Folders! Foldable bicycles; love or hate? do you own/use one? Minivelos and demontables added

[bikeworkshop]

Dull working bike in action, taking a frame to the post office.

Low rack/ long post makes
"plus-size" parcels a possibility

 

[grantoury]

Fab thread, love the imagination and flat-out bonkers engineering that goes in to some of these.

I know very little about mine, it looks kinda like the Batavus bikes (with the pressed box section) but not quite. I call it 'Baguette Express' because I have it mainly to take on holiday to France with me to collect baked goods, so I've included a pic from the first time it fulfilled its destiny.

Hercules is a German brand I believe, but @KayOs may know better. I love the look of it, so many different models were made like this in the sixties and seventies.

 

[Rothchild]

Hercules is a German brand I believe, but @KayOs may know better. I love the look of it, so many different models were made like this in the sixties and seventies.

Yup, it has a Sachs Torpedo (single speed, coaster brake) hub, which adds to the German flavour. I searched quite extensively for anything about it when I got it but largely drew a blank (the pressed from flat construction seemed pretty singular to me at the time, even the forks are just folded sheet!).

The closest I can find to it is this: http://www.bootiebike.com/neckermann/neckermann.htm (which is also lovely) but it's quite a lot bigger. It's like Hercules bought/stole the design and re-imagined it in to a shopper.

 

[grantoury]

I found another one, it pays to use German terms like "Klapprad" or "Faltrad."

https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/seltenes-hercules-klapprad-1106703810/#image_gallery_fullscreen

I also found this nice example:

 

[KayOs]

Hercules is a German brand I believe, but @KayOs may know better. I love the look of it, so many different models were made like this in the sixties and seventies.

You are absolutely right. I think they also made Mopeds and Mokicks for some time.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I found another one, it pays to use German terms like "Klapprad" or "Faltrad."

View attachment 885574

https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/seltenes-hercules-klapprad-1106703810/#image_gallery_fullscreen

I also found this nice example:

View attachment 885577

The larger wheel bike is lovely, almost french in its style.

 

[Rothchild]

The larger wheel bike is lovely, almost french in its style.

Looks like it was German too, by 'Hermann Klaue', who got taken over by Hercules in 1956

1954 Hermann Klaue 3-Speed Cross-frame – The Online Bicycle Museum

1954 Hermann Klaue 3-Speed Cross-frame

onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk

 

[grantoury]

The larger wheel bike is lovely, almost french in its style.

Yes, there was a French bicycle with a mono tube frame, but I can't remember the name now.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Yes, there was a French bicycle with a mono tube frame, but I can't remember the name now.

Schultz, there's one in the french thread.

 

[grantoury]