Backing out...(MBBO Class 1) Norbert.... 1961 Hercules Hawthorn

[Roadie64]

Hi! My name is Mike. I discovered this site maybe a month ago. Freakin cool bikes here, a lot of talent and creativity in building them too!!! Cuddos to the builders!

I would like to enter this Hercules in the MBBO. I got him right around the 1st of Sept. He was lying in the back of a local used bike shop. It had been sitting there for months. According to the owner of the shop a guy brought him in as a basket case. He found him "lying in a field". The stem and seat post were "permanently and intimately bonded" to the steer tube and frame. The owner of the shop tried to get the stem and post out, unsuccessfully. I managed to talk him out of the frame with a proprietary theory I had on a process to remove the stem and post. In return I would hook him up with my system. It turns out that I didn't get a chance to try my system. When I got around to working on him it only took about 15 min with fork and frame clamped in a vise, a pipe wrench, and the stem was out. The stem was wasted when I got him. The seat tube took another 10 min and I got it out too!

This is how I got him:

15 min of twisting, and pulling...

Phat tire won't fit in frame.

I saw one of Pick's bikes with an extended frame and decided to try that on this one. This frame is unique and I didn't want to mess with the original integrity of it. My first attempt at extension brackets. The angle was wrong and I could easily see that it moved the axle too low, once mounted the attachment bolts were going to interfere with the chain line.

And they were ugly!!!

Round two. I found an old piece of angle in the yard that was red on the outside and yellow on the inside. I like the color!

I hope this works.

Forest Gumped this! I am wanting to put a regular 26" rim with 5 speed cassette on the back.

1st mock up with 26" rims. The original rims are the ....... 26 x 1 3/8 English ones. The rear came with the bike but was rusted out and the Sturmey Archer hub was shot which led in this direction. I will use stock rim on front so I can at least have a front brake.

What do you think? Does this qualify for the build? I have a new set of apes ordered so I should meet the min requirements????

 

[Endlesschain]

Hi there and welcome,use photobucket to upload pictures and then copy and paste picture in the share links wich will be on top right corner of photo,or become a pro member and upload straight to forum

 

[Wildcat]

Welcome!

I had one of those frames, it was a Hercules badged bike, same as yours. 2 top bars. I believe they were made 1960 and earlier, as Raleigh bought out most of all the English bike companies in 1960. I think yours was made in Birmingham, not the later Nottingham built bike, so it's a Hercules made, not Raleigh. It's a cool frame and should work well on the build off.
Did you mean to say 26" rims? 16" doesn't seem to make sense. When I've used the smaller 26" wheels on the 26 x 1 3/8" bikes, there wasn't enough room for the brake pads to reach the rims, so I went with coaster brakes. It also may be possible to find brakes with longer arms.

Your dropout extensions look good. I'm doing the same thing on my build, Powerglide.

 

[Roadie64]

Thanks Endlesschain! I figured out how to upload photos and edited my original post.

 

[Roadie64]

Widlcat, oops, yes I ment 26... Thanks for the info on the frame! No one local has EVER seen one of these, including the owner of a shop that is 60 years old. For the second time, I edited my original post.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Very cool frame! Love those dropout extensions, nice work!

Luke.

 

[Wildcat]

Widlcat, oops, yes I ment 26... Thanks for the info on the frame! No one local has EVER seen one of these, including the owner of a shop that is 60 years old. For the second time, I edited my original post.

I couldn't find anything until I came across a 1960 Montgomery Ward advertisement. It looks like your chain wheel is newer and in good shape, the original would probably had the "H" in the pattern.

 

[kingfish254]

I love the lines of that frame. The drops work well with it too.
You should check out @streetpirate 's Rat Salad build from BO7. It's that same cool frame with tons of glitter flake and clear.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...alad-7-26-done-complete-finished.56392/page-5

 

[CRASH]

Welcome Mike from another Mike!

 

[Roadie64]

Lookie what I just found, 10$. Hmmmmm....

I got this crank off of a donor Schwinn frame. I like the way it has the same sculptural curves as the frame. Off to get a new sealed bottom bracket... =]

I think the chain guard is pretty cool too.

 

[Roadie64]

My naner seat came in and dang was the box handy too. I had to get new banana seat and apes. There are a lot of low riders around here and finding these parts used is impossible. That seat is WAYYYY to pretty for this Mc Ratty Rat Rat though...

This is the stance I'm thinking about.

A gratuitous shot of my helper taking care of a bad tire that was going to hurt me... =]

I kinda like the looks of this stance too. Norbert will be a rider though and this isn't too practical for that.

Now I have to decide how to extend the fork. Any input would be appreciated!
Oh, and by the way, in case you haven't noticed, I'm getting excited about this bike!!!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

1. Change to class 2
2. Use the stance in the last pic
3. Weld a BB in a higher place to clear pedals.
4. Tilt the rear extensions up to lower the rear end...

Or toss all that and proceed as planned!

Carl.

 

[Roadie64]

Carl, GREAT idea!
I. Just. Can't. Disturb. That. Frame! lol

I'm being very careful to not even scratch it. It has a Beautiful patina and I want to preserve that. Seeing your build has given me some ideas though! I think I caught the bug.... =]

 

[jats]

that is a very trick frame! congrats!

Troy

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Hey wanna "double yer money" on that 20" MTB?

Carl.

 

[Roadie64]

I may have found my fork and wheel. This fork is off of a mongoose 26" mtn bike that someone gave to me for parts. The disc brake caliper wasn't there but with the one from the 20"er I now have a brake. The stance is cool. The center of crank is about 1/2" lower than my best guess for stock.
I can live with this stance.

It's ugly, unique and fits my rat theme...


Those tabs gotta go!

The steer tube is 1 1/8". I cut the steer tube off of a univega bent fork. It fits nice and tight. I will have enough length to insert it into the cut off 1 1/8 and weld it through the bottom of the fork.

 

[Roadie64]

Welcome!

I had one of those frames, it was a Hercules badged bike, same as yours. 2 top bars. I believe they were made 1960 and earlier, as Raleigh bought out most of all the English bike companies in 1960. I think yours was made in Birmingham, not the later Nottingham built bike, so it's a Hercules made, not Raleigh. It's a cool frame and should work well on the build off.
Did you mean to say 26" rims? 16" doesn't seem to make sense. When I've used the smaller 26" wheels on the 26 x 1 3/8" bikes, there wasn't enough room for the brake pads to reach the rims, so I went with coaster brakes. It also may be possible to find brakes with longer arms.

Your dropout extensions look good. I'm doing the same thing on my build, Powerglide.

Look Wildcat! A 16"rim... lol

 

[Roadie64]

Hey wanna "double yer money" on that 20" MTB?

Carl.

Sure Carl, I already started customizing it though. It's weight is lightened....

Edit: Ya know, it wouldn't take too much work to turn the back half of that frame into a swing bike. I'm thinking I'll keep this one, buddy.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Those new forks look good Roadie!

Luke.

 

[Wildcat]

Look Wildcat! A 16"rim... lol

I've used 16" wheels on a Dahon folder, just thought it didn't fit with the Hercules. On mine, it had a serial number on the dropout, just 4 numbers 1556. Does yours have a number?