# Why did Schwinn not ship bikes to Canada?



## 62typhoon (Aug 7, 2021)

I have always wondered why there has always been a shortage of Schwinn's in Canada....?....I don't recall ever seeing one as a kid and never had the opportunity to buy one until traveling to South Dakota a few years ago where I found my 62 Typhoon.
Why would such a large bike company not ship everywhere?...I don't believe they were more expensive then the CCM or Sears, Eaton's bikes I remember everyone riding as a kid.


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2021)

Were there any Schwinn Dealers anywhere in Canada? Or BFG tire stores? I would assume if there weren't, then no Schwinns were exported to Canada for retail sales. May have been some type of Canadian regulations preventing the chance or Schwinn didn't want to deal with exporting?


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## 62typhoon (Aug 7, 2021)

No we never had specific Schwinn dealerships...We bought our bikes from Macleod's and Sears hardware store...later on we did get a bike shop but it sold Japanese bike names like Sekini...I recall them having the 'Swing Bikes"...always wanted one of those!

Was it expensive to buy into a dealership back then?


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2021)

I believe one had to be Schwinn Approved and you had to have an approved location that was paid for by the person wanting to be a Dealer. I have not come across anything that says Schwinn collected any funds from someone wanting to be in the "Franchise". You buy the store and everything in it but it had to be approved. 









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						U.S. v. Arnold, Schwinn Co., 388 U.S. 365 | Casetext Search + Citator
					

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## Jeff54 (Aug 7, 2021)

62typhoon said:


> No we never had specific Schwinn dealerships...We bought our bikes from Macleod's and Sears hardware store...later on we did get a bike shop but it sold Japanese bike names like Sekini...I recall them having the 'Swing Bikes"...always wanted one of those!
> 
> Was it expensive to buy into a dealership back then?



"Schwinn: The World" I am inclined to think, you did not and don't see much because of price and favored eastern Canadian French politics. Especially, Schwinn stink-ray, really got the attention of the world. IDK where you're at but, just across the border,  in Vancouver  Canada, there was probably plenty, either from Washington state or imported into the general Vancouver area. I mean, I doubt that Schwinn would not take advantage of sales potential, just B/C there wasn't a franchise to sell them in. Never heard of Franchises in Mexico, but, plenty down there. I seriously doubt, "the World" company would limit all sales to franchise sales  in USA only. Yet moreover, everybody else pawned their bikes across the globe.


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> "Schwinn: The World" I am inclined to think, you did not and don't see much because of price and favored eastern Canadian French politics. Especially, Schwinn stink-ray, really got the attention of the world. IDK where you're at but, just across the border,  in Vancouver  Canada, there was probably plenty, either from Washington state or imported into the general Vancouver area. I mean, I doubt that Schwinn would not take advantage of sales potential, just B/C there wasn't a franchise to sell them in.




No Dealership, no Schwinns. Schwinn gave up on BFG in 1960.


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## Jeff54 (Aug 7, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> No Dealership, no Schwinns. Schwinn gave up on BFG in 1960.



No offence but, the idea that 'Schwinn's factory sales were only availed inside the USA franchises' is just nonsensical.


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> No offence but, the idea that 'Schwinn's were only availed inside the USA franchises' is just nonsensical. ,




I guess you assumed I said there were no Schwinn franchises outside of the US. I did not say that, and I don't know if there were or weren't.


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## Jeff54 (Aug 7, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> I guess you assumed I said there were no Schwinn franchises outside of the US. I did not say that, and I don't know if there were or weren't.



Apparently you guessed wrongly,  an tried to make out an Ass of U an Me as well. LOL "
GTs58 said:
No Dealership, no Schwinns. Schwinn gave up on BFG in 1960.
"

Admittedly, I do not know of any fact or proof that Schwinn had any franchises, or dealers out side of the US. Yet, it's just plain business sense that Schwinn knew no boundaries it would not try and sell into. However, if you're game, check for world patents, copy and trade mark rights. I am sure they are protected across the globe. If for no other reasons than the obvious and it goes without saying;  territorial "Schwinn Quality TM" sales anywhere in the universe bikes can be sold. The only obstacle that makes any sense, for where and how sold, is price point.


