Originally Posted by
orcas island
I posted three weeks back about a pair of really nice 1981 Centurions I picked up; one a Pro-Tour, the other a Semi-Pro. Fast forward to today when this arrives on my doorstep. A very nice, very original circa 1976-1977 Centurion Semi-Pro. I took a few photos before the daylight faded, it still needs a bit of assembly and adjustment, but you get the idea.
I've included photos of both Semi-Pro's; I'm afraid that I may be only able to hang onto one of them, unless another one of my bikes were to go away. Which one would you keep? Points in favor of the 1977: it's orange, it is the sister bike of a 1977 Pro-Tour that I own, and did I mention that it's orange? Points in favor of the cobalt blue 1981: it's gorgeous, unblemished, and has that fantastic set of drilled chainrings.
Which one would you choose?
I was right in an earlier post, there is an enormous collection of rare and vintage Japanese bikes in mint condition up where you live. There are so many that they randomly move around, perhaps by Brownian motion, then randomly show up on your doorstep.
I remember seeing an orange one in a bike shop in Fresno around that time. Full, excellent chrome with a pearlescent paint over it, correct? I remember everything else in that shop seemed dull in comparison-it practically glowed like whatever was in that box that Jules opened at the diner in Pulp Fiction. It was up on an upper bike stand, as if on a pedestal. If one showed up at my doorstep I'd take that one.