SpiritCyclist

I picked up this Centurion Ironman Master the other day from a very nice guy, who was moving to Alaska, for $100. It's the perfect size frame for me, and I'm nearly positive it was made the year I was born - 1988 - which really makes it quite a find. I've made the assumption on the date after a whole lot of investigating on BF, VeloBase, and other sites. The indexed, 7 speed 600 "Tricolor" group along with the paint scheme and a few other things make me think this is an '88, but I was hoping to get confirmation here based on the serial number. It's 8P5302, stamped on the BB.

The bike is a total blast to ride - super smooth, sporty and responsive. Tires hold air, gears shift superbly, brakes grab well. I'm blown away by the accuracy and precise "feel" of the 600 shifting system, even with old, rusty cables. She's a bit grungy at the moment, but minus a few nicks and scrapes the bike's in pretty good shape. Only one big problem, which I haven't attempted to fix quite yet: the seat post is stuck, and it's too low for me. I squirted some penetrating oil in the other day, so I'll have to retry soon. (Though I've been wrestling with a stuck seat post on an old Univega, and I'm not eager to take on another just yet.) I plan on cleaning it up, regreasing everything, and riding the snot out of it this summer.

Sorry for the blurry, bad photos- it was the best I could do with my camera, indoors, at night. I'll get around to some better daytime shots soon.

holden west

It's that stupid fluted seatpost. I think they let in water and facilitate fast rusting. I should have greased mine annually when I got it or better yet, swapped it out. Mine has been stuck since the late 80s. I tried removing it using liberal amounts of Liquid Wrench but no luck. I asked the mechanics at the LBS to try and they failed too.

Yours will be a fine bike when cleaned up.

revchuck 

Sweet!

In the first picture, it looks like the tire is badly dry rotted. I'd replace the tires and tubes before riding the bike again.

RobbieTunes

1989 Model year, built most likely in 1988. Last year of the Ironman. Full 600 tricolor, should have Araya CT-370 rims, Nitto B115-42 bars on a Nitto stem. Great group, great frame, great bike. See below on seatpost.

I agree, but it's not the water. The alloy in the seat post forms a chemical bond with the steel in the seat tube. I've tried Liquid Wrench with no success, PB Blaster with about 2/3 success. Ammonia breaks the bond, and works the best. Repeated applications of ammonia from above and below, and then a hair dryer on high for about 5-7 minutes, focused on the seat tube, seems to work the best. If you can "sacrifice" the seatpost, you can put it in a vise and turn the frame for better leverage. There are tons of much lighter seatposts out there that can do the job, especially polished American Classics which are light and cheap.

SpiritCyclist

Thanks everybody! holden west - Seat post stuck since the 80's? Yikes!! I think you're right about that fluted design; the Univega I mentioned has the same exact kind. revchuck, the tire looks worse in the picture than it really is, although I will replace the tires before any serious riding gets done. RobbieTunes, thanks a lot for the advice. I've tried pouring ammonia down the seat tube from the BB of the Univega, so far to no avail. I haven't tried PB blaster or the hair dryer treatment, so I will definitely give those a shot. From what I gather, Liquid Wrench will dissolve regular rust (i.e. steel on steel) but not the chemical-weld type bond you describe between steel and aluminum. As for my bike, it looks like the only thing non-original are the pedals, which are cheap Performance replacements. But they spin freely and fit my feet, so oh well. Really looking forward to getting this baby all cleaned up!

holden west

Thanks for the seatpost tip. I'm freaking out a little learning about the alloy/steel bond and will be sure to not let that happen to my Cramerotti.

To get things back on track, I just looked up my Centurion and it's N6H7169. According to the code posted earlier (thanks, all!) my bike was made in April, 2006. I assume this is fairly early in the Ironman run. I purchased it in the summer of '86 from Cap's Cycles in Vancouver for $850.00 CDN.

m0thra

I picked up a Comp TA tonight with a full Shimano 600 components. SN is 4E0949, I guess that makes it an 84. Does anyone know the significance of the missing "N" at the front? Seems like most SNs posted have that. Thanks, MJ

coz

Hello all, I just read all 76 pages....can't believe this post is still alive. I am a newb and this is my first post. I just purchased a frame and fork Centurion Lemans, the paint is in rough shape. I believe it is a 1975 or 1976. It has a candy red frame with chrome fork tips and pinstripe detailed lugs. The head badge is a four pointed star with centurion down the middle. The seat post is 26.0 made in japan steel pipe. The fork is a tange 5 k or x....not sure as it looks like an incomplete stamping. The stem is SR 22.2 with the numbers 5355 75 stamped on it. The serial # is on the down tube near the crank IN33519. Making a single speed out of it until I collect some parts for it, but I do want to restore the frame to original. Found some decals on ebay for it. I was just wondering if anybody knows if the head set bearings are JIS or ISO. Haven't measured it yet.

Oh, it also has down tube mounted shifters, brazed on cable guides and stops, center pull brake calipers of unknown origin .... the name is missing.

DiegoFrogs

Coz,

I'd be concerned about the "Pac-Man" opening of the rear drive-side dropout. Until you are confident that you have that resolved, I wouldn't go through the trouble of stripping, repainting or buying any decals.