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## FICHT 150 (Aug 7, 2021)

GM, Ford, and Chrysler corporations had to build a car in Canada to sell a car in Canada. I don’t believe this rule applied to English car makers, but, I have seen Raleigh bikes that wear a “Made in Canada” decal, so, who knows?
I don’t know if this rule applied across other types of manufacturing, but, I would bet it did. Canadiens were too smart to just have products dumped in their substantial market without getting some security and manufacturing capabilities out of the deal.

Ted


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## barneyguey (Aug 7, 2021)

Check this Goodrich badge out. It has a beaver and maple leaves on it instead of the eagle and stars. I'm pretty sure they were sold in Canada since it says it on the badge..


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 8, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> No offence but, the idea that 'Schwinn's factory sales were only availed inside the USA franchises' is just nonsensical.




To the best of my knowledge, there were no Canadian Schwinn dealerships during the Chicago years.

Schwinn is now available in Canada, and is part of Dorel Industries. They were sold at the popular Canadian Tire department store chain.



			https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/schwinn-gtx-2-men-s-hybrid-bike-700c-0711128p.html#srp


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 8, 2021)

62typhoon said:


> I have always wondered why there has always been a shortage of Schwinn's in Canada....?....I don't recall ever seeing one as a kid and never had the opportunity to buy one until traveling to South Dakota a few years ago where I found my 62 Typhoon.
> Why would such a large bike company not ship everywhere?...I don't believe they were more expensive then the CCM or Sears, Eaton's bikes I remember everyone riding as a kid.




The Schwinn company was an American Company that built bikes in America, for American consumers.

To the best of my knowledge, they did not export bikes for sale in other countries during the Chicago years? 

Now to understand the possibility of why they were not sold in Canada, you need to understand that Canada loves to impose TAX & DUTIES on imported commercial goods. This is possibly why they were not sold in the Great White North back in the day?


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## Gordon (Aug 8, 2021)

I was in an antique store is Regina, Sask. probably 25 years ago and there were 2 Schwinn bikes there. They appeared to be unequipped DX models and had Schwinn headbadges that said made in Canada.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 8, 2021)

COMPANY NEWS; CANADIAN COMPANY BUYS MAKER OF SCHWINN BIKES​



By Bloomberg News

Jan. 14, 2004

Dorel Industries, a manufacturer of furniture and car seats, said yesterday that it had agreed to buy Pacific Cycle, the maker of Schwinn bikes, for $310 million. Dorel, based in Montreal, said it bought Pacific Cycle from Wind Point Partners, a closely held investment firm based in Chicago. Schwinn bikes are sold by some of the same retailers that sell Dorel goods. Schwinn, established in 1895 in Chicago, filed for bankruptcy protection in 1993. Pacific Cycle purchased the bicycle assets in 2001. Dorel had 2002 sales of $992 million. Pacific Cycle, based in Madison, Wis., also makes Mongoose and GT bikes.









						COMPANY NEWS; CANADIAN COMPANY BUYS MAKER OF SCHWINN BIKES (Published 2004)
					

Dorel Ind




					www.nytimes.com


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## 62typhoon (Aug 8, 2021)

barneyguey said:


> Check this Goodrich badge out. It has a beaver and maple leaves on it instead of the eagle and stars. I'm pretty sure they were sold in Canada since it says it on the badge..
> 
> View attachment 1459060



Here is the badge that is on my 1938 CCM CROWN beaver on top!


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## bloo (Aug 8, 2021)

barneyguey said:


> Check this Goodrich badge out. It has a beaver and maple leaves on it instead of the eagle and stars. I'm pretty sure they were sold in Canada since it says it on the badge.



Did BF Goodrich for sure attach that to a Schwinn bike? Cool badge!


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## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2021)

bloo said:


> Did BF Goodrich for sure attach that to a Schwinn bike? Cool badge!




I'd have to say there is a very good chance they did and BFG was most likely the responsible party for shipping the bikes across the border.


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## barneyguey (Aug 8, 2021)

barneyguey said:


> Check this Goodrich badge out. It has a beaver and maple leaves on it instead of the eagle and stars. I'm pretty sure they were sold in Canada since it says it on the badge..
> 
> View attachment 1459060



This badge has to be from the 30's or maybe 1940 or 1941. The post war badges said B. F. Goodrich rather than just Goodrich.


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## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2021)

barneyguey said:


> This badge has to be from the 30's or maybe 1940 or 1941. The post war badges said B. F. Goodrich rather than just Goodrich.




Does the horizontal screw holes indicate a time period? I know the Ranger badges had horizontal holes.


