hairlessbill

Just got a Centurion Super Elite with Tange Champion #2 tubing. Frame/fork only. Beige/cream with orange/blue pinstripes and chromed dropouts. No rear brake braze-ons. Early 70's?

Serial Number:
M0H10014

Built up quickly with stuff I had lying around.

ampalabike

I have a Centurion super elite here in Germany which I bought in 1983 or 84. It is very nice an I had it originally equipped with a Shimano 600 new gruppo. I ordered the frame separately and the fitting gruppo. The guy who sold it to me was close friends with the german importer of Centurion. If you check out www.centurion.de you will find out that the brand name lives on in Germany and has the best reputation. It is one of the bigger companies and they are selling mainly MTBs and ATBs. Somehow they are connected with Merida, I guess frames are made by the merida factory. Still there is no such thing as a Centurion factory, frames are made soemwhere in Taiwan. I have seen a lot of Centurion LeMans and alike in the early 80ies around my hometown and have checked out the bikes in this thread. A lot of models are similiar to the ones sold in Germany at the day. The frame and decals designs are exactly the same. In my opinion the german importer just went on using the brandname in Germany while the original inventor in the US skipped the name. In 1997 ther german triathlete Thomas Hellriegel won the Ironman contest in Hawaii on a centurion bike named Helldrive. The german brand tried to promote this success and launch a comeback in the US but this did not work out. I know this from a travelling sales person currently working for the brand in Germany. I will let you guys know my frame number and will post soem pictures soon.

JEB

I just rescued a Centurion Ironman Expert, Dave cott Signature, from a neighbor's trash pile. It has the complete Suntour GPX group.
I believe it is from 1989. Kind of looking for confirmation. The Serial# is N9A6194.

Thanks,
JEB

oilman_15106

Thanks for the thread. Has anyone posted the link to "The History of Centruion"? I am trying to find it and it may be on my home computer. I have a 1984 Elite 12 and will post the serial # tomorrow. I has been modernized however.

JunkYardBike

CENTURION LEMANS RS

Hope this helps build your database. It's on eBay with a photo of the SN. Originally, it was listed for auction, starting bid $100. Now it's been permanently relisted as a "Buy It Now" or "Best Offer" at $225!!! It's been there for weeks. I've already offered $35, and then $40, and been refused. I'll wait a few weeks and offer $45 if it's still around.

Little Darwin

I can tell you that my 1988 Ironman Master was predicted accurately to have a serial number starting with N7 or N8, so as a guess, your N9 serial number could be confirmed as being 1989ish.

JEB

Thanks.
I thought so because I think I read somewhere that the GPX group was used only in '89.
But it is good to have confirmation.

JEB

froggmann

Two weeks ago I came across this Dave Scott Ironman Expert at an estate sale, heres the specs;

S/N- N7B5425
It's the awesome Hot Pink/Yellow color but thats about to change

Shimano 105 group
-Headset
-F/R Hubs
-F/R Deraileur
-F/R Brakes
-Shifters

Shimano
-Biopace Crank
-SLR Brake Levers
-Dura Ace BB

Mavis Open Pro Rims
Campy Seat Post
IRC Triathlon Tires 25's (Origional I beieve, they were cracked and dry rotted)

Oddly no seat and no stem but that helped me talk the owner down to $25. At first I was going to use it for a single gear or a trainer bike, but when I got it home I cleaned and lubed it up and put some new tires and tubes and robbed a seat and stem from the part box, then took it around the block, WOW! it rode like a dream. So I've decided to do a restoration project. I will post photos as I progress. Thanks for all the info, looking forward to my "new" Centurion.

Supertick

Mine is maybe an 83' model Pro Tour 15
27" Araya rims with Suzue seal tech 36/40 hubs
Two tone blue in color
Champion #2 Butted Tubes
Serial number N3L0511
Suntour Der.
Internal wiring

Question?? Will this frame , if still in good shape, be able to carry a load. I have heard differing reports of the durability of these frames. I would like to use it to tour carrying 40 pounds or so. I am about 200 pounds. Thanks.

Marlin

I just picked up a Centurion this week. I don't know the year, but the previous owner said it was about 25 years old. After looking it over, I think it is probably older than that, probably pre 1980.
Here is everything I could find on it.

