I'm a Nishiki fan, but I have to say I'm impressed with Centurion's bikes and especially the Ironman series. They have acquired a great reputation. I'm getting ready to start a major build of a vintage steel bike and I am not sure if it will be a Centurion or a Nishiki. A couple of months ago I was sure it would be a Nishiki, now not so sure.

Wow. I wonder if that's where all those Ironman bikes went to. He bought a couple, a Panasonic DX3000, in particular, that I really wanted. Yellow/black fade.

Well, we can't get those Centurion racing girls back, but we can always imagine....
Notice it zips all the way to the bottom. That's how it was on the poster, too.

http://i13.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/34/10/903e_1_sbl.JPG

Egad.
http://www.boxdogbikes.com/blog/wp-c...2/img_5132.JPG

UHHH, Is that your retirement bike Robbie :D????

1983 Turbo, Tange Champion #1
1984 Lemans RS, Tange Infinity
1984 Comp T/A, Tange Champion #2
1985 Prestige, Tange Prestige
1986 Ironman, Tange 1
1988 Ironman Master, Tange 1
1988 Ironman Carbon I, II, Tange? Decals on frame are same as Tange Light Alloy on fork
1989 Ironman Expert, Tange 1
1989 Ironman Master, Tange 1

Some aren't OEM, as I got them as frames. And I upgraded others. But Tange, they are.

What do you have here?
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...7&d=1235094484

OK I see Carbon in your post..

It's all Campy; blame txvintage and Otto Rax, they made me do it....:twitchy:

My experience in this field is limited to fumbling around 30 years ago... :eek:

But, yes, that is a woman's jersey. I bid on it because my picture didn't show the PINK.
Plus, it doesn't fit, but would make a nice wall decoration, or gift.
Also, I never heard back from anyone on those panties......:innocent:
I'm checking into having it duplicated to some extent, in a more "manly" scheme. :roflmao2:

hi all,

i just picked up an '86 ironman ds from craigslist for $140. i think its mostly original, and in pretty nice shape. i plan on getting some cleaning up done on it this weekend, and i'll post pics if anyone's interested. its not as nice as some of the sweet looking examples posted in this thread, but i thought the price was good.

i don't mean to hijack the thread, but i do have a few questions, and thought here was a good place to ask. if i should start a separate thread, let me know. i already started one earlier to ask about replacing the freewheel.

anyway, i was curious if any of the specs (besides the components) changed from the 84 comp ta? i found the 84 brochure online, but not one for 86, so i was curious if the frame info and such were similar/same/what-have-you.

also, i'm curious if the seat post on mine is original. its a fluted sugino one with graduations/numbers in the one larger groove. the reason i ask, is its pretty well stuck, and i'm wondering if it was a replacement that might have been too large. anyone know what size seat tube should be used on this bike? might help me figure out how much of a headache i'm in for this weekend.

thanks!
j

You're in the right place. A.Winthrop will fill you in on specs.

That's the seat tube, and with the grooves, or "flutes" you can put stuff down there and free it up.
He can help with that, too.

PM me anything else you need to know. Mine's the red/white one up the page a bit.

Glad to have you on board, and does your significant other know about the Centurion?
They tend to get addictive...
My seat tube on the 86 was a 27.0, but I'm using a 27.2 right now with no problem whatsoever.
I have no idea if you can or not.

wow, thanks for all the info and the nice welcome. i do dig the bike, but like i said, its not nearly as nice as some of the examples here. we'll see what some cleaning and new bar tape does.

i thought the brake levers were replacements because they looked a bit out of place - everything else being shimano. but huh, guess not. the shifter still seems to be working properly, but with their likeliness to fail and the asumption the levers were replacements, i was thinking of putting on a 7sp freewheel and using a nos pair of sora brifters i have laying around. but i don't know.

i'm still fighting with the seatpost - not sure how this will turn out. its really in there good. i'm a chemist and work i a lab, so i have access to 30% ammonia, but that's not doing it. since i've got to take appart the bottom bracket, i'm thinking maybe trying to get some solvent/ammonia at it from the undeside of the post. i donno. i really don't want to hacksaw it.....

so the pics might be a while. but thanks again for the info and all the cool reading.

Don't give up on the seat post.
Find someone with a bench vise. NO, don't put the bike in it.

Here's the drill, after you've dripped ammonia into the flutes, and maybe some WD40.

1-Remove the front brake caliper and both wheels.
2-Uncap the rear brake cable, pull it out of the caliper.
3-Remove the bars and stem while still attached to the front brake caliper and pull the rear brake cable out with it.
4-I'd remove the FD, RD, and crank set, but it's up to you. They'd be out of the way, and able to be cleaned and lubed, but it's not necessary. If you don't, use something to protect the frame and wrap the chain with tape around the chain stay.
5-Now invert the frame and, using some protective material, clamp the seat post into the bench vice.
6-With the post securely clamped and protected from damage, SLOWLY turn the bike frame.
7-This leverage is incredible, and I've not seen it fail. Take your time, though, it should work.
8-Once the seat post is out, you can polish it the scratches and oxidation off.
9-Clean out the inside of that seat tube the best you can. I use a shotgun bore brush and then a rag with WD40.
10-You may with to treat inside the frame or not, but it really doesn't matter. With the post now cleaned and polished, and the grit removed from inside the tube, it should work a lot better.