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## barneyguey (Aug 8, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> Does the horizontal screw holes indicate a time period? I know the Ranger badges had horizontal holes.



I don't think so. I've seen horizontal screw holes up to at least the late fifties, maybe later.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 9, 2021)

I would have to speculate that the majority of Schwinn bikes in Canada were purchased, and brought over the border by the end consumer before Dorel purchased the rights to put a Schwinn sticker or head badge on an imported bike for sale in Canada.


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## Vicious Cycle (Aug 9, 2021)

When I lived in Alberta in the 70's no one there had ever heard of a Schwinn, All the bikes that were sold there were built there, or in England or another Crown country. I understand there were prohibitive duty's on some American built items.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 9, 2021)

My hunch would be that it was not economical to import on a large scale and sell in Canada because of the protectionist policies favoring goods from Britain and other Commonwealth countries (Canada joined the Commonwealth in the early 1930s and had been a part of the British empire in older times). CCM and Raleigh were strongly entrenched in Canada as bike producers during the mid-20th century, and in the US, Schwinn had used its leverage to try to secure a tariff on certain imported bikes. My sense it would have been hard for Schwinn to compete when Raleigh and CCM enjoyed an entrenched market advantage in Canada, and Raleigh in particular was producing very large numbers of bicycles. 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of tariff Schwinn would have faced in Canada, and then compare to the tariff in the US. 

But my gut is that Schwinn probably looked into it, and found it uneconomical.


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## Archie Sturmer (Aug 9, 2021)

Has anyone else actually driven or seen the Canadian “roads” outside of the provincial capital cities?
Sometimes people assume that foreign countries are just like home, except for the language (more-western Canadians might speak American), and the different foods (like gravy on French fries?).

I believe that *Albert* *Spaulding* was right when he saw the profit in sales to Canada being in the *Snow* *Skis* product line. https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/a...-ice-fishing-bicycle-with-ski-on-ebay.194484/


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## Vicious Cycle (Aug 9, 2021)

Archie Sturmer said:


> Has anyone else actually driven or seen the Canadian “roads” outside of the provincial capital cities?
> Sometimes people assume that foreign countries are just like home, except for the language (more-western Canadians might speak American), and the different foods (like gravy on French fries?).
> 
> I believe that *Albert* *Spaulding* was right when he saw the profit in sales to Canada being in the *Snow* *Skis* product line (and snow boards much later).



 Although it is not on topic, I have traveled extensively through western and eastern Canada and their roads are as good if not better than some here. Also we speak English not "American", but this post is very "American".
 Canada is very protective of their " the Crown's" economy, always were, as far back as I can remember. You should check their prices on Japanese Camera's sometime.


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## Rust_Trader (Aug 9, 2021)




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## BFGforme (Aug 9, 2021)

Rust_Trader said:


> View attachment 1460340



Gotta find me one of those badges...


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 9, 2021)

Rust_Trader said:


> View attachment 1460340




How about a pic of the complete bike?


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## Rust_Trader (Aug 9, 2021)

Xlobsterman said:


> How about a pic of the complete bike?



Google image


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 9, 2021)

It's interesting that the badge claims the bike was "Made in Canada" - was it a conventional Schwinn otherwise?


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## BFGforme (Aug 9, 2021)

Badge could have been put on anything...


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## GTs58 (Aug 9, 2021)

SirMike1983 said:


> It's interesting that the badge claims the bike was "Made in Canada" - was it a conventional Schwinn otherwise?




Probably a CCM. Badge is mounted with hammered rivets.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 10, 2021)

SirMike1983 said:


> It's interesting that the badge claims the bike was "Made in Canada" - was it a conventional Schwinn otherwise?




There is no evidence this was on a Schwinn bike!


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 10, 2021)

Archie Sturmer said:


> Has anyone else actually driven or seen the Canadian “roads” outside of the provincial capital cities?
> Sometimes people assume that foreign countries are just like home, except for the language (more-western Canadians might speak American), and the different foods (like gravy on French fries?).
> 
> I believe that *Albert* *Spaulding* was right when he saw the profit in sales to Canada being in the *Snow* *Skis* product line.




YES, I spent 15 years recently living in a rural town in Nova Scotia. The rural areas are neglected for services in relation to the larger cites. It's all about politics, and where the largest voter base resides!

