Classic & Vintage - Centurion Pro Tour? Todays grab

Hello, I'm looking for some input on this bike that I picked up for free today. It's a Centurion Pro Tour. A sticker on the seat tube reads Champion #2 Chro-mo Butted Tubes.
Suntour Cyclone components.
Other than a flat rear tube, the bike is in great shape. The Wheels are true and it shifts great.
Thought some of you may have some info about the bike and the quality of the tubes/lugs etc..?


http://i55.tinypic.com/r74o6q.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/116opas.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/mhu9ls.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/3445cg2.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/122ci1i.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/24vi4co.jpg

I also got this frame and some older 80's? Campy wheels, although It's not my size, I thought it was cool.
http://i53.tinypic.com/8yugjb.jpg

It's a quite nice older Centurion. Looks to be late 70's or early 80's.
What are you planning on doing with it? What size is it?
If you're not interested in keeping it, I am (provided it's my size).
I know a bunch of other people will chime in. Those brazed on centerpulls are uncommon.
-Gene-

Two very nice classics. The Centurion is a mid/high level quality touring bike. Looks excellent.
Oh yes, the Champion tubeset is by Tange. Tange Champion #2 is their slightly thicker tubing as compared to #1. #1 used in most road race frames, #2 in larger road race frames, and sport/touring frames.

The Raleigh may have a bent fork (there, I said it), but it could be the angle of the photo. A high end race offering, I see it has an Ofmega Mistral crank. Sweet.
The Raleigh probably has Raleigh 555 tubing.

:love:

That Pro Tour is a beautiful frame. Every photo of it is oozing awesome.

Two very nice classics. The Centurion is a mid/high level quality touring bike. Looks excellent.
The Raleigh may have a bent fork (there, I said it), but it could be the angle of the photo. A high end race offering, I see it has an Ofmega Mistral crank. Sweet.

I think your right, I will have to look at it in the morning.

Nice pickup. Gotta love free bikes. Especially Centurions.

That Pro Tour is very nice! I have a Semi Pro that is the same basic platform and it is a great bike.

My LBS has a 58cm Pro Tour in near NOS condition. Those bikes are very nice. The chrome lugs and seat stay caps are sharp and the brazed on centerpulls are very cool. Nice bike!

Amazing! Free? Doubly amazing!!

Your Pro Tour is probably 1978-1979. I've posted pictures here of my 1977, which has some slightly different details, but is functionally the same bike.

Not only will I never trade it for anything, but now it has me on the lookout for other high end Centurions of the 1970's to about 1981. Their aesthetics in this era are entirely my style.

That Centurion is a beautiful bike, I would love to find a 58-60cm frameset like that to build. I would use everything from my Dawes Super Galaxy to build it too that's how much I like it. Both of those bikes are really great finds and it's nice to see that there are still fantastic deals out there to be made,kudo's.
Glenn

I'm glad to see there are more of these floating around. I'd say it's one of the honest to goodness "rare" bikes today.

If you had paid $200 for the Centurion, I would say you did very well. And you paid quite a bit less than that.

Here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/626812-1970-s-Centurion-Pro-Tour?highlight=centurion)'s a link to my post almost a year ago.

And I still haven't done any of the stuff I thought I would do! Finishing school, finding a career, moving, working my hindquarters off and exploring my new home have been tough on me. Time lapse photography of my hair would tell this story well.

The Pro Tour has been an excellent positive outlet of stress over the last year.

Simply gorgeous!! And that's an understatement! Congrats!,,,,BD

Here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/626812-1970-s-Centurion-Pro-Tour?highlight=centurion)'s a link to my post almost a year ago.

Thank you, very interesting. I've been reading some great things about our bikes, I'm looking forward to riding it this coming weekend. I'm going to clean it up and probably post better pictures. When my friend called me and said his father was trying to get rid of his bikes and parts to someone who would use them I immediately went over. This guy had parts, tools, tires, wheels and about 9 bikes on a trailer in his driveway with a sign that read "free stuff".

I spotted the Centurion because of the shiny lugs but I had no idea what a great bike it was. I was actually thinking single speed conversion when I saw it.

I also found a pair of Wolber Super champion wheels with Record hubs, several boxes of quill stems, saddles, new cables, Bio Pace chain rings ,tools etc..Rocky Mountain racks.

I left a couple old Schwinn bikes, maybe 3 speed in the rear with headlights and a generator thing on the rear wheel. I called my buddy and he said he will hold them for me, I will get them this Friday.

If anyone needs a quill stem let me know, I have a ton of them now!

BTW, I enjoy your C&V forum,I'm learning a lot.

I spotted the Centurion because of the shiny lugs but I had no idea what a great bike it was. I was actually thinking single speed conversion when I saw it. You don't even want to know what went through my mind when I read that.

BTW, I enjoy your C&V forum,I'm learning a lot.Welcome to the forum. We're glad to have you. You will learn a ton in the next year, and feel free to ask questions.....we'll either answer them or craft a lie that can't be argued with.

Welcome to C&V! The Folks here are great if I may say so. :)
A very serendipitous way to jump into classic biking. Wish we all get to meet such a generous benefactor. You have a great bike to start with, and some nice Campy wheels for spares. Lucky!
I think you may have some luck bending the fork of the Raleigh back into an acceptable angle via the ladder rung trick. It's mentioned in another thread here.

I may have to PM you and take you up on the stems offer. :D

Wow, I like riding Centurions, but that one's amazing to look at too! What's the story with the pinstriping guys? I'm guessing that's not stock, but I sure do like it.

Chromed wraparound seatstay caps have to be my new favorite thing.

If you're interested in parting with the Raleigh, it's my size.

What's the story with the pinstriping guys? I'm guessing that's not stock, but I sure do like it.

Chromed wraparound seatstay caps have to be my new favorite thing.

All the Pro Tours I've seen feature the pinstriping. It's a nice touch. I agree, those caps are sweet.

Although the lugs are outlined on my older one, it lacks the same pinstriping. It's only from this era where they had chromed lugs and seatstay caps and, I believe, the centerpulls that they were pinstriped. It was stock, though.


You might also notice that the fork crown on mine is a bit more elaborate, but lacks the chrome. The details on both are, in my opinion, some of the best on a production bike that I've ever seen.

My ProTour is an '84. It was my first adult bike and still gets ridden regularly. I think it is mentioned on Sheldon Brown's site and considered one of the better touring bikes from the period.
Enjoy yours.