I recently found a Centurion Semi-Pro on my local Craigslist and was unable to resist its chrome-lugged beauty. In typical Craigslist fashion, the pictures were out of focus and upside down and the ad described the bike simply as a “Centurian”, but having recently helped a friend work on his Semi-Pro, I immediately recognized it for what it was and jumped.

The seller was the recent widow of the original owner. She didn’t know much about the bike, or when her wife bought it, but given the circumstances I paid her asking price, thanked her and moved on. Here it is as found:



Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust, grease and cat hair; tires were flat, the derailleurs were gummed-up, plastic and rubber parts were decaying, bar tape was tattered, but I could clearly see that it still had a pulse.

Taking this bike apart was one of the most fun and rewarding vintage bike experiences I’ve ever had. It was like being on an important archeological excavation; unearthing Pompeii or Machu Pichu! Beneath the layers of grease, dust and cat hair, everything was exactly as it had been 40+ years ago when it left the local Centurion dealer’s showroom. The bike had seen some limited use, but every nut and screw head was unstripped; it was completely unmolested by ham-fisted amateur mechanics like myself.

I have a fair amount of experience wrenching on early to mid-eighties bikes, but this bike is older by a few years, so it still has some late 70s quirkiness in the parts and frame that are common knowledge to many of you, but were fascinating discoveries for me.

Here it is cleaned up and put back together.









The serial number is from mid ‘77 and date codes on components are all ‘77, so most likely this was sold as a ‘78 model. The weird thing is that it matches almost exactly with the Semi-Pro in the ‘79 catalog on the Vintage Centurion website. There’s nothing I could find in the catalog that identifies the year, so it makes me think that maybe that catalog is incorrectly labeled as ‘79 when it’s really ‘78.

There’s still more to be done. It’s begging for a brown leather saddle like maybe a Brooks Team Pro, and some tan wall tires. And now that I’m looking at the pictures, I’m thinking the brake cable housing has a bit too much loft. But it’s a joy to ride as it’s currently set up, so there’s no rush for the new tires and saddle.

I'm loving this bike. My only reservation at this point is that it’s a little too big for me. Actually, the top tube length is perfect, it’s just the seat tube that’s too long. That doesn’t bother me at all while riding. It’s only an issue when I want to straddle the top tube and put both feet and the ground, which I hardly ever do. And of course it just looks a bit wrong with the seat so low.

That is one nice bike. Excellent work.

Great bikes. I still miss the one that I had. Enjoy!

That’s a beauty! I’ve had several like it in the Cobalt blue color that they also came in, but that creamy yellow shade is really nice. There seem to have been fewer of the yellow ones sold based on my unscientific observation about how few of them show up compared to the blue ones. Yours looks great!

Oof, what a beaut! I have one as well, but not with OEM parts like yours. It'll be a winter project for a summer rider.

You do know that bicycles don't necessarily change every model year? As for the catalogue dating, the entry for the Sport DLX mentions a Shimano FE front derailleur, new Centeron rear derailleur and LS shift levers. None of these are in the 1978 model year catalogues, not even the mid-season May 1978 edition. Shimano introduced the FE front derailleurs, Centeron rear derailleurs and the Centeron compatible LS shift levers for the 1979 model year. So, the subject catalogue is no earlier than the 1979 model year.

Au contraire mon frere, that's the 'french fit' you're talking about!
Give it a chance, there's a LOT of people who like some bike under 'em!
French fit??

It's a beautiful bike, and kudos to you for not trying to take advantage of a poor widow. Those rear eyelets are crying out for a rack, and a rack would cry out for some Ortlieb panniers.

I'm sure [MENTION=150452]lonesomesteve[/MENTION] knows french fit quite well. He's one of the contributors to Bicycle Quarterly.

But this isn't a rando bike, "proper" fit would have more seatpost showing.

You can always take photos with the seat post raised a bit if you’d like. I’d ride that bike with a fit like that if that’s what riding it called for, I wouldn’t think twice about it. It sure is beautiful!

Ahh-I thought it was a more generic term.
Thanks for setting me straight.

Wow, that thing cleaned up well.

There is a quiet joy associated with tearing down an old-but-dusty lightweight like this.

Cheers.

Those eyelets are for mudguards, not racks. One of the market segments that this model was designed for, were novice/club racers, who couldn't afford two bicycles and had to do wet weather training on their race bicycle. Dropout eyelets were a common feature, even on pro level bicycles, during the early 1970s bicycle boom. However, they gradually lost favour on the performance oriented racing models and even sports models.

I really appreciate your vast knowledge on the history of these machines. So, maybe you can help with one other puzzling piece of data. There's also a '78 catalog on the Vintage Centurion site that shows a Semi Pro with very different components, different color options and different graphics. Maybe they changed the Semi-Pro in the middle of the usual model year cycle?

Most of my bikes are what many would consider "French fit", but as gugie says below, this is a racing bike that I think calls for a more racerly fit. But it is what it is, so for now I'll just ride it and smile.

Indeed! And it's a beautiful bike.
Reading that back, it does sound a little, ummmm, unrestrained.
Sorry if I came off as douchy.
On first glance, though, I saw the long chainstays and just thought it looked so right the way it is.
Hope it's a keeper for you!

For what it's worth, these 1970's Semi-Pro bikes were rather un-racerly in terms of geometry and, to a degree, weight as well.

Angles are fairly slack, chainstays not very short, and with 27" wheels. I'd call it a sport-tourer.
The slack seat tube angle shortens the frame's reach dimension and I found myself glad that my ~60cm example came with a longish stem.

I like mine for all kinds of riding, but it seems less snappy than most others, more like a Super Course.

Beautiful bike, I am envious a bit.
I would love to have one to match my 81 Pro-tour.

Yesh, but the chrome and pinstripes gotta make it go faster.

You can go plenty fast on one of these with good tires and performing rider. The slack geometry is even an advantage in certain riding conditions.

The chrome makes you want to go fast.

Good tires, ck
Perfforming rider!
Damn.

Personally I think the chrome slows you down. People keep stopping me to say, "hey, nice bike!"

The subject catalogue mentions "Best Buy" accolades for 1975 & 1976 from a national consumer reports publication. Even if we assume they did a running change to the catalogue within the model year to take advantage of these commendations, it would still be no earlier than a 1976 model year catalogue. Conversely, based on the smaller product range, we know it pre-dates the 1979 model year catalogue. Consequently, it's 1976-1978 model years.

Fortunately, the Semi-Pro is a fairly popular model among C&V members. I've managed to collect data on all years from 1975-1981 inclusive. Examining the samples from the 1976-1978 model years, the only year with the black anodized components, as shown in the catalogue, are from the 1977 model year. Consequently, this would appear to be the model year.

1978 models manufactured in late 1977 exhibit the same traits as your bicycle and the 1979 catalogue, with the major changes from 1977 being down tube shifters, 700C wheels and a reversal to silver components.

It all depends on the model year. There were two distinct versions, 1975-1977 and 1978-1981. The former came with 27" wheels, while the latter came with 700C wheels and a significant weight reduction, claimed as being 3 lbs. The wheels alone will make a big difference in the "snap". The OP's bicycle is from the latter period