Also, the gravy on French Fries is called poutine, and is very popular staple in Canada.
















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					www.seasonsandsuppers.ca
				




Now, getting back to the original topic! As I stated in a previous post, Schwinn bikes were sold in Canadian Tire stores in the post 2000 era. These bikes were Taiwan built bikes imported by Dorel. But until then, Schwinn bikes were not imported for sale in Canada!


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## Rust_Trader (Aug 10, 2021)

How about this one?


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 10, 2021)

It would make more sense if it was a CCM. The market tilted in favor of CCM and Raleigh up there. There were ranges of bikes made specifically for Canada by Raleigh and later Raleigh/TI, including special paint schemes for the Canadian market and bikes under the "Eaton's" brand. 

Would the "Canada" on that Cycle Truck not be for just the drop stand manufacture rather than the whole bike?


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## Vicious Cycle (Aug 10, 2021)

That drop stand sure looks heavier than the original's on my pre-war Trucks. Also it is very close to the front fender on top. This happens when a post-war stand is axle-mounted instead of on the fork bungs found on the later Trucks. Also does not have the slightly curved bottom that allows the stand to sit solidly on un-even ground.
 My guess is the steel is from Canada and the stand could be from a Worksman.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 10, 2021)

Rust_Trader said:


> How about this one?
> 
> View attachment 1460691
> 
> View attachment 1460692




How about it? The stand is the only thing made in Canada!


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## Rust_Trader (Aug 10, 2021)

Xlobsterman said:


> How about it? The stand is the only thing made in Canada!



Of course, Schwinn was made in Chicago. We’re discussing whether or not Schwinn shipped bikes to Canada.


The BF goodrich badge I posted and Barry posted are on non Schwinn bicycles.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 10, 2021)

Rust_Trader said:


> The BF goodrich badge I posted and Barry posted are on non Schwinn bicycles.




So what was the point of posting them then when we are discussing Schwinn bikes????


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 10, 2021)

Those look like CCM bikes. The green one is pretty nice - good color. BFG knew what they were doing - more economical to badge a CCM product in Canada and a Schwinn in the USA. Whichever bike has the home turf, give it a badge. CCM's are well-made bikes generally, as are Schwinns.


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## iceman (Aug 14, 2021)

So BFG has an agreement with Schwinn USA to private label bikes for them, that is why some Schwinn bikes in the USA have BFG Head badges. They make the same deal with CCM in Canada and CCM puts there head badge on CCM bikes. The BFG head badge that says Made in Canada has no referance to Schwinn on the badge. this is only my speculation.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 15, 2021)

iceman said:


> The BFG head badge that says Made in Canada has no reference to Schwinn on the badge.




That is because it is not a Schwinn bike.


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## Xlobsterman (Aug 28, 2021)

Here is a pic that I found on a FB page from where my parents were born in Nova Scotia, Canada. The pic is from 1985, and not a Schwinn was to be had during that time!


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## Oilit (Sep 1, 2021)

Xlobsterman said:


> Here is a pic that I found on a FB page from where my parents were born in Nova Scotia, Canada. The pic is from 1985, and not a Schwinn was to be had during that time!
> 
> View attachment 1469106



So what bikes _were_ available? Were any American bikes sold in Canada or was it just CCM and English bikes?


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 2, 2021)

Oilit said:


> So what bikes _were_ available? Were any American bikes sold in Canada or was it just CCM and English bikes?




I don't have the answer to that question for the 85 era.

But I did spend 15 years in NS recently, and when I was shopping for a Fatbike around 2014, I did see CCM and Schwinn's at the Canadian Tire stores and at Walmart. The Schwinn's were imported by Dorel as I previously mentioned.

I ended up buying this Norco at a LBS. Norco is a Canadian company based in BC.






						About Norco
					

Our mountain biking roots run deep in every bike we create.  The inspiration we get from the mountains right outside our door ensures that dirt finds its way into every Norco design.




					www.norco.com


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## Oldbikeguy1960 (Dec 18, 2021)

Jeff54 said:


> "Schwinn: The World" I am inclined to think, you did not and don't see much because of price and favored eastern Canadian French politics. Especially, Schwinn stink-ray, really got the attention of the world. IDK where you're at but, just across the border,  in Vancouver  Canada, there was probably plenty, either from Washington state or imported into the general Vancouver area. I mean, I doubt that Schwinn would not take advantage of sales potential, just B/C there wasn't a franchise to sell them in. Never heard of Franchises in Mexico, but, plenty down there. I seriously doubt, "the World" company would limit all sales to franchise sales  in USA only. Yet moreover, everybody else pawned their bikes across the globe.



