another hercules but different.

[redline1968]

i found a hercules bike the sturmy says 53 i guess 1953. its different with a chrome fork and fenders and has lugs also the chain ring is marked hercules. is it worth fixing? is this a deluxe version? any value to it? any input is appreciated.

 

[sailorbenjamin]

That's a cool bike. When did Raleigh buy out Herculese?
Here's a good website for that kind of thing (in case you haven't already found it);
http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/index.html
Those fenders look more like schwinn.

 

[Brentville]

Some things don't match for me

It's a nice bike for sure. And the S/A is mark is a year so it would be 1953 hub and the chain ring is the right time frame too. But the chrome forks are kind of odd as I don't recall those on bikes from that time period. The real surprise is what looks like a plastic cable guide on the frame for the shifter. That should be a metal guide if it's a 1953 bike. Maybe some parts have been swapped out or replaced?

 

[redline1968]

yes its cool. the fork is strainge but fits perfectly. there is some parts on it that are stingray i.e. the hand brakes and the rear caliper and the cable guide also. Im not too well informed on this type of bike. it rides good. it came with a 53 dyno hub and rim for the front also. the tires are 26 X 1 1/4 in size. the original color was black.

 

[zuissjw1]

Interesting. I have a couple of 53/54 Hercules bikes (badged as Churchill Deluxe) and they have the "expected" Hercumatic 3 speed rear hub and shifter (versus Sturmey Archer). I think I may have heard that the Hercumatic was just a licensed design of the Sturmey hub. Mine both came with Sturmey front dynohubs so this leads me to believe that Hercules was not "against" using Sturmey parts as again I think this was before any type of merger between Raleigh and Sturmey. It was well before the Raleigh purchase of Hercules.

My Hercules are 26" wheels with the rod brake profile rims. They were fitted with the 26 x 1 3/8 standard tires.

With the lack of original paint and missing chainguard and general condition I wouldn't think it would be worth a whole lot. With the mixture of parts on the bike and the extra wheels this is one bike that might make sense to part out. I don't generally give this advice to others or myself, but might be the right thing to do here. If so, wish you lived closer as I'd like to attend that swap meet. Best of luck, John

 

[sailorbenjamin]

Hmm. 26x1 1/4? Sounds like schwinn stuff. The brits did use this size some but mostly prewar. Is there a stamp on those rims?
The fenders are definately Schwinn.
Zuissjw1 is right about the value. I just got a similar Phillips for $50. The fenders are worth something.
I'd still fix it up though.

 

[redline1968]

I won't part it out. it has a grease fitting on the hangar for the crank. there are markings on the rim is says dunlop 26X1/14. here is another bike that came with it. its badged in portland called champion and looks like a schwinn with the same gaurds but its prewar. most companys copied the euro style fenders.

 

[redline1968]

is it possible that its earlier than 1953. the sturmy might be replaced zuissjw1 could be right with the hercumatic hub. also i assumed that the rear dropouts indicate the era of the bike. hooked ones are in the 30's

 

[zuissjw1]

Is the rim on the 53 Sturmey dynohub front wheel a 26 x 1 1/4 too? I doubt it, but if so, it's possible someone relaced different rims onto the hubs at some point in history. Maybe they thought they would go "faster".

 

[sailorbenjamin]

Is the rim on the 53 Sturmey dynohub front wheel a 26 x 1 1/4 too? I doubt it, but if so, it's possible someone relaced different rims onto the hubs at some point in history. Maybe they thought they would go "faster".

Yup. 26x1 1/4 was the low profile racing wheel of the day. 26x1 3/8 was for cruisers (at least english ones).