Reliving my youth on a '56 Herc
As a child of 11(circa 1971), my "practical" Father bought me a used English racer to ride to Little League practice. Now, all the other boys had chopper bikes; Schwinn pickers and the like. One fortunate boy even had a Raleigh Chopper! So to me this tall 3 speed, "old guy bike" was a bit of an embarrassment. Only when we rode to the diamond did it's true nature come to light. It was far faster than anything else in our little pack. Way faster. And it offered something else, that at the time, didn't seem to hit on me; comfort! Still, I wasn't very nice to the old steed. I have no idea what year it was or sadly, what make. And being the source of my pre-adolescent disdain there are no pictures of it either... My recollections are few but I remember the color, red. That, and it was on the large side for me. With the seat all the way down so I could reach the pedals, and God forbid if I had to brake and dismount fast...
Enter this old girl; a 1956 Hercules "Royal Prince". Found it for nearby for $40.00 in neglected condition. I suppose I may have offered less but I was into the idea of reliving my LL days. A strip down with cleaning, new chain, tires/tubes, grease and oil was the order of the day. Viewing this bike from a much later point in my life, I understand why Dad had purchased one for me. It's incredibly well made. Even with it's advanced years, it took to refurbishment with ease. The result is what you see. Not original for sure. But the ride is what I remember; swift, predictable, and comfortable. Needless to say, I look forward to errands. Now if I could only find a bunch of old guys to have a catch!
...and yes, the chain guard is my own stickers as the original decal was gone. I felt it needed something, my apologies to purists...