top506

Just did my taxes, and I have enough extra dough to get one (and only one) bike re-finished. Both these bikes need it badly. So, which one do I choose?



'86 Miyata 512. STB tubing, Exage 500 group (mostly). New wheels, 7-speed w/indexed barcons.



'87 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman Expert. Tange #1, full 105. Most likely would add Take-Offs. And no, I'd not keep the original paint plan!
Top

jet sanchEz

By refinish, do you mean upgrade? To me, both of these bikes look fine and don't need any work done to them; can you elaborate? Nice looking bike, by the way.

miamijim

Miyata

top506

Neither need upgrades; both need a down to the metal re-paint.
Top

kemmer

Wow, both of those bikes look great to me. I see a spot on the TT of the centurion,but that's about it. What's the deal with the red on the forks of the Miyata? Is that original?

It's hard to answer the question without knowing why they need redoing. I'd say if all else is equal, the Centurion has an ugly color sceme so I'd do that one.

cyclotoine

Centurion hands down.

top506

On the Centurion, there's a bigger scrape on the seattube, and the fork blade and seatstay and chainstay on the other side look as if they were dragged several miles and then left out in the rain.


I won't argue about the color scheme. If I do re-paint that one this year I'll paint it the same as the Miyata.
On the Miyata, the red is primer. There's more of it on the fork crown, underside of the toptube, and top of the downtube.
Top

East Hill

I think I would go for the Centurion, especially as you don't like the paint scheme.

East Hill

cuda2k

I'm going to vote centurion.

knewbike

Paint it like mine. you'll stay true to the brand.

reverborama

+1

Sans_Helmet

Honestly, neither. A decent paint job and decals is in the $200 range. You can get a brand new steel Italian frame for around $400 on eBay.

MajorA

+1 on the Centurion, with a comment about the equipment. I've got an '86 or '87 mystery UJB ("Universal Japanese Bike") with all 105. The '86 SLR brakes and SIS indexed drivetrain with the 105 label are apparently pretty legendary ( I think Sheldon Brown says something about that on his site) and my experience is the same: great group.

bigbossman 

I love both those bikes, but I gotta agree. Unless you're doing all the work yourself, just buy a new frame off of eBay and transfer over the parts.

kemmer

If you paint the Centurion like the Miyata, you can do the Miyata fork for almost nothing at the same time. A little rubbing compound outght to get that primer off the rest of the bike and unless it's there for a reason you should be set.

Don't listen to the naysayers, why spend $400 on a new bike when you could do both of your bikes for that.

Cides, he says he only has enough to do one of them so he clearly doesn't have enough for a new frame.

bigbossman 

If Top is going to do the painting himself, by all means - I vote pick one and have at it. I like the Miyata, but the Centurion is so ugly it NEEDS a repaint - so that's the one I'd choose (all things being equal).

All I'm saying is that if I were going to pay to have one of these painted by a professional, I wouldn't. I'd haunt eBay until I glommed onto a nicer frame (531?) than either of these two for about the same a professional repaint would cost, and transfer the parts over.

Or the other option would be to spring for a powder coat and get decals (if desired) from mswantak or somebody. That would be a good alternate and economical solution.

TimJ

Do you ride these suckers? Are they bikes you love and adore? I'd say either paint the one you enjoy riding the most or paint the ugly one (Centurion) or some other option.

TBART

Centurion gets my vote Top.

Tom

cuda2k

The Centurion is actually a pretty good riding bike. I've secretly got my eye on a frame that was badly repainted by a friend of mine & coworker, then rebuilt up and sold to another coworker. If that coworker doesn't start riding it I'm going to find a way of aquiring it and stripping/painting and doing something with it. Just don't tell my wife.

vpiuva

Had an '86 Centurion Ironman until recently. The Tange 1 frame is a good one - I liked it as much as either of my 531 frames. Your '87 appears to have the sloping fork crown - much better looking than the TIG welded fork Centurion adopted in the late 80's. My vote is CENTURION.

top506

Some answers to questions.
The Miyata is a bike I ride a lot, #2 in my 3 bike rotation. The primer is on the bike to cover bare metal, as some of the rust was worrying until I got into it. Mswantak is already working on the decals. It cost me $68.
The Centurion is a newer aquire, the result of a $50 local pick up only listing on the 'bay. Aside from covering up the damage to the finish getting rid of that paintjob would be a public service. I think that $250 total for a good Tange #1 frame hung with all 105 comps is a better cost-to-value ratio than what any new bike would get me.
Powdercoat is a viable option, but I can't find anyone within 1000 miles to do the job. Information leading to a shop in NE, eastern NY or PA would be most welcome.
To date, the score is Centurion-10, Miyata-1.
Top

vpiuva

If you're looking for any color suggestions on the Centurion, the '86 red/white paint scheme that I had is my favorite of Centurion's combinations. The seattube and headtubes were white, the rest red. Same (or very similar) decals as your '87. I put a set of red Vuelta Airline2 rims on it - they matched perfectly.

bigbossman 

And I think you're right. But suppose you could get a NOS Italian frame with Campy dropouts for <$200 delivered, and hang your existing parts on it?

For example:
Frame 1
Frame 2

These are just quick examples - they may or may not be your size, but these kinds of frames are out there. Either way, though, you can't go wrong. And a "custom" Ironman would be cool!

ollo_ollo

I say powder coat both of them! around here powder coat is about 1/2 the cost of a standard one color paint job.

Kogswell

If the Centurian was left out in the rain, there may be unseen rust on the unpainted (interior) surfaces.

I'd go with the one you like/ride them most.