11-I also just used this method to remove a very stuck bb outer cover. No specialty wrenches could move it. It came loose easily using the above method. LBS removed the seat post, bb outer cover, and headset from a frame for $15. I thought that was a decent deal.

12-If you do destroy the seat post somehow, I have one.

A.Winthrop's advice is always reliable; count on it.
We exist to hook you on Centurions.
:DYou've been warned. :D

Thanks for the tip. I've sent him a request for info.
Doubt I'd pay $850 unless it came with Cameron Diaz, but it's worth a shot.

If I can arrange, and I'm trying hard right now, to get some sort of a jersey like this, would there be any interest? There are several levels/ideas that can be done, from full-on jersey to t-shirt. And no, I'm not going to front a bunch of money to maintain an inventory.

Perhaps, if (big IF in these situations) we can get some kind of consensus, the Centurion aficianados can wear the brand. My experience is, in dealling with people, is that everyone wants something a little different. Even in a restaurant with a 10-page menu, someone always wants something different. Well, that can't happen here, but we can sure try to see what we can come up with. Any and all ideas are welcome, let's just gather thoughts, and I'll collect 'em, see what's up. Spring is coming, and after that, summer, and if I have to make one by myself, I'm gonna have a Centurion jersey. Here's my ideas, from cheapest to priciest:

A simple white or yellow t-shirt made up with Centurion, Shimano, etc logos, maybe some more graphics, but it would be a t-shirt, short sleeve.
Figure it's simply a Centurion t-shirt.

2-Long sleeve version of the same thing, with Centurion down the sleeves.

3-Yellow "dri-fit" or similar "wick-away" type t-shirt, often called a "technical." Would have as close as I could get to the jersey, probably not the leopard print if it costs too much, but I haven't hit the printer up yet. Doubles as a jersey or a t-shirt, whatever bakes your cake.

Half-zip bike jersey in yellow, close to this, but NO pink on the leopard print.
I'd get an economical one if I could.

Full zip, 3-pocket bike jersey w/collar, same as above. Figure $60 minimum.

Also, the printer I use is looking into white-only printing on biking shorts. I take her the shorts, she prints Centurion down one or both legs, gives 'em back. Grab a spare pair, or buy a cheapo set, and get yourself Centurion britches, too.
http://i13.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/34/10/903e_1_sbl.JPG

Seller didn't know anything about the bike, just wanted $850 cash, fast.
I'd stay away from it.

I want one of those, probably two, and hopefully WITHOUT the pink leopard print!

Got it. Don't worry, no pinking.

Did the owner of the Turbo on ebay ending in hours JUST realized there was an error on the listing? I thought you couldn't cancel a listing if it had bids on it already. I wasn't planning on bidding, but it sucks for whoever was.

Yes, it does. :mad:

i also had a long email exchange with him.

IMHO, he's purely dealing with goods, be it bikes or otherwise, that he either stole or bought as a lot. He knew nothing about the bike, but all about cash. Good for him.

If I start to sell my bikes, it's SF CL with shipping inc.

For reasons I could never fathom, I couldn't get a Shimano 7 speed freewheel to work on my 126mm spaced Centurion Elite RS. 6 speed, yes.

The outer cog actually rubbed the dropouts...the entire freewheel was thicker than the 6 speed by over 3mm, when I was certain that they should be the same size. I would have had to have found a hub designed, apparently, for a 7 speed freewheel.

Prior to that failed experiment, I thought they were interchangeable.

I read your exchange. I have a couple of Cent's but don't collect them. There is a local that bought out an old storage with a bunch of early eighties, unbuilt bikes. They went from $150 at the swaps to $450 in craigs'. So I guess if you get free posting, you throw out the big hook. I'm sorry I lenghtend his line...

That's odd, because I put a 130mm rear wheel with a 9-sp cassette into the rear stays of my 1984 Comp TA, 126mm rear. It worked fine, once I "finessed" it in there.

I'm wondering if your axle got spun "in" a little or something during the installation? That's all I can think of. I also took a 7-sp rear Shimano 600 freehub, changed the axle and hub to 8/9, and have run both 9-sp on it and 8-sp.

Different type freewheels, maybe? This one has me stumped.

He did say it was "in storage for years," so I'm thinking he bought a bunch of stuff, or bikes, from a storage bin. He may have sold a nicer one two years ago for $900, but I bought a very nice one in Chula Vista two years ago for sub $400.

He sure had the theft "flags" flying...vague description, refused to offer details, very quick offer to meet and sell for cash...

I was just surprised he couldn't offer any kind of description or details, but in hindsight, I think he was about selling, period, and it could have been a Tonka Toy for all he cared, it was "bidness." I confused him with a bike guy. After all, it was CL, not BF. My error.

Is SF really that high of a market?