Drewkog

I have heard many different opinions about this bike. Where would it fit in the line up of Centurion models in the 80s? I personally think it is of excellent quality and is a wonderful bike. Would it be considered a step up from the Elite? And is it a competitive(or competitive enough) bicycle?

Thanks, Drew

Velo Dog

"Competitive" for what? It's certainly a nice, rideable bike (a friend of mine has one he bought new in college, and rides it often even though he has a Litespeed and several other bikes). I don't remember exactly where it fit in the spectrum of Centurion bikes of that time, but as I recall it was toward the top of the line.
There's nothing wrong with those old bikes--I have a Trek from the same era that was my main ride for years, now set up with fenders for rain/commuting, and there's surprisingly little difference between that and my $2300 Atlantis. I mean, the Atlantis is better, and I love it, but it's not $1800 better.
If you mean competitive for racing, it's probably a couple of pounds heavier than a new bike, and probably uses friction shifting, which is out of fashion (I still have it on a couple of bikes and like it fine, but racers will scorn you). If it were mine, I wouldn't mess with it. I'd just tune it up and ride.

old and new

Depends on the exact year. Mostly though; it was the Pro Series, Pro-Tour then Elite.
Some years had a Super Elite. mid-80s brought the Tri-Bikes, Iron Man etc.,depending.
LeMas, Super Lemans were always a notch below. Closer to the top. Early-mid '80s had chromoly mian triangles and 27" wheels. Nice bikes and having ridden one or two of those and the like, descended really well. Overall good bikes. I rather liked the colors of the Elites, very classy, more than the racier models.

Drewkog

When I said competitive, I meant capable of keeping up, or to put it a different way, decent. I don't plan on doing any hardcore riding with this bike (no more than 100 miles at a time), but right now I use it as my main bicycle until I get a new one. I guess what I am trying to say is, can it keep up?

From what I know, it was only made for one year, is this correct?

Tundra_Man 

"Can it keep up" depends on the engine.

With the right engine, one could win the Tour De France on a penny farthing.

Now if you're asking if it will be reliable enough for your intended purpose, then I believe the answer is yes (with proper maintenance, of course.)

Drewkog

Ok, thanks! Don't know why it was so hard to explain my question lol.

Wino Ryder

There's a good article on this in Sheldon Browns site. The Elite RS is definitely up there in the higher range, but this bike is a Sport/Touring bike with slightly more relaxed geometry than any of the Iron Man bikes from Centurian. If it has Tange No.1 or 2 cro-moly tubing then it's quite lightweight for an 80's road bike. I agree the quality is excellent though. I have an '85 Elite RS and its a great bike. Its a pleasure to ride and actually prefer it for my long distance rides I do on occasion.

Drewkog

Yeah that is a great article. The one thing that puzzles me is that it says that the RS featured Tange 3 instead of Tange 2, but my RS features Tange 2. Does your model have tange 2 or 3? I will post pictures soon.

jtgotsjets

This is the kind of question that the C&V forum exists for. There are several Centurion guys there that would be able to answer your question in a jif (the guy that wrote that sheldonbrown article is there).

BlazingPedals

I'd refer to that theoretical engine as 'vaporware.'

Vague answers were a result of a vague question. "Is it competitive enough" for what purpose - club rides at 17 mph? 20? Cat 5 races? Keyboard racing against your friends this winter?

Tundra_Man 

Obviously I was using an extreme example to illustrate a point. Percentage-wise, very few of us are actually being held back by our equipment. Most people have additional potential for fitness improvement that would make us faster on any bike we ride.

Granted, improving the engine isn't always as much fun as buying new toys.

In my case, I'd be hard pressed to win the Tour De France on a motorcycle!

BlazingPedals

Sorry TFGitB, I didn't mean to sound like I was finding fault with your post. I should have added a smiley. The OP was just concerned about having a 'suitable' bike. The problem is, we don't know exactly what the purpose is, whether doing a Sunday ride on the MUP, riding with a group of weekend warriors(tm), or training for a cross-state tour. Vague references to being 'competitive' mean different things to different people. Velo Dog started things out right by asking for more detail, but we really didn't get much more from him. I tend to agree with you that the bike will work fine.

Drewkog

I ride quite often and I am pretty strong, but sometimes the 12 gears seem a little limiting. I doubt I would race on this, but I would go on club rides. I'm sorry I can't bring so much detail because I really don't know what I plan on doing with the bike. I know I won't do extremely steep climbs, but I will ride distance. I think Tundra Man answered my question. I figured out the Tange 2 issue. It says in the article that only three main tubes were tange 2. So I assume that means that specific parts of the frame were Tange.... I guess, I'll still ask. Anyways, it rides very well and I'm replacing some parts that are due for replacement. I am waiting on a free wheel and a new chain and will post the picture when I have those put on.

What is an OP???

Thanks for your help everyone, Drew

BlazingPedals

"OP" stands for "Original Poster." That's you.