Help on identifying old Hercules

[Pete1wray]

I found an estate sale offering this old Hercules. These are the only photos provide. Can anyone give a general sense of value. It looks to me to be in pretty good shape.

 

[bikemonkey]

That is a pretty cool English Roadster-type bicycle. The red color helps in desirability as so many English bikes were drab greens, browns, and blacks. Find the date code on the rear hub and you will probably have a good idea of when it was made. If that saddle is in good condition it may be worth more than the rest of the bike - I would research that aspect.

If it cleaned up nicely, it would bring $100/$150 in my shop. Not a very helpful picture and there is too little info from you - therefore too many unknowns to say anything else of substance about this particular bike. Rarity/scarcity does not necessarily = desirability/value.

 

[dweenk]

I like that head badge - looks to be pre-Raleigh/TI. As bikemonkey said, the rear hub should date it, and the shifter may have a patent number on it as well. I am making an assumption that the hub and shifter were licensed from Sturmey Archer.

 

[HPL]

I believe that I now own this bike. I believe this to be pre-Raleigh/TI; but I don't know if it's before the original TI buyout in '46. No date code on Hercules Type "B" hub. Easily worth the $ considering the overall condition and originality of parts; tool bag, bar wrap, and pedals are not O.E., pump (plastic body) may not be, but unknown unless I'm able to match it to another O.E. pump. O.E Hercules saddle is in decent condition, but not for daily riding. Bike functions quite well, but missing a couple of front spokes. Color is orange, not sure if it is original (appears original where it's chipped); see paint on headbadge (assumed badge was installed after painting at the factory, but unknown if this is the case). Also, figured it would have the white rear fender paint (post '34) as stock. I don't know when that headbadge was first used; I believe it (or a very similar one) ended up being used again in the later '60s-'70s (this frame is definitely pre 60's) after the green "shield" design which at least was on bikes from the late '40s through the '60s if I have seen original badges and proper years attached with the frames shown. Any help to identifying would be appreciated. Dressing up with some Brooks leather goods and Lucas "King of the Road" lighting gear/dynamo.

 

[Pete1wray]

Glad you picked up that bike. I was already at a full basement when I saw it and you’ve got it looking good.

 

[HPL]

The Hercules will now serve as the main town bike while I rebuild my '30s-'40s Raleigh, I'm not sure it's ready for the miles I put on the '70 Raleigh Sports, but I believe it will be up to the challenge with the proper saddle broken in for it.

 

[HPL]

Glad you picked up that bike. I was already at a full basement when I saw it and you’ve got it looking good.

Thanks Pete, It's still got a ways to go; rims need some work, probably rechrome them if I don't have some spares kicking about from an old parts Raleigh. Putting on Koolstop pads to help the braking a bit. Would like to find a Dynohub for the front like on my earlier Raleigh; I don't know if Hercules made their own version of it, but I'm not too concerned about that. I just want it for the lighting system that originally used one.