1962 Hercules Ten Speed

[Gasbag]

I've had this one for a while. I was able to get a date of 1962 from the Williams chain rings. The frame is marked with AMF. Head badge says Birmingham. The build of this bike is high end for Hercules. Note the lugs. I'm typing left handed due to injury, so without further fanfare, my Hercules.

 

[SirMike1983]

Nice and unique bike. It's one of those "combination" pieces from near the time when Hercules was consolidated with Raleigh. The rear drops look like Birmingham production, and the badge certainly is so. You're right- those lugs are nice. It really is a high-end piece for post-consolidation Hercules. I've had a theory for awhile that, at least initially, Phillips and Hercules were planned to be higher-end bicycles on a par with Raleigh production and not low-budget. Those two brands had long-time recognition as quality brands and usually on a par with Raleigh in quality. That's just a theory, of course, but it seems to me the combination bikes were made to a higher specification than the later, low-budget Hercules and Phillips bikes.

 

[Gasbag]

I have a theory that when the Hercules factory was shut down, AMF bought a bunch of inventory. AMF was already selling Hercules starting in the early 1950s. I strongly believe that this is a Kestrel frame, Hercules version of the Raleigh Lenton. I have no way to prove or disprove that theory, for now it remains one of the 1959 - 1964 odd English bikes.

 

[SirMike1983]

I have a theory that when the Hercules factory was shut down, AMF bought a bunch of inventory. AMF was already selling Hercules starting in the early 1950s. I strongly believe that this is a Kestrel frame, Hercules version of the Raleigh Lenton. I have no way to prove or disprove that theory, for now it remains one of the 1959 - 1964 odd English bikes.


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Given how slowly they depleted some old stock parts, I wouldn't be surprised if that was Kestrel frame.