Stink Ray? I do not insult anyone's personal preference on bikes or most anything for that matter.
Have some respect for other members and hobbyists and do the same please.
Thank you, Rob


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## bleedingfingers (Dec 20, 2021)

I have an American made 1940s Hiawatha that was sold by Macleods a Canadian chain store advertised as the American model .
The only way a Schwinn got up here was someone brought it from the US.

This is the only one I have been able to lay my hands on in the wild and I only found the frame .
I had to hunt down the rest and forks came from the US .
They are very scarce where I live .
I also had a Stingray and a 20 inch  Typhoon  that I brought back to life  we all had CCM Mustangs when I was a kid .


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## Jeff54 (Dec 20, 2021)

Oldbikeguy1960 said:


> Stink Ray? I do not insult anyone's personal preference on bikes or most anything for that matter.
> Have some respect for other members and hobbyists and do the same please.
> Thank you, Rob



No offence Rob yet, back in the 60',s Stink Rat, custom or old frame restored to look new, bikes was a thing. It rubbed off onto factory made in a while too. Moreover, Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth (Rat Fink) didn't coin the title, I think, but kids I knew were influenced by Roth. It's humor. 🙃





Dang somebody wants a chunk for this: Stinker
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115133508341?campid=5335809022


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## Oldbikeguy1960 (Dec 20, 2021)

Unaware man. Thanks for the info.
I guess I am so used to being bombarded by people whe only like one thing and slam everyone that doesn't agree that the humor gets lost in the shuffle. We all need to laugh more is the lesson here I guess.
Thanks again, Rob


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## Oilit (Dec 20, 2021)

Well here's another question. I've seen very few CCM's on this side of the border, so did the U.S. have tariffs on Canadian bikes? There were boatloads of English bikes sold here during the '50's, '60's and '70's, but did anybody import CCM?


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## Cam_from_Canada (Dec 20, 2021)

I don’t think the reason is necessarily taxes, tariffs, anti-dumping or countervailing duties like Canada has in place today to tax the importation of cheap offshore bikes to protect Canadian Manufacturers. I feel the simple answer is no one likely imported or sold Schwinns because they simply didn’t have to during the pre-1981 Schwinn era.

As noted in previous replies, Canada had CCM, Raleigh, Road King (Eatons), Speed King (Sears) and many, many other options of bikes to buy. Importing a Schwinn would have not made sense financially because it would have been more expensive for what would not necessarily been seen as a superior bike at the time.

Canada did have imports as many of the department store bikes were made offshore in the UK, Poland, Czechoslovakia etc... 

However, if you see old CCM advertisements, you will notice the heavy “Buy Canadian” theme similar to the “Buy American” push on U.S. made products.

You will also notice they had an answer to just about everything Schwinn was producing and possibly vice versa in some cases.

This is why collecting Schwinns is so rewarding to me in Canada. They are harder to find and every bike has some sort of story with it on how it ended up on the north side of the border in the first place.

















Cam


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## Cam_from_Canada (Dec 20, 2021)

62typhoon said:


> No we never had specific Schwinn dealerships...We bought our bikes from Macleod's and Sears hardware store...later on we did get a bike shop but it sold Japanese bike names like Sekini...I recall them having the 'Swing Bikes"...always wanted one of those!
> 
> Was it expensive to buy into a dealership back then?



Sekine was a Japanese bike manufacturer but they set up shop in Rivers, Manitoba, Canada at one point, because “made in Japan” had negative connotations at the time. Below is part of an article on the subject.

“For about a decade, beginning in 1973, thousands of high-quality Sekine bicycles were manufactured near Rivers, Manitoba at the Oo-za-we-Kwun Centre in facilities that were once part of one of the most important Air Force Bases in Canada.”


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## videoranger (Dec 20, 2021)

In 2004 a Dorel Industries acqusition made Schwinn a Canadian company. May the Schwartz be with you, you hose heads.








