Road Cycling - New rider with Centurion.

Hey everyone. I recently came across a Centurion while I was looking for a cheap bike to buy for riding around Philly.

Everything looks good on the bike and works great (dia compe brakes, shimano gears, index shifting (mounted on handlebar stem), 12spd, cro-mo frame). I will eventually swap out the seat post (rusted) and get a new seat for it too. What is an inexpensive combination that you all would recomend?

I rewrapped the handlebars with red cinelli cork tape which made a world of a difference on my hands. It was a relatively easy task and other than one small mistake it stuck on and looks good.

My next purchase is new tires as the rear one is pretty old and the front is starting to show small cracks in it. The tire size is 27 x 1 1/14. Can I get a slightly bigger tire to put on it without switching the actual wheel (rim/spokes) out? Reason I ask is that I ride in the city and I think that slightly thicker/more durable tires would help.
I saw some tires from Kenda and Continetal for around 15$ (are these any good?).
What is a 700 x 23 tire size for example?
What is a good tire to get? More for commuting and will stand up to bumps and such.
I saw tubes for a couple of dollars so I guess anyone should do? What tube should I order (or do you not need to replace these when you change the tire)?

Thanks for helping out if any of you have suggestions for me. I am mostly used to the old single speeds (maybe 3 if we got lucky) from India and those bikes are very straightforward to fix and don't have nearly as many options/parts to choose from so I am a bit lost.
Keep in mind that money is tight as I am paying for school and my bills myself and would prefer an inexpensive solution. Once I am done school and out of the city I would like to invest in a good quality road bike for myself and until then its beater bike for me :D

Centurion made some pretty good bikes. I have a couple myself. You should be able to find a used aluminum seatpost made by "SR" for not to much $. Be aware seatposts come in different diameters, usually marked right on the post. Your local bike shop can measure the old one. If you can afford one, a Brooks leather saddle is very comfortable. If you are going to ride much, you will want a set of fenders, a rear rack & a red blinkie light. I use yellow or green blinkie on the front too. Both Kenda & Continental tires are fine for commuting. The 700 X 23 tires won't fit your 27 inch rims both Continental & Kenda offer 27 inch tires but there is not much choice available in width. Ask around at your local bike club or shop to see if there is any place in town that sells used bikes & parts. For example, "Recycled Cycles" in Seattle has a large selection of used parts & most bike shops have some used saddles available.

I rode my first century on a Centurian lemans. Gearings was a little rough going up the hills but I don't think I had the original gears on it. The frame is still sitting in my garage. I ended up putting all the components on an old Trek 660 frame I got for free (Trek frame allows for snap on fenders). Anyway, gotta love that lugged steel.

Thanks for the reply. It is a fun bike to ride around on and I am finding myself going for a quick loop around philly most evenings after school just for the exercise, instead of just using it to bike to school and errands.
The gearing is a little rough and the chain is kinda old but then what can one expect for a 50$ bike. It works great and hasn't slipped or missed any shifts so far.

Anyone recomend any LBS in Philly around the University city area?

I was asking about the 700x23 as I wanted to know what the 23 stood for. From sheldon browns glossary I understood that the 700 is the ISO measurement in mm for diameter.

Which tires would you recomend?
Continental Sport 1000 (http://harriscyclery.net/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1405)

I.R.C. RoadTour (http://harriscyclery.net/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1326)

IRC HP-90 (http://www.bikepartsusa.com/product_info.phtml?p=01-135604&large=1) These are only 7$ and I think these are the same ones on the bike right now (most of the markings are scuffed or not readable)

Kenda, 27x1-1/4, Road, HP-90 (http://www.bikepartsusa.com/product_info.phtml?p=01-82444&large=1)

I used to just buy the cheap $6 chains from Nashbar for mine. I use Specialized Armadillos these days as the flats got too frustrating to deal with.

Hey everyone. I recently came across a Centurion (cavalleto or lemans model I think) for next to nothing while I was looking for a cheap bike to buy for riding around Philly. I traded in an old MTB that a friend gave me as it was missing a rear wheel, for it.

Everything looks good on the bike and works great (dia compe brakes, shimano gears, index shifting (mounted on handlebar stem), 12spd, cro-mo frame). I will eventually swap out the seat post (rusted) and get a new seat for it too. What is an inexpensive combination that you all would recomend?

I rewrapped the handlebars with red cinelli cork tape which made a world of a difference on my hands. I got that recomendation by reading these forums for a bit and searching old posts. It was a relatively easy task and other than one small mistake it stuck on and looks good.

My next purchase is new tires as the rear one is pretty old and the front is starting to show small cracks in it. The tire size is 27 x 1 1/14. Can I get a slightly bigger tire to put on it without switching the actual wheel (rim/spokes) out? Reason I ask is that I ride in the city and I think that slightly thicker/more durable tires would help.
I saw some tires from Kenda and Continetal for around 15$ (are these any good?).
What is a 700 x 23 tire size for example?
What is a good tire to get? More for commuting and will stand up to bumps and such.
I saw tubes for a couple of dollars so I guess anyone should do? What tube should I order (or do you not need to replace these when you change the tire)?

Thanks for helping out if any of you have suggestions for me. I am mostly used to the old single speeds (maybe 3 if we got lucky) from India and those bikes are very straightforward to fix and don't have nearly as many options/parts to choose from so I am a bit lost.
Keep in mind that money is tight as I am paying for school and my bills myself and would prefer an inexpensive solution. Once I am done school and out of the city I would like to invest in a good quality road bike for myself and until then its beater bike for me :D


I have a Centurion Ironman, I replaced the original seatpost with a different one to better accomedate the rails of my new saddle. So I have an SR seatpost 27.0 diameter and 250 mm long in great shape I'd be willing to part with for cheap if you want. Private Message me if you're interested.