Centurion Four pointed star head badge
Lugged steel frame
Color is medum/light blue, no pinstriping or lug detailing
Decal on top front of seat tube “Special 74 Tubing”
Decals on top tube and fork blades are gone, so I don’t know what model it was,
But it was obviously and entry level.
The only other manufacturer's decal is on the left chainstay, “DESIGNED BY Mitchell”
The only serial type number I can find is “R172” at the top left side of the seat tube.
No number that I could find on or around the bottom bracket
25” seat tube, C-T, 23” top tube, C-C
Suntour stem mounted “Power Shift” shifters
Sakae “Road Champion” alloy Handlebar
Dia-Compe Brake levers with suicide levers
Dia-Compe Brakes
SR alloy stem
Chrome front fork ends
Steel Cottered Cranks, with steel chain rings and guard
No name, number or other ID that I could find on the cranks or rings
Front Rim is “UKAIRIM27X1 ¼ “ with an alloy hub, solid axle
I think the rear wheel is a replacement
Rear rim is Rigida, 27X1 ¼ , Made in France, hub is sunshine, solid axle
5 speed freewheel, 14-34, two largest cogs skip every other tooth.
Sun Tour Spirit FD, Sun Tour GT RD
The only numbers I can find on the der’s is 4532 on the back of the FD,
The same number, 4532, is also on the RD hanger, so I think it may be the number of the group.

Bike shop decal, "Les Joselyn Bicycle Shop - 638 Lighthouse Ave - Monterey, Calif" on the seat tube.

Katzenjammer

For the SN, look on the seat tube near the bottom.

Marlin

Just looked again. Nothing in this area at all.

But I looked up the codes for the Der's on the Trek website. After I found out what to look for, I found date codes on both.

The FD code is OD, which gives April, 1972. This would be one of the earliest dates mentioned by the writer.

The RD code is OG, for July, 1972.

So it would seem this Centurion would have been built about 1972.

That may indicate that the number - R172 - stamped at the top of the seat tube is either a serial number, or another code for the date of manufacture.

leftthread

I picked up a Centurion Elite RS off of CL recently.
Serial: KK590915
Tange 2
Shimano 600 crank, front and rear d's.
Suntour sprint hubs
Weinmann rims
Dia Compe Royal S brakes

I'm guessing these are not original parts: Dura Ace stem, Cinelli bars, Selle San Marco seat,
Sakae FX grey anodized seatpost. I put some Shimano 105 pedals on. The seller threw in another rear wheel with Suntour Sprint hub, Suntour freewheel, Mavic Open CD aero rim with a Conti tire. It seemed quite solid during the short test rides I've been on.

leftthread

Shimano 600 crank is stamped FC-6207, listed as 1984:
https://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Herste...himano/FC.html

SteakKnifeSally

Bought a Centurion Elite RS with Tange 2 and Shimano 600. Seller said '87. Serial N5L7225. Both derailleurs marked 6207. Is this actually an '85?

top506

I'm late to the party, but I've aquired an Ironman Expert serial #N7A6314. Tange #1,full 7-speed 105, Wobler rims, Sugino seatpost, Nitto bars and stems. Yellow headtube pannel and seatpost, dark pink/light purple main tubes and stays. Shimino comps mostly dated KK.
Top

alanbikehouston

I've had Dave Scotts with both the Ultegra 600 components and the Shimano 105 components. I've never had a bike with better shifting or braking than the 105 version. Shimano had studied customer feedback on the Dura-Ace and Ultegra STI shifters and brakes, and the 105 version reflected what had been learned. You would have to spend major bucks to buy a 2007 model road bike that has a better quality of ride, handling, braking and shifting than your "new" Dave Scott.

amnomad

Hey T-Mar, I have a low ender for ya, my daughters Centurion Cavaletto Mixte.
Serial : F706543
HiTen Chromoly
Shimano Z401 stem shifters
6 speed freewheel
Diacompe sidepulls
Not a very good pic, but light metallic blue with metallic silver seat tube and head tube.

devilinblack

I picked up a LeMans that's the twin of Raverson's on my last trip to Texas. My dad's shipping it out this week, so I'll let you know the detailed specs when it arrives.

