After leaving Handsworth Grammar School the two brothers, Ted and Jack, helped their father with his bicycle manufacturing business Petros. In 1898 this business, The Petros Bicycle and Motor-Cycle Company Limited failed, bankrupting their father. The family adapted to their problems by using Ted's mother to buy the parts which were then sold to the boys to assemble and sell.
The brothers pooled their savings and rented a derelict house setup a workshop in Coventry Street assembling and selling bicycles. In 1910 they set up a limited company with the name "Hercules Cycle and Motor Company Limited".
In spite of the large number and competitive nature of bicycle manufacturers in Birmingham at that time the brothers managed to succeed where their father had failed. The result was that the family were able to move from their house in Smethwick to a larger house in a better area.
The brothers started by producing 25 bicycles a week but output grew and within 6 months they were selling 70 bikes a week. so larger premises were found at a converted house with a covered yard and a very small garden in Conybere Street. The brothers called it the Britannia works. They also took on 10 workers. The advert above, displaying the Conybere Street address, is from 1911.
The company soon outgrew this site and they were having to pack bikes on the pavement. A new site was found at the former Dunlop factory in Catherine Street in Aston which could accommodate 250 workers.
By 1914 they were producing 10,000 bicycles a year. With the start of the war, on August 14th, the company were ordered to make armament shells. In 1921 the company produced just less than 20,000 cycles: Hercules Bicycles were now the cheapest cycles on the market, selling for £3 19 9d. The company used bright yellow delivery vans with the slogan on the side, proclaiming: ‘The Best that Money can Buy.’
In 1923/1924 Hercules bought the rest of the Dunlop factory and changed its main entrance to Rocky Lane. The company now occupied the complete former 13-acre Dunlop site, and the factory was renamed ‘Britannia Works.’
In 1927, bicycle production had reached the quarter of a million mark and, in 1929, Hercules took over another Dunlop factory called Manor Mills, in Nechells.
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Hercules Factory, 1931
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In 1931 Ted Crane was described as ‘the Henry Ford of the cycle industry’ by The Daily Herald newspaper. Indeed, Crane had read Henry Ford’s autobiography and used some of Ford’s methods to set up his factory. Crane, just like Ford, would not tolerate unions, and paid workers on piecework. Crane claimed he paid more than unionised companies, 10% above the federation rate; but if workers could not produce 15% above the federation assembly rate they were sacked. Crane was a very firm boss not always liked by his entire workforce and certainly not liked by the unions. He was, however, generally treated with a mix of admiration, fear and respect. In those days the cycle trade was seasonal and Hercules would employ an extra 1000 people in January and lay them off at the end of June. Crane also would not hesitate to reduce wages at a moments notice, if conditions dictated. The union cautioned workers to make a note of Hercules, calling them ‘a notorious firm with notorious rates of pay.’
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‘To commemorate the production of the 3 millionth Hercules cycle, a world record achievement made in Great Britain, a luncheon and inspection of the cycle works took place at Birmingham today (Tues).’ The photo shows Sir Malcolm Campbell, Sir Martin Melvin (glasses) and Sir Edmund Crane (on the right behind the cycle).
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The company grew very quickly in the thirties and claimed to be the largest cycle manufacturer in the world – producing their six millionth bicycle in February 1939. One third of their production was exported.
Hercules made most of their own parts, except rims, brake blocks, saddles, tyres, tubes, chains & ball bearings. By the fifties, they had three factories in Birmingham, two in Nechells and the main factory and offices in Rocky Lane, Aston, that occupied 13 acres. The additional factory was in Plume Street.
Ted Crane made an enormous contribution to the countries export drive; in fact it is widely believed that Crane pioneered exporting. In 1928 Hercules was exporting 26% of all British cycles and, by 1935, this figure had increased to nearly 40%.
Crane invented what was called ‘knockdown’ where a cycle was supplied unassembled and tightly packed, 25 at a time into a case, this was known as completely knocked down, or ‘CKD.’
Interesting differences between North and South England existed, in the North they preferred caliper brakes and in the South roller blade brakes.
Soon after WW2, Sir Edmund Crane sold the company to its main supplier, Tube Investments, for three and a quarter million pounds. TI later took over Raleigh to form Raleigh Industries.
poster1953hercules
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HERCULES PERSONNEL
HARRY CRANE was in Ted’s shadow, and of contrasting character. He was kind and considerate and always promoted a strong team spirit. Harry was a great technical innovator and designed a machine for drawing gold lines on bike frames and also made improvements in polishing. Harry lived close to Ted in Lapworth. Sadly Harry died prematurely after a heart attack while playing tennis with his son at Alvechurch.
FRANK SOUTHALL was a Hercules area sales representative and a well-known racing cyclist. He held the 12-hour record at one stage, riding from Marble Arch to Gateshead. Frank was responsible for the design of the first lightweight Hercules cycles in the mid 20s.
T A YAPP started as an assembler with Hercules but being ambidextrous and an excellent worker he soon rose up the ranks to become first, a foreman, then a supervisor and later the works manager. He was later put in charge of the last factory. Crane liked to promote from within. Hercules was later known for their high rates of pay but demanded high output and standards.
Eric Broherton was the general manager. Richard Clasper was in charge of accounts, and Albert Fidkin was the firm’s buyer.