Classic & Vintage - Love him or hate him, it's a great bike

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?348113-Ron-s-daughter-Joy-posts-awesome-pic-of-Ron-and-Rand-in-the-60-s-%28I-think%29

Did you see him with the "earbud"? Wow, the predecessor to the MP3 :lol:

Nice Bike- is that an AMF Hercules?

Nice Bike- is that an AMF Hercules?

Indeed, it is an AMF Hercules. I can't see the lugs, but the fork crown indicates it is likely a Pre-Raleigh bike.

I thought for sure this was going to be Grant Petersen

I thought for sure this was going to be Grant Petersen

:roflmao2:

I thought for sure this was going to be Grant Petersen

Perhaps they are one and the same. Ron and Grant do share a characteristic or three.

I thought for sure this was going to be Grant Petersen

I had guessed the same! I don't know why I made this mistake.

Either pro or con, my house has been called at least 50 times over the weekend by someone mentioning Dr. Paul's name.

Yet I'm still undecided as to who I will vote for in the NH Primary tomorrow. I guess I'm pretty typical!

Did you see him with the "earbud"? Wow, the predecessor to the MP3 :lol:

He was monitoring alien transmissions. Still doing so today.

Believe it or not, that's a Raleigh-made AMF, just like this one:

From: http://threespeedbicycles.com/AMF_Hercules.html
http://threespeedbicycles.com/AMF_Hercules_gold1.jpg

And this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31289168@N03/3419911678/in/set-72157625201604450

-Kurt

Believe it or not, that's a Raleigh-made AMF, just like this one:

From: http://threespeedbicycles.com/AMF_Hercules.html
http://threespeedbicycles.com/AMF_Hercules_gold1.jpg

And this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31289168@N03/3419911678/in/set-72157625201604450

-Kurt

But I notice that neither of these have the chrome fork socks.....

Mine had plain old black fenders. It served me well through several incarnations.

Great pic.
Aren't all AMF Hercules, Raleighs?
Oh, I see the answer above, thanks Kurt.

But I notice that neither of these have the chrome fork socks...

Doesn't make a bit of difference. Throughout their run, the AMF-Hercules models varied from spartan to the most Americanized-looking Raleigh Sports incarnations possible. Chromed fork ends were occasionally the case, as on Ron Paul's AMF-Herc.

-Kurt

Funny...I assumed he'd have something German :)

There have been recent pics of him riding bikes as well. Can't remember the model.

I had guessed the same! I don't know why I made this mistake.

Either pro or con, my house has been called at least 50 times over the weekend by someone mentioning Dr. Paul's name.

Yet I'm still undecided as to who I will vote for in the NH Primary tomorrow. I guess I'm pretty typical!

I can imagine you will just be happy when they have all gone somewhere else, eh?

Doesn't make a bit of difference. Throughout their run, the AMF-Hercules models varied from spartan to the most Americanized-looking Raleigh Sports incarnations possible. Chromed fork ends were occasionally the case, as on Ron Paul's AMF-Herc.

-Kurt

Cool. While I do not actively seek out photos of AMF Hercs, I do tend to notice them since I owned one. That is the first one I have seen with the chrome.

Believe it or not, that's a Raleigh-made AMF, just like this one:

From: http://threespeedbicycles.com/AMF_Hercules.html

And this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31289168@N03/3419911678/in/set-72157625201604450

-Kurt

Kurt, you are probably right. The thing that threw is that the chrome on the fork crown looks like that of a Birmingham Hercules. The Raleigh versions had the shorter chromed crown.

I think we can post without getting into politics. I wish I had a picture of me like that on my dad's JC Higgins, my impression is the Higgins was a little bit nicer bike in ways that matter. Didn't have as much chrome though.

I can imagine you will just be happy when they have all gone somewhere else, eh?

Absolutely!


I hope you don't vote for a racist whackjob....

Lets see, who can I vote for?

http://p.twimg.com/AigpZ2rCEAA_BQE.png

It's amazing how many sign up to get their name on the ballot.

