It's amazing how little the outward appearance of the standard bike has changed in nearly 100 years. It just goes to show how perfect the design really is.
Bringing history to life again is something astonishing. Old years seen as a Black and white movies dosnt reflects the beauty of handwork that IT is actually. Great job! Congtatulations 👍
Thanks for sharing this seldom type with great work done on. i've never known about so yt just brings it in. We have a rennrad museum in fröndenberg but types from England are still missing.
This video has had such an emotional effect on me. Firstly, it was so compelling, it made me watch the entire thing although I was protesting the time and pace at some points. Seeing men dedicate so much patience and attention to bring beauty into this world was the biggest pleasure and it feels like our world would be better off with such respect. This is not nostalgia for a bygone era but great admiration for an attitude that confirms that there is still beauty to be extracted, all around us. One tip: when mixing solvents, it’s easier to pour the lighter one first and then mix in the thicker. Tiny detail. Thanks for the wonderful video.
With regard to the bike, I have been reviewing this video several times, all this reminds me of the restoration of old motorcycles, where it is sometimes more difficult to find the right original part than to assemble the motorcycle itself, and only thanks to such enthusiasts it may be possible, with regard to the steering wheel, looking at this old catalog, I also realized that it turns out that this position of the steering wheel took place, we used to fool around as a child and put it in such a funny position, but as it turned out it was really from the manufacturer, about wooden rims it was a discovery for me)) and so Brothers you are handsome, thank you for such a journey to the origins of cycling, it was very interesting... I hope I didn't write very carelessly))
The quality of the workmanship from those involved is impressive, hope they are able to pass those skills on to the next generation....next item should be a custom canvas frame bag and a journey into the wilds of America 👍😁
What a lovely watch ! My first vintage bicycle was a 1928 Hercules Loop frame I had bought for £20. It brought back so many lovely memories of riding it watching this video, thanks for posting it.
Hey, Matt! I'd say you might see me riding it up the street here, but with a 46x16 and a coaster brake, it's completely inappropriate for this neighborhood. :)
That was very interesting! My favorite segments being the saddle with all the both technical and filming details. Also, the antique wooden wheel details with those incredible aluminum inserts. The replicated jersey, black & white film of restored racer being ridden, AND my pride of our here-in-my-Ohio antique wheel builder! So interesting! Both the restoration experts helping and the puzzle pieces of history coming together! Beautiful! Best, most professional content bicycle videos on the Internet!
Thanks very much, Gary! Didn't know you were in Ohio! Guess you can just drop in and pick up some Stutzman rims anytime you want. :) Thanks for watching!
What an amazing bicycle! I have an old Hercules, but it's from the 50's I believe. I also have an old Speedway bicycle, I was told it was from the 1800's.
Thanks, Dean! Yes, it's hard to date the Hercules bikes, I've got one I think might be from the 30's, but they were using the same lugs in the 1960's! That Speedway sounds like a cool bike!
What a beautiful restoration! I'm so glad you got this bike and did a demonstration ride for us to enjoy! Hope you have many happy miles of enjoyable cycling.
What an awesome piece of skilled workmanship. You should be so proud of your team for completing such a work of art. Enjoy riding it and post some still close up photos. Thanks for sharing.
Very beautiful restoration, great great Job and best colaborators for this hard work. Smels original flavour . The decals is stunising 😮. Congratulations 😊
The technique that I use to ride hills with that kind of gearing is to stand with my hands in the drops. Beautiful bike!!! The 30 lb weight is surprising, not really heavy at all. The wood from the 1932 Olympic velodrome was used to build a clubhouse on the Arroyo in Pasadena, still standing.
