Hello folks,

As I mentioned briefly in a couple of other conversations, in early summer 2015 I was involved in a hit-and-run accident that ruined the frame and rims on my lovely Centurion Pro-Tour circa 1979. It was equipped with first generation Suntour Cyclone derailleurs, Suntour bar-end shifters, cantilever brake calipers and all of the goodies associated with a fine touring bike.

By late autumn I hope to rebuild most of the components onto another frame so that I can take my first solo tour. I plan to ride light and travel for five days through the flatlands of Central California and perhaps repeat the feat again next Spring. With this particular tour in mind, I seek suggestions for proper replacement frames to keep an eye out for. I am budget-minded and would like to replace the frame and wheels for less than $500 and retain as many of the Centurion's components as possible. I may even consider using the original hubs and building new wheels around them. I would also not be against switching to 650B.

The Centurion was actually a bit small for me at 58cm c-c, as I comfortably ride a 61cm on a regular basis.

Thanks for your help!

This Motobecane Grand Touring is on the Portland CL for $65. He claims an impossibly large frame size of 41" but it appears to have a 35" standover. May be worth a call. I had a 53 cm Grand Touring for a while that had a nice ride and they are good looking bikes. Don
https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/5740910303.html

Put up a WTB in the C&V sales forum. There are members here who may well have a quality vintage touring bike they would consider selling.

I second the Motobecane. Grand Jubile's are also very similar. The (maybe) swiss BB could be a challenge but no reason to avoid it.

Thanks for the replies so far, folks. I should have been a bit more specific.

I'm looking for frame sets that have nearly identical features to the Centurion so that I can recycle as many components as possible - the bike was pristine and I want to retain as much of it as possible. I am not interested in purchasing a complete bike because I'm currently attempting to downsize the number of components I have floating around the shop, rather than the opposite!

And currently this is just for research's sake - hence the interest in discovering possible replacement frames. My funds are currently tied up in another project so unless if the perfect frame at the perfect price springs out of a hole in the ground, I don't plan to be making this purchase soon. Cheers!

(p.s. I'm also a sucker for Reynolds 531)

I highly recommend Miyata 610 or 1000 (as well as early Koga-Miyata world traveller). Those 2 models have alot of similarities to the Centurion Pro Tour framset of yours. They are extremely well made and have similar geometry with lots of braze ons. The Specialized Expedition is also very similar (built by Miyata I believe). They seem to pop up for sale often and for prices in your range.

I may be selling a 60 cm Trek 720. It's a full reynolds 531. It does take cantilevers though.

Does or doesn't? The photos of the older ones I see online show the braze-ons for cantilevers, which is fine by me... The Centurion was also equipped with them. This is a frame I would be very interested if you do decide to sell. Does it have double eyelets on the rear dropouts, by the way? I'm a fan of stacking weight on the back of the bike I would need to be able to attach a rack as well as fenders. Thanks.

Craig,

Thanks for the information! I'll keep an eye out for the Miyata frames.

I think those are centerpull mounts on the Centurion. The trek 720 was equipped with cantilever brakes. The mounts would be too low to use your centerpulls. Though it might work if you go with 650b wheels.

Oh, I get you! Center-pulls with brazed fixtures are indeed what the Centurion has.

I just came across the original advertisement for my Pro-Tour as I purchased it... Gosh, it was such a beautiful bike!

Vintage CENTURION ?Pro-Tour? 59cm Steel TOURING ROAD BIKE | GALAXY BIKES

It requires cantilevers; your Centurion I believe has brazed on center pulls. It has double eyelets front and rear, rack braze ons, and low rider braze ons.

Sorry to hear about your Pro Tour. Unfortunately, this is the one production bike ever made that had braze-on center pull brakes. Normally they were found only on expensive custom made bikes. Your only option for direct replacement with a stock frame is another Centurion Pro Tour.

Cycles Toussaint do sell a frame with factory braze ons, but it is 650B. 650B Frames | Cycles Toussaint

Peugeot in the 70s made a semi custom version of the PY10 with braze on center pulls also, but I've never seen one other than in pictures.

Many custom frame builders will offer this feature as on option, so a custom frame is a possibility. Ebisu would be my first choice, but there are many. None will be cheap. Maybe Mercian would do it. You could ask.

Another option would be to purchase a vintage touring frame, Trek or Miyata or whatever you can find with a top quality tube set: 531, Champion 2, etc) Try to find one with trashed paint for cheap. Have a framebuilder put the braze ons on it, and then repaint or powder coat.

DIA-COMPE Center-Pull To Braze-On Assembly Kit for one Brake | Cycles Toussaint

If the OP wants to stick to his budget, he'll probably be better off ditching the brazed on center pulls and going with a frame that uses cantilevers since a vintage bike with brazed on center pulls will likely be difficult to find.

Yeah, or bolt on centerpulls. That is the more pragmatic approach for sure. Even then it will take some prowling on ebay and craigslist etc to come up with an equivalent frame.

If he could buy a frame for $150 or so, the OP might just squeeze in at under $500, assuming a cheap powdercoat and a local framebuilder, and doing all the work himself, including wheel building.

Some Pro Tours had cantilever brakes. My commuter had them. It was an early 80's model that was also built for 700C wheels rather than the 27" found on many. That bike also had very little fender clearance. I couldn't run a tire larger than 28 on it. Don

That is a later model of the pro tour. OP's pro tour was from the late 70's to 1980 when touring bikes mostly had center pulls.

Not just centerpulls, but the extremely rare brazed on post center pulls. I think it's the only vintage production frame with that feature. The advantages are that the brakes are significantly stiffer (more efficient), and they pivot near where the edge of the fender might be. Sidepulls and V-brakes can pinch the fender, something to consider when looking at the overall integration of the bike - wheels, tires, fenders, and brakes are interrelated.

PM or email me at mgugie@yahoo.com. I may have what you're looking for.