Hercules Globetrotter 1985

[fdoc]

Hello everyone!
I found Your site recently,this is my very first post here -hoping that my travelling machine is not off-topic here. In my garage there are 8cycles,
six of them retro and my old bikes are in regular,even every-day usage. All my retro-bikes are in unrestored original/factory condition,none of them is a gem or some highly collectible object,but they all ride very nice and absolutely reliable.
This is german steel from 1985,mostly used for longer journeys.

 

[Stick Legs]

Looks sturdy! Hurculean in fact!

 

[fdoc]

Herculean

Yes,really!
It's quite unbelieveable,how much solid this bike is (weights almost 39 pounds/17,5 kgs) You can feel whenever you touch it,that this machine was built for eternity...

 

[dzilz]

Hercules Globetrotter

I have on several occassions covered over 140 miles per day on this bike, carrying all my camping equipment.
This bike is heavy going uphill, but great for camping (my mate had a standard racebike, but carried a backpack).
I have used it as an only bike also for daily 30 mile quick rides against proper race bikes and was able to keep on with them. It cruises effortlessly at around 17mph.
Also it still has a free 10 gear shift, meaning that the gears have to be locked manually rather than clicked, which I find a lot better as due to heat etc. there is less maintenance needed.
The drum brakes beat standard brakes in the rain, but going down steep mountains with over 100kg weight on the bike (including myself) I would sometimes preferred slightly stronger gripping disc brakes.
So I would suggest it for heavy people or people carrying a lot of luggage.
This bike is made to cycle around the globe as its name suggest. I bought it for DM 1100 in 1990 and am selling it now in Bremen, Germany.

 

[fdoc]

solid German steel

Hello!
Yes.this "good old German steel" bicycle is tough,solid and has the feeling of indestructiblity. I have several bikes,this is the most solid of them.
And yes,you're surely right: the drum brakes could be more effective,but quite useful among moist circumstances. All mechanical components work properly,smoothly and exactly.This cycle is a real work-machine,a masterpiece of German engineering and craftsmanship.

 

[adam6177]

39lbs??? damn!

 

[fdoc]

heavy stuff

Yes,it's the same material(Mannesmann steel)as Leopard tanks...