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Early Schwinn Continental Clubman?

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I think the CM stamp is most likely a crome moly tubing designation for production line use.
Probably allowed other mild steel lightweights to be part of a production sequence

If that's the case, then all the Continentals including the step thru models would have that stamping.
 
If that's the case, then all the Continentals including the step thru models would have that stamping.
Is there any difference in the frame between a Continental Clubman and a regular Continental? This question started me wondering - if it's just a matter of which parts were bolted on, why mark the frame? Looking at on-line catalogs, the 1952 catalog specifically says the Continental frame is chrome molybdenum, but the 1948 catalog just says best grade carbon steel "Seamless Drawn" tubing.


 
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Years ago I had a 1976 factory orange painted Mongoose bmx bike. It had CM for chrome moly stamped on the bottom bracket to distinguish it from painted mild steel frames painted on the same paint line.

That's why I think the CM stamp is not for Clubman
 
Years ago I had a 1976 factory orange painted Mongoose bmx bike. It had CM for chrome moly stamped on the bottom bracket to distinguish it from painted mild steel frames painted on the same paint line.

That's why I think the CM stamp is not for Clubman
It would make sense. I've got a '49 New World with the smaller three piece crank bottom bracket and a "U" serial, and I'm pretty sure there was never a chrome-moly New World. What diameter are your frame tubes?

 
It would make sense. I've got a '49 New World with the smaller three piece crank bottom bracket and a "U" serial, and I'm pretty sure there was never a chrome-moly New World. What diameter are your frame tubes?


All the Continentals were Chro-mo so doing the CM stamp for the frame material would probably be a waste of time. I can't say what is all different if anything on the frames between the two, but all the Continentals did not have the CM stamping.

Clubman.
1653699794065.png



Here's a good close up of Kramai88's 1946 step thru Conti. No sign of a CM stamp. And to be honest, I would have noticed a CM stamping on all the other regular Continentals that I've seen over the years. I've seen diamond and bell stamps on these early Conti's and I still have no idea what those signify. Could the Clubman be equipped with the Paramount crank spindle and that's why the CM was stamped?

1653700563254.png
 
Years ago I had a 1976 factory orange painted Mongoose bmx bike. It had CM for chrome moly stamped on the bottom bracket to distinguish it from painted mild steel frames painted on the same paint line.

That's why I think the CM stamp is not for Clubman
Im not sure how any Mongoose correlates with a 40's Schwinn.....

So I would say that it may be time for an Early Continental serial number registry thread...

Have we set the pencil stand dates in stone? Somthing else we've seen on Clubman Continentals is the different ring gear. Is shows in the ads we've seen

Here is a pic of my Supposed 47' Continental BB
Obviously hand stamped.
Star before the serial number.
Pencil kick stand that is slightly bent to conform to the chain stay when in up position.
Also notice the direction the serial number is stamped. Starts from the drive side.
I bought it as a frame with fork and Crank only, then built it up from there.
The BB is definitely period, and if original is a Phillips (stamped so) but no telling on that of-course.

Fully built up with fenders and all, it weighs 32 pounds. In my experience, the early Chro-Mo and Hi-Mang framed bikes are still on the heavy side since most of the parts on them are still steel parts. The similarly equipped bikes made of standard mild steel are 5-8 pounds heavier.

1635023
 
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All the Continentals were Chro-mo so doing the CM stamp for the frame material would probably be a waste of time. I can't say what is all different if anything on the frames between the two, but all the Continentals did not have the CM stamping.

Clubman.
View attachment 1634768


Here's a good close up of Kramai88's 1946 step thru Conti. No sign of a CM stamp. And to be honest, I would have noticed a CM stamping on all the other regular Continentals that I've seen over the years. I've seen diamond and bell stamps on these early Conti's and I still have no idea what those signify. Could the Clubman be equipped with the Paramount crank spindle and that's why the CM was stamped?

View attachment 1634772
But is seamless drawn steel tubing chrome moly? Was this a change in terminology or a change in materials? Chrome molybdenum is a particular alloy of steel, but seamless drawn tubing just means it's drawn instead of rolled and welded.
 
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But is seamless drawn steel tubing chrome moly? Was this a change in terminology or a change in materials? Chrome molybdenum is a particular alloy of steel, but seamless drawn tubing just means its drawn instead of rolled and welded.

I would think so. I don't remember seeing a decal on a Schwinn stating Chrome-moly until much later.

1653770556161.png
 
Yes, I believe they also used that frame decal on pre-war New Worlds that were seamless tubing fillet brazed togther, but not CrMo.
Decal on a pre-war New World:

20170909_183009.jpg


There's a later frame decal that states CrMo, and which looks similar but isn't the same thing. The Continental frames I've owned over the years did not have "CM" on any of them. They all were partial bikes or upright tourist type models. They were CrMo without the "CM" stamp. I've never owned the Clubman variant.
 
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