Originally Posted by
Brennan
She loves the lock-up bike too, but will always choose the Volpe first. The Centurion is very pretty, but it's heavy, and its 1970s components don't perform nearly as well as the Volpe's modern components. It's also geared higher, so it's harder for her to climb hills on it. I keep toying with the idea of upgrading it with modern components and aluminum 700c wheels, but that would sort of defeat the purpose of a lock-up bike. I got it off craigslist for $60 and spent another $40 on new tires, plus $20 on the basket and $5 on the bell. That's the extent of the investment so far.
I did that to my wife's Peugeot Mixte... new drive components and 700c wheels (with a dyno) as well as a custom built rear rack makes it worth as much as her Breezer.
For our anniversary (August) I am having it stripped and powdercoated since the finish could use some refreshing and she likes sage green.