ampalabike

Hi T-mar,
i have a frame here that appears to be a early Centurion, one which uses cinelli like pointed an drilled lugs and is fully chromed under paint, no Centurio decals but some from a small frame builder which might have reapinted the fram for a customer and then used his own graphics. It looks like at least two different bikes i found in the internet and in this thread. Here is the BB stamped number : MO J 59526. Since the bike is in Germany it should be from the early age and produced in japan. The follwing details are unclear to me, so I would ask anybody here for feedback in order t0verify whether it is a Centurion or not:
1. My frame has brazeon cabole guides on the toptube. This i have never seen on an other Centurion frame this age.
2. The BB features a flower style cutout conmsisting of four club like holes. Can anybody confirm this is a Centurion feature?
3. Dropouts are short horizontal Shimano. is this typical for a Centurion?
4. Seatpostcluster looks like Cinelli, is this an indicater for quality or make of frame and Centurion japan made?
5. Other Frames that style have a Aluminium Logo on the headtube. Mine has not neither holes for mounting. How where those badges attached, how did they look like? anybody has a picture?
I enclose some pictures and a link to my wool jersey album.
Any feedback is welcomned since I want to restore the frame accordingly eiterh being the Centurion or the smll frame buildrs make (Petit of cologne, by the way)
Regards
michael




https://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/Drexl/Petit+Sport/

ollo_ollo

I had the same vintage Pro Tour with same color combination: Yes! The frame is durable, fully chromed under the paint, it is designed to be a Touring bike and to carry a load. Mine handled well when loaded, very stable. My only complaint was the 27" wheelset it came with had little clearance for fenders. I fit a 700c wheelset & got good clearance but then it gave quite an angle to the brakes because the brake bosses were positioned for 27" wheels. Decided to just run 27". I recently sold mine for $105 as I'm retired & don't commute to work any more. It was closing in on 40,000 miles to my knowledge & I wasn't the original owner. Figured the components were still worth that much since I added a DynoHub front wheel.

Elad63

Here are two in my herd

T-Mar

I'm curious as to why you think this might be a Centurion? Is it because you think it might be a Centurion Cinelli Equipe? If so, it is not. They did not use the Cinelli SC seat cluster. While Centurion used several various manufacturers, I have not seen any with that particular serial number fromat. The bottom bracket shell appears to be a standard offering, as that design has also shown up on other makes such as Nishiki and Bridgestone. Based on the features, the oldest the frame can be is 1980. I suspect it is early 1980s, as most manufacturers converted to derailleur cables that ran under the bottom bracket by the late 1980s.

Cinelli features were often copied by other manufacturers. While I have no familiarity with Petit, do you have specific reason to believe it is not one?

noisebeam

The frame on the Centurion I provided information on in post #113 broke. The lug at the BB to ST connection snapped clear thru.
More info here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/260159-my-centurion-s-last-ride.html

ampalabike

Here is a picture of an other Centurion in Germany

To my eye the similiarities are striking. Additionally the owner of the shown bike confirmed that it has the drilled lugs and an other (former) bikeowner - fricker 61- in this thread (the orange one on page 2) mentioned that his bike, a proffessional, had the same cutouts in the BB like mine and had the same kind of lugs and seatcluster. His bike is also chromed under the paint and uses the same Cinelli like fork crown. I know that it is definitely not a Centurion equipe Cinelli since those were later and looked totally different. I am also aware that later on the Centurions sold in Germany had nothing to do with those sold in the U.S. since the Centurion brand still exists in Germany but not in the U.S. But i suspect that in that early period there was not such a great difference and the first Centurion brand bikes were produced in Japan. The owner of the bike above promised to provide more pictures for reference but did not post them yet. Petit on the other hand was a very small one man bussiness/framebuilder who was famous for his own designs. The only other two petit frames I saw (on pictures) had different lugs and seat clusters but the same drop-outs. So accounting all features there are more similiarities to that shown Centurion than to the known Petit frames. The only thing on the frame that clearly says Petit are the decals, but since it was a smal shop it is possible that someone had his Centurion frame repainted at the Petit shop and Petit (the owners name was Klein) used his own decals on the frame. So if I could verify it is definitely not a Centurion I would have proof it is a Petit.
There is absolutely no database or information on any numbering on Petits.