This is a 1884 Hillman Herbert and Cooper Kangaroo. It uses a chain driven drive with a 150% gear ratio so that a 36-inch diameter wheel has the same gearing as a standard direct drive ordinary with a 56-inch wheel. This Places the rider lower and further back from the front wheel reduced the tendency for going over the handlebars in forward crashes. (a common problem with Ordinarys) HHC patented the drive design in 1984 and began production that year. The bike was very popular, so much so that in 1985, many other British manufacturers built similar Kangaroos under license from HHC.
However, in 1985 John Kemp Starley introduced the Rover, with equal sized wheels and chain drive to the rear wheel, the first modern bicycle. The advance was obvious; the Kangaroo was rendered obsolete. Production of the Kangaroo ended in 1986.
This bike is an original, made in England Hillman Herbert and Cooper Kangaroo. It is the first generation 1984 model. The HHC catalog shows the Kangaroo offered in three quality grades. This appears to be a No. 3, the least expensive model.
Most of the parts are stamped with the bike’s serial number. In the late 19th century, bikes were handmade, before the advent of assembly lines and interchangeable parts. So, parts were hand fitted to each bike.
This bike was obviously ridden many miles. It then sat over 70 years untouched in a basement. It was coated with a thick layer of rust, dried oil and dust as well as some overpainting. It was complete except for the front tire and one of the coaster pegs. The forks are bent back slightly. However, when we attempted to bend them back, we noticed they had stress cracks on both legs at the crown so we left them as.
The Oyster Pond Historical Society asked us to complete a conservation restoration to be displayed but not ridden. We disassembled the bike and cleaned all of the components. It took several doses of simple green, mineral spirits, evaporust and buffing compound to remove the crust and rust. Randy Oleynik provided reproduction tires. We built a wired on solid tire installation jig to replicate the 19th century tool. We rebuilt the broken rear axle and missing coaster peg. We replaced the incorrect pedal blocks with correct blocks for the Rudge pedals. In the end, everything except the tires is original and in its original finish.