I love Centurions from this era, including my '77 Pro Tour, but just be careful about what you're doing. I know how easy it can be to go gung-ho into a financial disaster.

DiegoFrogs

Here's a more illustrative description of what I'm talking about.



Also, it's hard to tell, but are the top- and down-tubes deformed near the headtube? They look weird when I hold a straight-edge to my screen, but it's hard to illustrate with GIMP.

coz

Good eye on the drop outs DiegoFrogs .... I will check the top and down tubes before I do anything to the frame. Thanks.

mountaindave 

My friend has what appears to be a 1972 Super LeMans based on the date codes of the derailleurs and the crank. I don't know what the bike's serial number means.

Suntour rear derailleur date code: OC = 1972 March


Suntour front derailleur date code: OD = 1972 April


SR Sekae crank date code: 7-6 = 1972 June (based on Showa calendar)


Bike's serial number: E532


The whole bike:


As you can see, the frame's paint job is in pretty rough shape. Too bad.

RobbieTunes

I've always liked that seat lug. My powdercoater could do a real job blasting and coating that.

FrancoiseD

Just bought the following:

1984 Centurion Comp TA
Serial No. 4E09587
Shimano EX 600 Gruppo
Silver frame with dark gray head tube

interesting that the serial number doesn't seem to fit the pattern of other 80's Centurions (starts with a number rather than a letter).

RobbieTunes

Great bike, good score, welcome to the forum. Not very many of the silver ones around. Excellent rider.

orcas island 

Just found the following bike on CL during a trip visiting Portland. Took a gamble going to see it in that poor photos and zero description had me thinking that it might be a mid-70's LeMans at best, but wasn't even sure that it was a Centurion. Turns out to be a 1976 Centurion Semi-Pro (serial #M6L08017 ). Dirty and obviously well used, and with a few parts substitutions that must have been made to make the bike more rider friendly for someone in the past. The original stem, bars and brake levers had disappeared only to be replaced by less expensive stuff (stem shifters, generic brakes with turkey levers). Most of the rest of things seem original, so definitely have a nice place to start from. The frame was taller than it appeared in the photo, so now if I can just grow another couple of inches in the legs I should be fine!

mountaindave 

Love the chromed lugs on the head tube

Hummer

The serial number fits with the 1984 Comp TA, Turbo and Pro Tour 15 models. The year 1984 only.

flyfisherbob

Accordo RS I picked it up off CL a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure of much on this one, so any help would be appreciated. Tubing is Tange Infinity, and there is a made in Taiwan sticker. Suntour derailleurs, but the levers have been replaced with cheap strap on unit, and I'm not sure yet of the brazed lugs are damaged. Cranks are "Tracer", a new one for me. The Serial number is on the down tube. I believe the number is SFN1472. First character is only partially there, could be a 6?

RobbieTunes

+1, classy frame.
my size.

RobbieTunes

Probably made in '86, but those are '87 decals, same year the Ironman Master was the same color.

jefft72

Sharing my Centurion that I have owned and ridden now for a few months.

SN: N5M5948 - which should make it an 85 model, perhaps.

Centurion Elite RS

Shimano 600 front and rear derailers with a 6 speed rear freewheel. Regal S brake calipers, Tange 2 main frame, and forks I believe.

It has ridden great so far and I have plans to change all cables and bar tape once the riding season slows down. Since buying it I have changed tires, added a bottle cage and tuned it up when needed. I would love to swap the rear wheel for a cassette style with and 8 or 9 speed variety.

I have no idea what the previous owner did to the DS chain stay, but it's pretty beat up.

I will continue to ride it and always keeping my eyes open for one that may be in better condition or a level up.




https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/...c0eb7733_b.jpg

RobbieTunes

Nice. Those chain guards do get buggered up.
Soma Fabrications has 'em in chrome.

Decals for the DT are available at VeloCals, you'd just trim a set of Ironman decals down.

Very nice bike to fix up. Great all-day rider.

joemckinney86

Hi, everyone! New here, and am looking for some information:

I was recently given a partial metallic orange Centurion bicycle, and I'd like to figure out what it is, exactly. The reason I say "partial" is because it didn't have wheels or a chain. However, everything else is there...

Here's the info I can give you:
Serial number (stamped on BB): M5Fzero268
It also has another number stamped on the side (?) that says "6005A"

Dropouts: Suntour GS
Crank: Sugino "Mighty Competition"
Brakes: Dia Compe "Gran-Compe" (black)
Derailleurs: Suntour Cyclone (rear has "Maeda Industries LTD" and "Japan" stamped on inside)
Shifters: Suntour bar-end shifters
Stem: SR Royal
Bars: SR World "Randonneur" (also stamped with "Sakae")

From what I can tell (by T-Mar's serial-number code), it was manuf. in 1985, in March; number 268 of the run. But the equipment on the bike doesn't match any of the "standard" listed equipment from either Sheldon Brown's 1984 Centurion catalogue or the 1979 Centurion catalogue on VeloBase.com. I'd like to get this beast as close to original as possible, but I'd like to know year (if I'm incorrect) and definitely model (I have no idea on model). Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, guys (and gals)!

RobbieTunes

Try something worth 1000 words.