I respectfully disagree about being able to discuss this thread without politics entering into it. Were it a legitimate politician I would agree...but when it's someone who has had his name attached to some truly offensive things, and said some truly offensive things, I really don't think talking about his bicycle in a neutral manner is realistic. It reads as..."let's discuss Nathan Bedford Forrests lawnmower".

I also disagree as to the bike being great, but that's another matter.

But I notice that neither of these have the chrome fork socks.....

Mine had plain old black fenders. It served me well through several incarnations.

Interestingly, the only Birmingham Hercules that I have identified with any chrome on the fork legs is in the 1949 Hercules catalog (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abaraphobia/sets/72157627991061406/) and was the Hercules Kestrel Super Club (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abaraphobia/6286272312/). I have yet to see any pictures of Birmingham Hercules with chromed forks or chromed fork bottoms (socks).

Interestingly, according to Mike Gerrish (MikeG41 here on the forums), the cycling team frames were actually built by Ted Woodall and there is a blurb about his role in building them for Hercules here (http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/jensen-cycles-builders.html).

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6286272312_9704b0c99b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abaraphobia/6286272312/)
Hercules Kestrel Super Club ('531' Tubing) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abaraphobia/6286272312/) by Abaraphobia (http://www.flickr.com/people/abaraphobia/), on Flickr

I had to google Nathan Bedford Forrest. I cite wikipedia: 'Not for nothing did Forrest say the essence of strategy was 'to git thar fust with the most men"'. That's very much a Cav statement.

I also disagree as to the bike being great, but that's another matter.

Blasphemy!! Once again you are showing your bias against IGH bicycles. Too bad... :p

Blasphemy!! Once again you are showing your bias against IGH bicycles. Too bad... :p

I just do it to twist your tail ;)

Blasphemy!! Once again you are showing your bias against IGH bicycles. Too bad... :p

Internal hubs are for people who don't really ride that much. :D

Internal hubs are for people who don't really ride that much. :D

yeah, IGH's and Italian race bikes.

I also disagree as to the bike being great, but that's another matter.

I dare say that the relative build quality of the AMF's can become even more heated than politics around here - and I'll be the first to say that the AMF-Hercules models were amongst the lowest-end incarnations of the Nottingham Sports ever to exist.

Lousy chrome, wire stays, lousy chainguard design, and my favorite on the later models: Stamped rear brake bridges and flattened fork blade ends as dropouts.

Even though the Rudge/Dunelt/Robin Hood variants had wire stays, they didn't have the rest. The Nottingham Hercs were simply inexcusable - probably dictated that way by AMF management.

-Kurt

. . . . "Nathan Bedford Forrest's lawnmower".

I'm guessing it wasn't a Black & Decker.

Internal hubs are for people who don't really ride that much. :D


yeah, IGH's and Italian race bikes.

Why don't you guys just pile on a little more here...

I dare say that discussion can become even more heated than politics around here - and I'll be the first to say that the AMF-Hercules models were amongst the lowest-end incarnations of the Nottingham Sports ever to exist.

Lousy chrome, wire stays, lousy chainguard design, and my favorite on the later models: Stamped rear brake bridges and flattened fork blade ends as dropouts.

Even though the Rudge/Dunelt/Robin Hood variants had wire stays, they didn't have the rest. The Nottingham Hercs were simply inexcusable - probably dictated that way by AMF management.

-Kurt

One more reason I prefer the Birmingham Hercules... The AMF models are considerably less desirable to me, though I do have a handful of them (3 maybe?) in my collection.

AMF ruins everything, apparently. (motorcycles, too).

I have no interest in the candidate in question, he will probably be gone by the time CA gets to vote, but I did like the picture of the bike. Good or bad quality, there were plenty of these around when I was a kid and it is nice to see a photo of one. I like the chrome fork tips, but then I like almost anything that is chrome.

I mostly see Phillips around here, very few Hercs in that range . Often. Phillips are re-branded as Ranger (Marshall Field) or Hiawatha (Gambles et al)