bigbossman 

I have acquired a late 80's Centurion Cavaletto, sans wheels. Anyone know if these were 10 or 12 speed bikes?

number6

Centurion was using 6 blocks in the late 70's, I think the better question would be was it a 7 block.

bigbossman 

Maybe I can measure the drop-out spacing - but isn't 6 an 7 the same?

It is a big frame. Looks to be at least 25", so it is destined to get refurbed and moved along on CL.

No matter, really. I have a 5 speed and a 6 speed wheel on hand, so it'll end up being one of those.

number6

Most 7's fudged the spacing to 127mm as the stays were often not cut back enough to clear the smallest cog with a chain engaged. Most production frames were not held to a high tolerance as well.

T-Mar

Last year, I did a compilation of some 50+ Centurion models for a friend. If I recall correctly, all the Cavaletto were 12 speed. In fact, with a few odd exceptions (Signet, Elite GT), all the 1980s models that I found specs for, were 12 or 14 speeds. The Cavaletto was not high enough up the line-up to merit 14 gears. Even the higher Accordo was still using a 6 speed block in 1989.

bigbossman 

Once again, you amaze. Just the answer I was looking for - Thanks!!

Rabid Koala

From an old guy's perspective....

I remember the very first Centurion LeMans models being for sale in the local Schwinn store. They looked exactly like my Raleigh Grand Prix, and several of my junior high school classmates had them. I believe they first appeared about 1972 or 73 here in San Diego.

I didn't know why they existed, but they sure looked like Grand Prix knockoffs to me. Even the script for the name was similar.

bigbossman 

Presto, change-o, it is now a 12 speed......

OK - just for the record, I checked the date codes on the Cavaletto brake calipers. 1987.

Speaking of brakes, this prompts another question - was it possible that this bike came equipped with 700c wheels? The reason I ask is that the Diacompe side-pulls that are on it have a long reach. Like the wheelset, the pads where missing when I took possession of the frame. When I went to put pads on, I noticed that they are all the way up in their adjustment slots.

T-Mar

Long calipers normally suggest 27" wheels which require extra clearance due to the larger tire diameter and/or fender use, which was more common on the vintage models thast used 27" wheels. However, if it's from the very late 1980s, as the brake codes suggest, 700C wheels are more likely. I seem to recall that the all the models I logged had gone to 700C wheels by that time. I will be back from hoildays on January 07 and can verify the number of gears and wheel size at that time. Send me a PM or e-mail as a reminder. Even if 27" wheels turn out to be original, if possible I would fit 700C if it's a regular rider, to take advantage of the weight savings.

bigbossman 

I appreciate your insight and offer but it is probably not worth your time, as this bike is WAY too big for me and is destined for CL. I just now fitted it with a set of Araya 27" rims and 27-1/8" tires. The 6 speed freewheel is centered and working well, so it is in nice riding and cosmetic shape.

I'll be sure to take a few photo's and post to "Catch of the Day" before moving it along. It is a very pretty two-tone bike.

mswantak

That '87 Cavaletto I had last summer had 27" wheels.

Greybeard

Well, I happened to pick up a Cavaletto over the holidays as well. I have not checked the date codes but it has a bike license on it that expired it 1986. It must be older then yours. It is a 12 speed and came with 27" steel wheels. I will have to check and see what kind of reach there is on the calipers. Mine also is a 25" frame which is exactly the right size for me. I cleaned it up, put air in the tires, and took if for a ride. One of the first things I need to do is find another seatpost. The one on it appears to be hand made from solid steel!

cuda2k

And 86 with steel wheels? I picked up a 82ish Sport DLX 12speed (that had be one of their lower models) and it had alloys on it.

Greybeard

No, the license expired in 86. The bike is undoubtly older then that.

cuda2k

Sorry, mis-read your post. Just saw '86 and steel wheels. My mistake. As stated, my low end Sport DLX came w/ alloys in 82, so you're looking on the older side of that I'd say.

trekbiker

I stumbled on to this site looking for some info on a bike I bought to fix up for my neice. Very informative.
I picked up this old centurion sport dlx, and some wheels on ebay. Had my wifes uncle who has a body shop paint it. Got a buddy of mine who has a sign some do some graphics and put the thing together with old parts left over from upgrades. It turned out pretty nice and way better than anything you could buy for what I have in it. approx $250. Here are some before and after pics.