Thanks for the great video. I purchased a Hercules several years ago from a bike shop friend who was located near Pasadena; I have no idea where he acquired it from, but he'd had it for several years himself before selling it to me. Best I can figure, it's a mid-1920ish but no idea what model it is. Its overall condition is rusty, but I don't think beyond hope. The decals are shot, but it does have a metal head badge and it's painted ox blood red. I've been torn for some time whether to restore or sell it, but this video makes me really curious now what I may (or may not) have. I'd be happy to send pictures if you want, because I want to know more. Thanks again! :)
It's nice to see an actual restoration rather than a "restoration" like most videos, which are really nothing more than disassembling/cleaning/lubricating/reassembling. How do the wooden grips stay on the handlebars without shifting around? They didn't look tight at all when you installed them.
Hey, MR! In the early days they would’ve used animal hide glue to hold those grips on, but I went with a small amount of silicone adhesive, which I figured would be safe and reversible if I ever wanted to get them off. The location of the grips way out on the ends of the bars like that, while historically accurate, is strange and uncomfortable while riding, so I usually just keep my hands up on the bars. Thanks for watching!
Wonderful work. I was recently working on Coventry Street , Digbeth , Birmingham Uk…the very place where Ed and Harry Crane started Hercules Bikes at the beginning of 1900..eventually becoming one of the worlds largest bike producers. The rest is history. 👍👍
There is still some small metal fabrication works around the area. The biggest bike manufacturer in the UK is now Brompton in London down the road. In Digbeth itself, there are a lot of media and arts design companies, especially in a place called the ‘custard factory’ ( Bird’s Custard ) 👍 Enjoy that great bike.
Interesting! Thanks very much for the information! In the San Fransico Bay area nearby, most of the manufacturing is gone and has been replaced by media and design places as well. Pixar and other digital FX movie companies have replaced the factories. Thanks again! Rich@@jaypoly
There's a special wood stain they sell at hobby lobby it puts like a color streak in the wood, like green, red, and yellow, the one I prefer is gold. Wood looks like wood except as you look at it some of the fibers in the wood are the only ones to take the stain.
Hi and thanks for watching! The tires are "Continental Ride Classic". They come with a reflective side strip that you can peel off (with some effort) so they look more appropriate to the older bikes. :) If you can't find those, the "Continental Ride Cruiser" may work also, but it's a wide tire.
Found someone with them in stock on eBay, although their shipping seems a bit high. I like that they stock them in some different colors. That reflective strip takes quite a bit of time and work with sharp fingernails to pick at a spot, lift it a bit and peel it off (in sections), but it's kind of relaxing doing it while you sit on the couch and watch television. :)
@@scream6966 No problem. :) If you have any trouble peeling the reflective strip, there's one area where the strip bubbles up a bit and that's the easiest way to start getting the strip off. :)
Hi and yes they are! It takes a little time and long fingernails, but you can just peel the reflective strip off with some effort. There's usually an area that's bubbled up. Find that to get started.
@Bikes, Trikes & Razors! If it is a 1932 Olympic riders bike it could of been ridden by Frank Southall of Norwood Paragon a club in the Croydon Area there is you tube footage of him riding a similar bike from 1933.
@@markhancock7527 Thanks very much for pointing that out Mark! I noticed in the video that his bike has the same fork crown as mine. Could be the same model bike!
@Bikes, Trikes & Razors! Yes i think so he did turn professional for Hercules. There was another Norwood Paragon rider in the team Stan Butler who used to run Allins cycles in Croydon.
@Paul Whitcomb Yes i believe Frank was from Croydon area.Stan Butler is no relation to Claud Butler but Geoffery Butler who had a bike shop in Croydon was Claud Butler brother.Norwood Paragon have a website with History on it.
There’s a coaster brake on the rear hub so when you back-pedal, it slows the bike down. It doesn’t work that well but it will eventually stop the bike. Thanks for watching!
Stutzman makes completely authentic all-wood rims as well but I knew I’d be riding the bike quite a bit so I wanted the rims as strong and user-friendly as possible so I went with the wood with aluminum inserts. Don’t tell anyone and no one will ever know. ;)
I wanted to, Frank, but they were mounted on their backing paper such that they weren’t even visible until they were applied and the backing paper was peeled off. I have to take some high-res photos of them on the bike now so I can have reproductions made if I ever need them.
