Montgomery Ward's Hercules Hawthorne Bicycles
Made in England By Hercules Cycle & Motor Co.
(Model Year 1960) On this page I have reproduced the
images and descriptions of one model of a Hercules Hawthorne bicycle as
it appeared in the Montgomery Wards Fall and Winter 1960 catalog. This
is the bicycle that I received as a present
from my mother and father on Christmas day, 1960. It
is possible that it is an uncommon model.
Most bicycles manufactured in England have a diamond frame. This one has a cantilever frame. The shaping of the tubing of a cantilever frame requires bending. Most manufacturers probably considered this an unnecessary complication in the manufacturing of a bicycle frame. But it was becoming popular in the U. S. because it sold bicycles, even if it didn't do much, if anything, for the strength of the frame. But there was a look to this bicycle that impressed me even as an eight-year-old. The quality was so obvious. I told my parents that that bicycle was all I wanted for Christmas that year. Limiting a Christmas wish list to one request is a big sacrifice to an eight-year-old.
from my mother and father on Christmas day, 1960. It
is possible that it is an uncommon model.Most bicycles manufactured in England have a diamond frame. This one has a cantilever frame. The shaping of the tubing of a cantilever frame requires bending. Most manufacturers probably considered this an unnecessary complication in the manufacturing of a bicycle frame. But it was becoming popular in the U. S. because it sold bicycles, even if it didn't do much, if anything, for the strength of the frame. But there was a look to this bicycle that impressed me even as an eight-year-old. The quality was so obvious. I told my parents that that bicycle was all I wanted for Christmas that year. Limiting a Christmas wish list to one request is a big sacrifice to an eight-year-old.
used the new Sturmey
Archer model SW 3-speed hub. Click here
for evidence of that. The model SW hub used springless pawls, was almost silent, and lacked the dependability of their model AW 3-speed hub which had been made by Sturmey Archer since 1937. The model SW fell short of Sturmey Archer's expectations and by 1960 it was gone.
At left is how this bicycle looked in the 1960 Montgomery W the 1960 Montgomery Wards Fall and Winter catalog and below that is the description. As I recall, in the Christmas catalog the price had been reduced to $54.95. It is not obvious in the picture but the top tube is actually two tubes about 5/8" in diameter which run from the head tube to the rear dropout. They may be considered the top tube(s) and seat stays.
When I was 13 years old I decided I wanted a black bicycle and painted this one black. I have done the mechanical reconditioning of this bicycle and it is awaiting repainting to its original color in the spring of 2003 and then the decals and striping later. I may use a black vinyl mattress saddle or possibly a leather Brooks B-72 which is the saddle used on the deluxe Raleigh Sports bicycles.
The pedals are long gone, replaced
with black Union pedals made in Germany. They are very similar to those
used on Raleighs of that period and later. The original fenders
were chrome plated steel. They only lasted about 2 years. The
replacements are highly polished aluminum so they look about the same
but should hold up much longer. The 2-tone (red and white) Tourist Bag
has been replaced by a cheap replacement that is also red and white
also red and white and looks very similar. I can't find replacements
for the white handlebar grips but I will probably use some VAR black
handlebar grips
made in France which are almost identical except for the color and may
be
just a bit more comfortable because they are softer than the original
grips.
I have foecause they are softer than the original
grips. I have found white sidewall tires which are very similar to the
original Dunlop white sidewall tires. They are not made in England
though. They
are Kenda 26x1-3/8 with the K133 tread. I have used them before and I
like
the tread better than the original roadster tread of the Dunlops. As
you
see, I am not going for a completely original restoration, but it will
be close. This bike is not for static display on a shelf, it will be
used
again. There are many bicycles of similar origin that are nearing or
passing the 50 years of service mark. As pleasant as they are to look
at,
they are even more enjoyable when ridden. I have had people who are
completely accustomed to derailleur geared bicycles who remarked about,
and were very impressed with, the smooth, stable, comfortable ride of a
3-speed light roadster when they took one for a test ride.These Hercules bicycles were one of the last ones manufactured by Hercules Cycle. The name plate says they werate says they were manufactured in Birmingham, England. In 1960 TI Raleigh bought Hercules Cycle, moving the manufacturing of Hercules bicycles to the Raleigh factory in Nottingham, England. The move either was not immediate or the head badges had to be used up, as the place of manufacture remained Birmingham on the head badges at least until 1963, possibly longer. Parts made by Phillips and Hercules were still used on Hercules bicycles as had been the case previously, with the gradual addition of parts made by Raleigh. Brooks saddles and Sturmey Archer rear hubs and rims continued to be used on Hercules bicycles, as was probably the case for all bicycles manufactured in England for many years. Brooks and Sturmey Archer seem to be the choice for English bicycle companies as far back as I have seen.
Instead of the best that Hercules Cycle and Motor Co. could offer, Hercules bicycles became one of the many lower priced lines made by TI Raleigh. Little things began to change on Hercules bicycles.The chainring that in 1960 had "H" in the chainring was "H"-less on a 1962 Hercules that I own. That was probably the case with all Hercules models in 1962. A few years later AMF was selling Hercules bicycles in the United States as the AMF Hercules bicycle. In 1969 the chainguard was the common hockey stick shape. More about the AMF Hercules bicycles.
The images above are reproduced from a Montgomery Wards fall and winter 1960 catalog. The purpose is entirely educational. No items are offered for sale on these pages, (and certainly not at 1960 prices).
| Comparisons |
Bicycle Advocacy |
Sturmey
Archer AW Hub Diagram 1960 |
Hercules
Bicycle Repair Manual 1960 |
|