and whistle in the Simpson Sears catalogue on it and was my prize possession. I THOUGHT maybe the serial number might help get it back and made the whole police report, etc., but never heard or saw anything of it again.
The Sturmey Archer catalogue is very cool Leeedy, thanks for posting that, but know, you don't have to prove you 'have the stuff' as far as I am concerned. When it comes to bike knowledge, I submit you have few equals and no superiors!! Chris.

JW wrote:
Many here recall that auto magazines in the 50s and 60s used a bicycle wheel to drive a speedometer in their road tests and would cite the differences between the factory speedometer readings and their accurate bicycle wheel driven one.