Hercules
I bought a roadster from India. These bikes are very common work-horse bikes in India. I have not been able to update the ‘My Bicycles‘ page due to some error with wordpress and my hosting server. Till then, enjoy this slideshow. The bike cost me 60 USD. The bicycle shop owner packed it in a box and I brought it over as a checked in luggage. International travelers are allowed two 50 lbs bags to check in.
The riding position is taking time to get used to. You can see Matt from bikejax riding it to get an idea of the posture. For starters, the handle bar grips are very skinny and make it uncomfortable. It is an easy fix. I have installed a longer seat post and a new seat that I had. The bike is very tall at 22 inches for me but not too tall. The brakes are rudimentary rod brakes. No cables. These brakes will take time getting used to as well. The master plan is to have this bike replace Katrien. I will still hold on to the antique dutch bike, just not subject her to too much beating.
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January 11th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
This means another name request, eh?
January 12th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Excellent bike, and so cheap to buy, well Idon’t know how much $60 is worth in India? Thanks for sharing the pictures of it with us. By the way what company makes this bike in India?
January 12th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
T, I think I will stick to Hercules.
W, It is made by Hercules. It is a moderately expensive bicycle. The expense on this bike in India is justified by its longevity. Labor being cheaper makes this bike so affordable.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Ooooh… a real beauty
April 24th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Which city did you buy it from?
One thing I noticed – all the doodhwalla cycles in the North had that double cross bar that your cycle has, but the ones in the South have only a single cros-bar, though they’re made by the same manufacturer (Hercules, Hero, Atlas etc.).
I wonder if there’s a good reason or is it just coincidence …