39cross

I picked up a Cavaletto this past fall that was destined for the trash man. It has 27" alloy wheels, suicide brake levers, stem-mounted shifters, 12-speed. I'm guessing late 80's. What killed me was to see that the original owner had hand-painted her name on the top tube along with some graphics matching those odd ones from Centurion. There was love there once. Couldn't let it die...not yet.

roadpig2001

Very nice ,great graphics !

chajmahal

I was browsing the local thrift store last night and spotted what looked to be a very early Centurion. This made me think of your earlier post above. The bike reminds me of my 1970 Raleigh Grand Prix. Same color scheme/decals: blue with bands of color on the main tubes, white/gold stripes bordering those bands and Centurion written in a script font similar to that on my Grand Prix.

The frame is made in Japan of high-tensile steel and looks like a Grand Prix with minor changes. Components are quite different from the Raleigh with no French parts evident. Stem-mounted Suntour PowerShifters and Suntour steel derailers (I suppose these could be replacements as they look like they are of newer, mid to late 70's vintage). Cottered crank of unknown make. Steel bars. Dia-compe center pull brakes and levers. The crome cap on top of the fork crown is nearly identical to the one on my 1978 Centurion LeMans.

In all, the components look like Japanese versions of the price point Raleigh was aiming for with the early 1970s Grand Prix.

mark754

If anyone's interested, I'm selling my Centurion LeMans RS circa 1987 on ebay. Auction ends in two days:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE%3AIT&rd=1

I'm already starting to miss it

pederson

Your article has helped me date (somewhat) a bicycle I recently found at the recycling depot in Maple Ridge BC, Canada. It is Diamondback brand, DB interval tg, which came equipped with Simano Exage 500 EX components. The frame is marked as made in Taiwan, Centurion designed. Frame material is marked as Tange 100% OS CRMO tubing, while the fork is marked as Super Radius CRMO. It is welded, not lugged, so I suppose it must be from after 1990?? I have, as of about 2 weeksw ago, transferred a set of Bontrager Race wheels, a Dura - Ace crank and bottom bracket (pre outboard bearing crank), shimano rx 100 8 speed shifters, and a 105 rear derailleur. These parts came off a 1983 Nishiki Triathron (not a spelling error - one of the frames with the famous "incorret sticker" that most people didn't change). The diamondback is stiffer at the bottom bracket, and I really have enjoyed rididng it. The frame is in great shape - in fact, most of the nicks were put in by me (slipping wrenches at 1:00am and so forth). Am I correct to assume the age of this bicycle? Thanks, Mark Pederson

T-Mar

Mark, you are correct. The first year for Diamondback road bicycles was 1990, so the bicycle can be no older than that. The Interval is in the 1990 lineup, but it does not have a TG suffix and utilized the standard diameter frame tubeset. For 1991 it appeared as the Interval TG with the oversize frameset. I could find no other references to the Interval, other than these two years. Both years used the 500EX group, so it looks like you may have a 1991 model. You can corroborate this by checking the date codes on the old 500EX components against the component dating info on the Vintage-Trek website.

The TG suffixes signified the use of lugless, TIG welded construction. This was necessary, in part, because of the new Tange OS tubeset, whose main tubes were ¼" larger in diameter and did not accommodate standard lugs. In addition to being larger, the tubes were also thinner than the previous tubeset, resulting in a lighter and stiffer frame. Finally, the tubes also provided a beefier appearance. It didn’t hurt that the lugless construction was also less expensive.

I don't have any Diamondback serial numbers for my database and would appreciate it if you could supply yours.

wheel

Bump
I found a bike on craigslist, so this helped alot.

ride5312

I bought a Centurion Elite RS in 1984, which was my first racing bike. It was black & silver, but it also came in turquoise and white. They marketed it as a triathalon bike, one step down from the Dave Scott Ironman model, but its geometry did not vary from Centurion's other race bikes. It had Tange Champion 2 tubes, Shimano 600 group with indexed 6 speed downtube shifters, freewheel hub, and truly (pun intended) amazing 36 spoke Araya wheels. I still have it among many other bikes. It is now a well dinged up single speed beater bike with a mish-mash of various components because over the years I cannibalized the Centurion as I built up other bikes. I still use the Araya wheels, having redished the rear for the single speed. The chrome has come off the hubs, but the wheels have never needed truing! It is/was a nice bike. Not as horizontally stiff or vertically compliant as Columbus SL, but for $400 in 1984 a good deal.

lukeC

Hey I just found an old Centurion thrown out on down the road from my house.

Seems to be a Centurion Turbo 12 speed.
Tange Industries Champion #5 tubing, Sugino Cranks, Suntour derailers.

Its a bit rusty but could be ok if i clean it up a little.

Anyone know what year this might be? From sounds of it its a bit earlier than the 1984 ones as its the single colour paint job.