# Hercules Bike 1920's??



## The Junkologist

Hello and I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas!

I just picked up this Hercules bike that was made or sold by The Luetkemeyer Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Can anyone offer up some info on this relic? Any others out there?
Thanks! Mike


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## redline1968

cool bike.  alot of other bikes used the same motor- bike frame and parts 1920's is a good guess.


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## The Junkologist

Thanks, redline.

I was just looking at the serial number on the bottom of the crank housing and it has the number 272 and upside down underneath it is EPD. I was told that this bike came from an auction sale in Elyria, Ohio. Could the "EPD" stand for Elyria Police Department?? Maybe I'll have to try and find some photos of the Elyria cops from that period. This might get real interesting!


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## kunzog

I doubt that this was a police bike but local police departments often stamped  bicycles and recorded serial numbers  for registration purposes to help locate a lost or stolen bike.


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## jdw

*man, merry xmas to YOU!*

gorgeous. the paint and tires and all....good on you!


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## jdw

*Luetkemeyer Company*

The company name didn't ring a bell, but I found this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=uB...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result


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## The Junkologist

Thanks. I found the same info and that's where it ends, unfortunately.

The good news is I found that I had a nos Allstate 28" tubular tire out in the barn still wrapped in the paper. I found it in a lady's garage when I was buying an old Schwinn from her a couple years ago. It was still pretty good except for a couple little hard spots. I mounted it on the front wheel this morning and pumped it up with no problems. The wood rims are in amazingly great shape. I actually rode the bike across my basement! My wife thinks I'm absolutely nuts!

I'm sure I will end up getting tires from Harper Machine, but is there a good way to preserve the tires I have? Is there something that can be put on them to rejuvenate them at all?

Something else I have been wondering is if there was a definite point in time where the plain wood rims were phased out and the metal clad wood rims came into use. My bike has plain wood rims.


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## jdw

*well,...*

"My wife thinks I'm absolutely nuts!"

well..... :lol:.

dunno about your other questions.................


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## The Junkologist

I made a little video of the Hercules bike today.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3oEW8e3XZE


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## jdw

*Hercules*

Hi Mike...when I google up Hercules all I get are links to an English company by that name...all along I figured Hercules was just a badge/brand name made for a cleveland company by a US maker,  but maybe it's an English bike?????????


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## The Junkologist

I really doubt that it's of English origin. English bikes just have that "look" that tells you it's an English bike. I don't think this bike could look any more American than it does. I'm sure the Hercules name was just a brand that Luetkemeyer sold. Unless an old catalog or something shows up, we may never know the story...I would love to find a Luetkemeyer catalog!


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## Wing Your Heel

*Hercules Museum*

Hi,

I recently set up an online Hercules museum - 

http://herculesmuseum.wordpress.com/

Though I've not seen one before that looks like this, Hercules had a healthy export market to USA and built frames for many companies, so yours could be a re-badged Brit. But I've not yet discovered if bikes were also built under license from the German Hercules company? (No connection with British Hercules).

Early (British) Hercules bicycles are rare now in UK. Though by the thirties they claimed to be the world's top cycle manufacturer, a high proportion were exported, and many more were sold unbadged to other well-known companies to add their own badges. eg I believe all the BSA's of one year were actually Hercules.

With your permission, I'd like to add the two photos of your Hercules to the museum website (quoting its source)

One thing intrigues me - I would have thought that Hercules Corp, Indiana or later Hercules Motor Co. of Canton, OH would have had copyright on the name in the USA?

Happy new year,

Colin


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## The Junkologist

Hi Colin,
I'm no bike expert, but I have seen enough old bikes to say with reasonable confidence that this bike is not British. It follows the American motobike form very closely, if not exactly. I think Hercules was more than likely Luetkemeyer's house brand name for the bikes they sold. This bike has a New Departure model A coaster brake hub. Wouldn't a British bike have some kind of British made hub? 
Feel free to use the photos any way you like. Here's a better photo I took the other day.


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## sensor

im inclined to agree with mr. junkologist on it being u.s. made. most of the motor bikes(english) that ive seen have had lugged frames(i am by no means an expert on this just what ive noticed) and usually had clincher wheels
and thanks for posting the video of your bike


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## Wing Your Heel

*Hercules Stump Puller*

Thanks, Mike. The Luetkemeyer Hercules is a great addition to the museum site. You're right, it does look totally American. I'm just surprised they used the name Hercules, what with imported British ones and also the American Hercules companies owning US copyright. 

By the way, did you get any sensible responses from the Smokestak forum? I noticed there was a 'Horse-Powered Hercules Stump Puller' on there, and I hoped you hadn't converted your bicycle to qualify for posting on the farm machinery forum


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## The Junkologist

Unfortunately, nothing came of the Smokstak post. I'm kind of surprised. That's my main hangout on the web and there are many people there like me who have many antique interests, besides engines. 

Don't worry. I'll never convert the bike into a stump puller!:eek:


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## sm2501

How about some detail photos of your bicycle? I would like to see closeups of the headset, top and bottom of the fork truss rods and the serial number. Maybe that will give us some clues, but I agree that this is a US built bicycle.


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## The Junkologist

Here you go.


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## The Junkologist

Some more photos. In the serial number photo there is "272" with "E  P  D" upside down underneath it.


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## dave the wave

*it looks Davis made*

its got the ext.handle bar neck,forged truss fork,early ND hub,bayonett crank.its american made Davis Sewing Mach.Co.and circa.mid teens.that be my guess.


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## The Junkologist

Thanks, Dave! What makes the crank a bayonet crank? I'm not completely educated on the bike lingo yet.


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## dave the wave

look at the crank arm.it comes to a point like a sword.


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## The Junkologist

OK, I see now. Are you positive it was made by Davis? What tells you that? 

What would you say it's worth? I don't want to sell, but I'd like to know if I did alright when I bought it, or if it's worth getting new tires for it.

Thanks.


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## dave the wave

I am not positive it is a Davis,but it has alot of features that Davis used on their bicycles.the value of the bike?about $200-$400.you just need the correct seat.its a great bike and be a easy resto.i don't know if i would ride it because of the wood rims.


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## The Junkologist

Thanks.  I figured the seat was wrong. I assume it should have the kind with the long springs on it.
The wheels are amazingly solid and true. If I ride it, I would only ride on pavement. Never on stones or gravel, especially with the tires being so narrow.
I paid $275 for the bike. The seller was asking $350 and talking about parting it out if it didn't sell. I didn't want to see that happen and I don't think he did either, hence the deal we made.


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## The Junkologist

*Maybe Columbia??*

I've just been told that my bike may have been built by Columbia. Can anyone prove or disprove that??


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## The Junkologist

*D. P. Harris maybe??*

I found this photo of a 1922 Rollfast with a chainring that is identical to the one on my Hercules. Does this indicate that my bike was built by D. P. Harris Hardware & Mfg?? Click the link below the photo of the Rollfast to see a photo of the chainring on my Hercules.


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## The Junkologist

*The Hercules is all decked out and ready to roll!*

I can't wait for the weather to get better so I can take it for a ride!


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## Flat Tire

Cool bike!


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## phillips1952

*nice colour*

that is beautiful!!!!!what a great bike.reminds me of my 20s massey.just excellent.


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