BICYCLING!
ROAD TEST

Centurion
Pro-Tour
by Gary Fisher
Photos by Gail Heilman

Someone gave a lot of thought to the design of this bike. We are often questioned about what's available in touring bikes in the $300-and-over range. Frankly, there hasn't been anything unless it was custom made. That was up till now, however, as the Centurion Pro-Tour was designed to fill this niche.

Comfort becomes a very meaningful word after two or three days of five-plus hours in the saddle. Numb hands, sore backs, and saddle sores are common complaints from the rider who chooses an upright and stiff racing machine for an extended tour. One's hopes of flattening out the hills is oftentimes replaced by the reality of 25 pounds of gear fighting the rider for control of the bike.

While most bikes in this price range are made for the day tourer or club rider who does without racks and panniers, the Pro-Tour, at $369, is designed from the ground up with distance touring in mind. 41 1/2-inch wheelbase and 2 1/2-inch fork rake give high speed stability; more important, they iron out bumpy roads. You might compare the Pro-Tour, for example, with the more typical Centurion Semi-Pro which has a 38 1/2-inch wheelbase and shorter fork rake. The Pro-Tour also weighs about two pounds more than the Semi-Pro, and most of this extra weight is found in the heavier gauge Tange chrome molly frame tubing. The heavier gauge was chosen for longer frame life under tougher conditions and gives the rider more control over the extra weight of front and rear luggage.

Eye-catching items on our road test bike were the brazed-on Dia-Compe centerpulls. Joined to the frame at their pivots, the brakes have super stopping power. I'd compare them to Mafac tandem cantilevers. Their disadvantage is lack of centering adjustment. While the rear stay bridge is drilled and provided with a bolt which could be used to mount a conventional brake setup, the front crown is only drilled halfway; so one is forced to stick with the original equipment. the fork crown hole is, however, threaded for a near little Phillips head screw to hold mudguards and/or racks.

Two threaded eyelets, complete with more Phillips screws, are provided on front and rear dropouts. Others are provided on the water bottle mounts, but we found them too large to fit a TA-type water bottle cage.

Fingertip shifters were originally designed for shifting when out of the saddle during the final meters of a race. They're also nice for touring, however, when one wants to have both hands on the bars when hitting the bottom of a steep hill or while riding in a strong crosswind. With the SunTour Cyclone derailleurs, shifting to lower ration gears is smooth and positive, even under considerable pressure. The 16-tooth front chainring jump is easily within the range of this super-light, anodized derailleur. Note the wide-range gearing: 32 to 100.

The wheels are rather interesting. Cross-3 spoking in the front gives a most positive feel, while cross-4 in the rear adds durability. Both use straight gauge stainless steel spokes and beautiful Sunshine Pro-Am small-flange hubs.

The super-soft YFC King saddle lives up to its name. It's one of the softest I've used and has spring-steel rails and a nylon base. An SR micro-adjustable seat post solid clamps the saddle, while Randonneur bars add to that armchair ride. When loaded with gear, the Pro-Tour was free of rattles and wobbles at both low and high speed. It responded reasonably well when climbing, thanks to the tubing and 73-degree angles. It was even one of the most solid feeling Japanese bikes I have ever ridden.

Further information on the Centurion Pro-Tour is available from the distributor, Wil-Go Corporation, 365 Reed Street, Santa Clara, California 95050.