Loose Chain

Just spent the morning in the LBS getting a headset installed. I really like this Prestige Centurion bike. Not finshed yet as I ponder tires etc. I just slapped an old 105 set I had on it, I always liked 105 and this bike is 126mm spacing so did not want to spread the heat treated tubing. I probably will upgrade the seat post and I have blue cables but I am not going to install those until the new black bar tape is frayed a bit and justifies replacement and then I will do the cables. Those are old Open 4 rims I had laying around never used, 28/32 spoking, on Mavic 501 hubs with a Regina America aluminum freewheel. Oh, see that Wall Mart Bell carbon fiber water bottle cage, six dollars compared to fifty from the bike shop. This bike is SN88K3744:









This bike is considerably a different animal from my Ironman Expert. So, anyways, I really like it.

Here is an oddity, I have two Centurion Expert Iroman bikes plus one frame. One is purple and gold 58cm (SN N6M7752), one is red and white (Old Red) and also 58cm (SNN656731) and an all black frame (SNN9A6013) with a 58cm c/t seat tube but the head tube is .25 inches shorter on the black bike but the TT is 23 inches vs 22.5 for the others. What gives? All three have the uni crown fork as does my new Prestige.

Here is the odd black Ironman:





And notice the rear stays, not dimpled as every other Ironman I have, this one has oval blades like the Prestige and the decals are similar to the Prestige:



I have posted a pic of my "Big Red" but just for completeness:

consultdan

Well e-bay was my first thought for sure. Just was hoping someone on here has experience with a Centurion that old.

Chicago Al 

There's an appraisal subforum here, up above this group of threads, and if you post there with photos, nice clear detailed ones, I bet you will get a pretty good range of estimates from people who follow these great old bikes. A 1970s Japanese 'boom' bike will have a limited market EXCEPT if it's something top of the line, and a Centurion Pro Tour would qualify for that. The Champion frame suggests that or a similar model may be what you have. But photos are key! We like to look.

consultdan

I hope I get a pass for being a newbie!!!

curbtender

This is the forum to ID it, though. Post a picture.

1 Lugnut

A heads up...!

Craigslist ~ Centurion Semi-Pro road bike 54cm

consultdan

I am working on the pics, Should have them posted by tomorrow.

I have seen several of the 80's centurions but have not been able to to find one that matches mine.

I do think it is a Pro Tour. I know I had to special order it through my LBS when I bought it. And the Pro tour sounds familiar. The serial number makes me think it might be one of the first few of that series sold too. But then again I could be just a wishin' and a hoping!

Thanks for all your help. When I post the pics/details I'll do it both here and on the appraisal thread. It really is a pretty bike and very light weight too. Still rides great too. Makes me wish my back were up to letting me start riding again!

Chicago Al 

Member DiegoFrogs has a nice ProTour from about that time that he frequently puts up photos of...including today if I'm not mistaken. You might check that out for comparison.

DiegoFrogs

I have no shame:

1977 Pro Tour

The frame and all the components (except one crank) date from mid-late 1976, with one crank from January 1977. Everything here except the saddle, tires, cables, chain and brake pads are original.

If you search around, there's a road review written by future mountain bike developer Gary Fisher floating around the interwebs somewhere, posted by another fellow from this forum.

Also, I ended up removing what was left of the Centurion logos. I'd have had no idea what model it was if not for the Gary Fisher review.

DiegoFrogs

Here's the original thread I created on 1970's Centurion Pro Tour's.

consultdan

Thanks Al and thanks Diego! I am all but certain now that mine is a pro tour too but it is one version before yours (I am pretty sure it is a 1975). The profiles are identical. The single major difference is the brakesets which are center mounted side pull black anodized gran compes, if I remember right the center pulls came out after I bought my bike. Mine even has the multi color strips on the seat frame like yours. Got the same handlebars, derailleurs and crankset. Mine is chromed differently. It has chrome at the tips of the fork and stays, on the top of the fork and on the top of the stays where they wraparound the seat post. It is kind of dusty so I am trying to clean it up before I take the pics. All the factory decals seem to be perfect so they'll stay on.

Your bike looks great = to bad yours and mine couldn't reproduce!! Hah!

DiegoFrogs

I think it's probably a different model. If you look at the catalog, there were some similarities between it and others.

The black anodized gran compe's actually strike me as being much later.

Does your bike have two sets of braze-ons on the front and back?

Either way, I like Centurions from this era quite a bit. I believe they are my new fetish.

consultdan

Here are some pics I took today. Any ideas on model, value? BTW first time uploading to this thread; hope it works!