						Corporate History
					

Corporate History - A Disciplined Growth Strategy Dorel Industries completed its initial public offering in July 1987 following a merger between Dorel Co. Ltd., a juvenile products company founded by Leo Schwartz in 1962 and Ridgewood Industries, a ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture company...



					www.dorel.com


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## detroitbike (Dec 20, 2021)

Oilit said:


> Well here's another question. I've seen very few CCM's on this side of the border, so did the U.S. have tariffs on Canadian bikes? There were boatloads of English bikes sold here during the '50's, '60's and '70's, but did anybody import CCM?




  At The bike shop I worked at in the '70's on e Warren ave in Detroit we sold CCM bikes new as well as
CCM ice skating & hockey equipment.  The differecne in price made the bikes unattractive to sell. Japanese bikes were a much better buy dollar & quality wise.


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## 62typhoon (Dec 20, 2021)

Cam_from_Canada said:


> Sekine was a Japanese bike manufacturer but they set up shop in Rivers, Manitoba, Canada at one point, because “made in Japan” had negative connotations at the time. Below is part of an article on the subject.
> 
> “For about a decade, beginning in 1973, thousands of high-quality Sekine bicycles were manufactured near Rivers, Manitoba at the Oo-za-we-Kwun Centre in facilities that were once part of one of the most important Air Force Bases in Canada.”



Wow I had never heard that, when I bought my first Sekine when I was 16 I was under the impression it came from Japan, not 5hrs from my hometown of Melville, Saskatchewan!


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## Oilit (Dec 21, 2021)

detroitbike said:


> At The bike shop I worked at in the '70's on e Warren ave in Detroit we sold CCM bikes new as well as
> CCM ice skating & hockey equipment.  The differecne in price made the bikes unattractive to sell. Japanese bikes were a much better buy dollar & quality wise.



I can see that. In the '70's all the old-time bike manufacturers were under increasing pressure from the far east. First the Japanese (from the early '70's) and then the Taiwanese (by the early '80's).


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## Xlobsterman (Jan 1, 2022)

Well according to this Ebay seller, he has a extremely rare Canadian made Schwinn Collegiate.......................

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174313746985?campid=5335809022


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## bloo (Jan 1, 2022)




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## Vicious Cycle (Jan 1, 2022)

I think the decal is appropriate "BS"


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## oldy57 (Jan 1, 2022)

I have a few Schwinn bikes and they were brought up from the US as we didn't have Schwinn dealers here. C.H.Harness the biggest CCM bike seller in Canada back the the early days (he was distributor of CCM in the west and maybe eastern Canada) had the Whizzer franchise here in Winnipeg. He sold some Schwinn Whizzers and maybe got a few without motors to sell. A friend used to play in his shop basement on Whizzers. He learned a lot about them and later motorcycles. As for why Schwinn didn't sell here it could be the tariffs that CCM pushed the government into applying to non British empire bikes. Raleigh and other British made bikes didn't pay tariffs. Sekine tried to bring bikes here before 1973 and had to pay 25% tariffs forced by CCM. Sekine found a loophole and started production in Rivers Mb in an old air force base in the native owned buildings. They hired reserve members to build the bikes with Japanese watching over the production. 2 years later the tariffs dropped to 15% and other manufacturers sold in Canada. Sekine bikes were one of the nicest bikes made back then. CCM begged the government for handouts for years until they closed and the new company took over. CCM has been down hill since the early 70's.
Eatons sold Rollfast bikes from before WW11 and into the 50's, prices were higher than CCM bikes they sold. Hawthorne was sold here also through someone as they are found all over, usually very plane bikes. There were other stores that sold some US bikes but no Schwinn sellers.


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## oldy57 (Jan 1, 2022)

The Goodrich badged bikes were CCM made from what I remember, I did sell a Goodrich badge to Barry a year or 2 ago. I had a Goodrich tricycle with same badge, smaller but same look. I gave trike to a friend, I will try to get a pic of it when I see it. They may have been sold at Hudson Bay stores, Ashdown stores, Macleods, or other department stores. I don't have any info or catalogues to show that. I have not seen a CCM catalogue with Goodrich bikes in it.


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## Andrew Gorman (Jan 1, 2022)

Definitely a commonwealth tariff issue, with a whiff of Canadians treating bikes as transportation for adults rather than just toys for children.  When Bristol was building cars in England and wanted to buy American V-8s, the tariffs were prohibitive until they found a Chrysler factory in Canada building industrial hemis. Problem solved!


