# Help me ID this Hercules Roadster



## gbalke (Aug 24, 2013)

Back in March of 2011 I was offered a Hercules Roadster for the cost of shipping. I was working a contract job in Wichita at the time and when the bike arrived at my home in St Louis, my son stuck it in the garage, still packed in the shipping box. That box remained sealed until today when I opened it to quickly check the bike, though not removing it. 

 The photos below were taken by the previous owner and hopefully they will be enough to help ID the model and possibly year of manufacture. I should say that the rear hub, the Simplex rear derailleur and the both shift levers, not original to the bike, were removed from the bike prior to shipping.










You can see the faint outline of the circular head badge on the steering tube. This badge was replaced with the shield shaped badge around 1950. 

I friend from the UK stated that this may be a Hercules Popular, and from what I've seen on the internet, I am leaning towards that belief. I found this web site, http://herculesmuseum.wordpress.com/...ercules-gents/ which could help in pin pointing the specific model and perhaps zero in on the year. 
Any thoughts?


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## Adamtinkerer (Aug 25, 2013)

Try reposting in the lightweight section, this bike falls into that category.


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## gbalke (Aug 26, 2013)

Adamtinkerer said:


> Try reposting in the lightweight section, this bike falls into that category.




I originally posted on the Lightweight forum but later requested the Amin to move my post to this forum where I believe is more of a fit.

Honestly, you would consider this Hercules a Lightweight bicycle? This is a heavy English Roadster made from plain old high carbon steel, often referred to as "gas pipe", not a  Claud Butler or Hetchins with a Reynolds 531 alloy frame.


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## michaelk (Aug 27, 2013)

*Luv that rear hub!*

Hey Gary! Nice score! 

 What are your plans for her? Realy luving that early rear 3 speed hub.


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## gbalke (Aug 27, 2013)

michaelk said:


> Hey Gary! Nice score!
> 
> What are your plans for her? Realy luving that early rear 3 speed hub.




Thanks Michaelk,

My plan is to bring her back to life as a single speed Roadster, as close to original as I can. That 3 speed hub seen in the photos stayed with the previous owner but I do have this in my parts stash:


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Aug 27, 2013)

You had a rod brake freebie for 2+ years before even opening the box? THAT is self control.


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## gbalke (Aug 27, 2013)

Stinky_Sullivan said:


> You had a rod brake freebie for 2+ years before even opening the box? THAT is self control.




Well, working out of state for most of that time was a factor in my "self control".


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