I found a 1985 Centurion Lemans rs on cl in my size the other day and ended up bringing it home. It was a college bike and had not seen a lot of love, likely passing through the hands of more than one young owner. It is rust free except for flaking paint at the bb shell faces. Sometime in its life someone touched up the paint and based on the quality of the work, the artist might have been drunk. Luckily it's black, that and I'm going to commute on it a bit so hopefully the bike thief wont look twice at it.
The top tube wasn't perfectly straight nor was the left seat stay but some taps with the rubber mallet was all that was necessary to make them straight. I stripped it and repacked the headset, put in a sealed bb, ultegra brakes and RD, 105 STIs and upgraded wheelset as well as bar and stem. I have it set up as a 2x9 and once I get some downtube stops I can set up the brifters. I have done a few short shakedown rides and it rides great, straight and true.
My question is how much mojo do you think the frame has lost during what has clearly been a tough life, can a steel frame be worn out?