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## GTs58 (Jan 1, 2022)

oldy57 said:


> The Goodrich badged bikes were CCM made from what I remember, I did sell a Goodrich badge to Barry a year or 2 ago. I had a Goodrich tricycle with same badge, smaller but same look. I gave trike to a friend, I will try to get a pic of it when I see it. They may have been sold at Hudson Bay stores, Ashdown stores, Macleods, or other department stores. I don't have any info or catalogues to show that. I have not seen a CCM catalogue with Goodrich bikes in it.




Schwinn built bikes for Goodrich until 1961 I believe, and then they were made by other manufacturers.


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## TWDay (Jan 1, 2022)

I know that Schwinn dealers were not necessarily just "Schwinn" dealers. Many "Schwinn" dealers sold other non-competing items. At least three that I know of in Virginia sold motorcycles. One in Portsmouth sold Honda motorcycles and a full line of Schwinns. One in Norfolk sold Indian motorcycles and and a full line of Schwinns. In Richmond, I believe the dealer sold Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a full line of Schwinns. I think but I am not sure that Colley Ave. Bike Shop sold Schwinns in the "60's in Norfolk and they also sold Schwinn and other brands bike accessories, parts and they serviced all brands of bikes.

My 1967 Schwinn Deluxe Stingray came from the Portsmouth location. That location later dropped the Schwinns in the late '70's and concentrated on the Honda motorcycle sales and service and eventually became a distributor for Honda in the late '70's when they dropped Schwinn. The name of the company was Givens Bike Shop on High St. They also started a trucking company as a Honda distributor to pick up the motorcycles at the port and deliver them up and down the Mid-Atlantic East Coast to Honda dealers. When they became a distributor, they stopped selling and servicing the Honda motorcycles due to conflict with other Honda dealers. The Givens Bike Shop burned down in the early '80's and all that is left is the old black and white checkerboard pattern tile still on the concrete slab. Givens Trucking is still in business but only does general freight hauling regionally. Givens is no longer a distributor for Honda.

A little more info. Ralph "Skip" Ferebee owned the Givens Bicycle Shop for twenty-eight years. He passed away in 2018.


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## locomotion (Jan 12, 2022)

I have also wondered why I have not seen more Schwinn bikes in Canada.
I have seen 1000's of collector bikes in Canada in the last 25 years but rarely found any Schwinns.
And of the Schwinns that I have seen, most had been imported from the US by the seller/collector.
I have never heard or seen an old bike shop selling vintage Schwinns in Quebec or Ontario. Except for Canadian Tire or Walmart selling crappy Schwinns.


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## Brian R. (Jan 14, 2022)

In the research I've done on the Canadian automobile and bicycle industries, it's been said that Canadians (1900-1960 period) were more frugal consumers than Americans. It's also possible that our standard of living back then was not as high as it was in the US. A Schwinn with balloon tires, 2-tone paint , fake gas tank, and electric horn was an expensive bike wasn't it? Add the problem of tariffs on top of that, and I think we have the answer - too pricey for the Canadian market. 

With the sole exception of one listing in the 1922 Hyslop catalogue, tank "motobikes" were never built in Canada. CCM sold modest bikes, and Sunshine-Waterloo which built Schwinn DX copies didn't offer fancy add-ons either. S-W made these Schwinn copies from the late '40s to 1953, and then switched to making school lockers and steel office desks. Not enough buyers of Schwinn look-alikes to keep going after a run of under 50,000 (going by serial numbers) over maybe 7 or 8 years? How many bikes a year did the Chicago factory turn out for the US market in the early '50s?

From Sunshine-Waterloo 1953 catalogue:


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## GTs58 (Jan 14, 2022)

Did Ford export cars and trucks to Canada years ago? Back in the old days, what we call Snow Birds flock down from the cold regions and spend the Winter months here in the Phoenix Metro area. In the 60's I can remember seeing Canadian Fords cruising the streets and parked at the grocery stores.


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## Brian R. (Jan 15, 2022)

Ford has been building vehicles in Canada since 1904.


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## GTs58 (Jan 15, 2022)

Brian R. said:


> Ford has been building vehicles in Canada since 1904.




So they did not import any Fords made in the US?


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## bloo (Jan 15, 2022)

Good question, but tarriffs were such that many US auto manufacturers set up factories to make the cars in Canada. Ford's was (is?) in Oakville, Ontario. I once owned a Canadian 1960 Ford, and remember calling the factory in Oakville in the 1980s trying to get documentation on it.


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