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Cyprus99

Cyprus99

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Nov 3, 2013
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Just picked this up not sure what i'm going to do with it. It says AMF Hercules on it and all the components are labeled made in England. Does anybody know anything about this bike? I couldn't find another on the internet with the same style frame. I have the back fender but i'm missing the front. Thanks.







 
That's a Hercules bike, made by Raleigh if the badge says Nottingham on it. If it says Birmingham, it's a 50's Hercules made, but being an AMF, it's probably early to mid 60's. It has the older style lettering and pinstriping. If that's a SA rear wheel that came with it (probably not from it's clean condition) it would have a date stamp on it. Most of those bikes were 3 speeds though. The paint looks in ok shape and the chain guard looks nice and straight. However, the forks are bent. But not at the crown which is good. The tangs are bent a few inches below the crown so they can be straightened a lot easier and safer. I haven't seen that exact frame before where the seat stays aren't joined at the very top seat tube, but they did have several different styles other than the common diamond frame.
 
Here's one like yours, but it's a newer bike. It has the newer forks, mid to late 60's probably. So you also have the original seat from the looks of it.

2dmcymv.jpg
 
Thanks for the info. The badge says Birmingham. The back wheel has been replaced. Everything else seems original besides the tires and grips. Should I not ride it with the bent forks? They don't seem bent.
 
So I think it's a Hercules made Hercules, before Raleigh took them all over in 1960. You can ride ok with the forks bent on that bike. If the bend was at the crown I would recommend checking for cracks, but yours is bent along the forks, someone probably bumped into something. The bend that should be there is near the bottom of the forks where they curve forward. If you follow a line along the head tube down the forks, it should be straight until the bend near the bottom. It will steer better when they are straight. Your front wheel should be about and inch or two more forward. But it will ride just like it is. Some will say you can turn the wheel backwards and run the bike into something to bend it back, but I wouldn't do that, it should be done very gently with a vise or other method. If you do take the forks off, remember the bearings are loose and will go all over the place. Same goes for the crank bearings, they are loose. If I remember correctly, there are 22 bearings in each headset cup and 12 in each crank bearing cup. I loosen that type over a bucket to catch all the bearings, then use grease to hold them in place when I put them back together.
 
Old Brit bikes are cool, but a bit odd to work with if you arent used to 'cottered cranks' and all. If you have to take the cotters out give me a PM for tips. Big thing is to not just try to bash them out, they're softish and there is a better way so you may not wreck them and have to find replacements.
Lot of info here:
sheldonbrown.com
 
Last edited:
OK thank you. I just picked up a Raynal bicycle that I will be taking apart and cleaning up for an xmas gift. If I run into any problems with the cranks i'll PM you. I guess I didn't really think about it being different. Thanks for the heads up I looked at some diagrams online. I posted it in the fresh finds section if you want to check it out. Thanks again.
 

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