DiegoFrogs

I think it might be a semi pro. There was one on e-bay just this week.

RobbieTunes

+1. There's been one or two floating around lately. Most of the inquiries have been either buyers or sellers, it appears, of the same two bikes. One was a frame only.

Psuedo

Here's a tough one...
I just got this guy, 61cm, without wheels, so working at a bike shop as a builder I picked the housebrand, and should have gone with a 7 speed cassette since the shifters (sport lx around, except for bb and cranks which are campy veloce) can switch from index to friction, and just doing friction since I grabbed an 8 is a bit annoying since I have never had dt nor friction nor a road bike before..
Today I stuck it on the stand and flipped it over, had to remove the cable guide to see the serial numbers, being where it was, I replaced the cable guide with a purple one, there are a few bad nicks throughout, so I would appreciate any help on finding the right paint, including the 'white', as I notice it is slightly cream
The serial number is: "3A 045" ..I do believe there is a space between the A and the Zero.
What do you make out of it? The smoke paint was only in 1988? or was it 88 and 89? or was marble in 89?

jtgotsjets

There were smoked finishes in the Centurion lineup in both 88 and 89 I believe... Someone (looking at T-Mar) should be able to tell you whether purple smoked Le Mans is 88 or 89.

Finding a matching paint is going to be next to impossible--you should read through the Centurion catalog Sheldon Brown has hosted. It details their multi-part painting process—you'll find that even their "white" is the result of several layers of primer, metallic, paint, etc. I can only imagine the finishing process remained the same or improved over the next five years. It is a totally beautiful finish though.

Bianchigirll 

[QUOTE=jtgotsjets;11036875]There were smoked finishes in the Centurion lineup in both 88 and 89 I believe... Someone (looking at T-Mar) should be able to tell you whether purple smoked Le Mans is 88 or 89.
QUOTE]

speaking of which.... has anyone heard from or seen T-Mar? I PMd him a few times in the last two months or so with no response. I do hope all is well

RobbieTunes

No problem, my friend. That paint scheme was the 1988 Centurion Ironman Master, and it trickled "down" to the 1989 Lemans and Lemans RS.

Matching the purple(s) is easy, since about any shade of purple will do. I'd get purple nail polish, some white nail polish, and mix/match as needed.

Yep, the white is pearled. Duplicolor has a Nissan Maxima and Cadillac shade that's pretty darn close. However, you can mix some of that white nail polish with some clear and come up with a pretty darn close match. Chrysler also had a white that was pretty close, but not pearled.

T-Mar will come back when he's not so busy. Being world famous is probably pretty busy....

Psuedo

I looked around the shop in the touch up paint box, and only found 1 purple, far off, even if I tried to mix it with white/black to get it right, it would take a very long time, but I still plan on trying!
and yeah, i need the white aswell, because round the bottle cage bolts it is turned a yellow/brownish, I want ot try to restore it as much as possible. That white is way more creamy than a flat white.
Actually, I am going for a steampunk look with it, so I will be attempting to make my own dt shifters, and maybe even derailleurs and such out of BRASS! etch some nice designs into it(I have copper etchant for making circuit boards)
So I suppose once I make a few things all of the sport LX stuff(Is that original) will be up for sale or something, I was told the guy has the levers as well, but without the hoods(corruded) and he will sell me them plus some bluesplash bartape for $20
more of the pics
https://img689.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=dsc02699e.jpg

RobbieTunes

The brass would be ace. Selle San Marco makes a Rolls saddle with brass trim, too.

Psuedo

Yeah, I was thinking of a Brooks saddle, but they dont make one with copper/brass springs, atleast not on the site which is partnered with our store(our owners own them too, so I get to use my discount..but 30% off of something over $100 is a bit too much for a saddle, imho...but it is leather and comfy).. I aquired 2 more bikes last night from the neighbor across the street, was going to put them in bulk trash, a Univega, and a Murray, both with the same stuff, stem shifters and 'suicide levers' (extension levers) ... nothing really usable, heavy as hell, but it does stir me around a little bit.
Did centurion ever make an actual Badge? mine is painted on, I am thinking of making a brass emblem thing, possibly etched, I can make more of them if people are interested

Psuedo

is my serial number different because it was made in Taiwan, not Japan? Has anyoen deciphered this? do we need more purple smokes to compare?

Psuedo

*whistles*


and dozens others in this thread

Psuedo

Oh, and consider etching/embossing a brass handlebar to have this logo (mine has the logo to the left, on both sides, I beleive)

thanks top506
..and mine (hey, it was still light out afterall)