Sactocycler

I am new to cycling (road bikes) and I have to say I am hooked. I recently bought a vintage bike (my first road bike) for 200 dollars becuase it was cheaper. It is a 82 or 84 Centourion Clic (I forgot what the guy told me it was one or the other) Im not very knowledgeable when it comes to bikes let alone vintage road bikes so when I bought the bike I basically went with my basic instincts. It was a clean nice bike with no rust and only two nicks on paint. I thought it was a good deal so I purchased it from the owner. The first owner bought the bike as a graduation present for his son but his son only rode the bike for two weeks and then bought a car and went off to college. It was garaged since then for over 25 years even the plastic gromets and foam on the bike handle are immaculate. Also the origional decals, stickers and pinstriping still look new. Everything on the bicycle is all origional except for the tubes tires and seat. So my question is did I get a good deal and should I start swaping out parts like rims, pedal brakes etc? Any input would be greatly apreciated.

USAZorro

Sounds like you got a fair price in a pretty nice bicycle. Hopefully it fits you well.

Ride it for a while and see what you like about it, and what you might not like so much before contemplating changes.

mcgreivey

Right. If the bike is "like new", there should be no real need to change anything unless something doesn't work for you--if the seat is uncomfortable, or the bike doesn't fit right as it is, and it's something that could be fixed by (say) changing the stem. Or if you're new to cycling, and want lower gears than it has (or something).

old and new

Don't change nothin' on it... leave it be 'till you're at least sure that you hate something about it. Please.. you'll only harm it and waste money. Ignore those who say otherwise, let THEM get stupid with THEIR rat-bikes, your's seem virtually new.
Folks change stuff because they break or are very old or they're bored.
Re-do the handle grips, tape, what ever bugs ya, leave the wheels be. Wheels on those bikes were almost as light and stronger that many wheels today. Old folks spend big bucks gettin" THEIR old rigs original.
You got a good (VG) deal for a Centurion, ANY kind of Centurions drive folks wild.

Norman Grubb

Strip everything off and make it a fixed-gear

EjustE

I'd make sure that the tires are ok. If a bike has been sitting for that long the sidewalls might be rotten. If anything, I would replace the tires and the tubes just to have some peace of mind

bernardmarx

Sacto, just adjust the seat and/or stem to fit and replace whatever seems hard, dry or brittle in the way of tires, tubes, cables and housings and brake pads. Search this forum and others for fitting guides - but it's feel as much as measurement. (Yeah, grub, that's what the world needs, anther good bike converted into a boat-anchor. But I'm sure you were kidding anyway.

krems81 

Put on a 650c front wheel for bar spinnz.

cb400bill

Please post some pics.

sonatageek

The one thing I would do, if it were mine, is replace the tires, if the ones on it are old or dry or cracked in anyway.

rhm

The key word, here is "if." Yes, if the tires are bad, replace them. Being 25 years old does not necessarily mean they are bad.

If the tubes leak, consider replacing them. If they don't leak, don't replace them. There is no need to replace inner tubes that hold air.

Edit:
And even if the tubes leak, do look for holes. If you find a hole that can be patched, patch it. A properly patched tube is as good as new. Tubes can develop problems that cannot be fixed; holes in or at the valve stem, for example, or slow leaks that can't be found and therefore can't be patched. In such cases, replace the tube.

cycleheimer

Post some pix & the model name. We love that stuff! If it is a higher-end model, a leather Brooks B-17 saddle would be nice. Keep the old one, and swap it back later if you go to sell it. You can have the Brooks for years...take care of it & it can improve in the "comfort department" with age.

mike

Right. I have ridden many thousands of miles on very old tires - tires from the 1960's. If the skins are OK, they will last. Of course, with the old 27" gumwalls, the tan gum sidewalls will rot and looks terrible. That is probably good enough reason to replace them, but it is only the asthetics of it because the tires will still hold up. Oddly, later versions of the 27" tires got rid of the shock-absorbing gumwalls, but kept the look and replaced the gumwalls with synthetic tan colored material which didn't rot (and also did not provide any other real function other than provide the gumwall "look").

I feel that we are responsible for riding tires until they are worn out before we send them to a landfill.

mcgreivey

Eh, ... wise guys! Woop-woop-woop-woop-woop-woop..

Sactocycler

Thanks for all the replies guys. I have enjoyed the bike to say the least. I haven't changed anything on this bike except for new 27 inch tires and tubes. The bike is a bit dirty because I've ridden it in the rain a few times. I'll clean it up and post some pics in a few days. I know its been awhile since my last post so I hope some of you will still enjoy the pics.

macetopher

I just picked up an '82 Clic myself. Only paid 65 but it needs some work, how are you liking yours? Have you made any upgrades? I'm looking into new pedals myself. I have size 11 feet that don't fit well in the stock toe clips, haha.

you can see pics of mine here www.flickr.com/macetopher

(知さん)

+1

We need close ups, as well as a Drivetrain side pic, we don't know what you have on there with that pic.

Also you should get some clipless pedals. Without pics we can't really tell you what you need to replace/upgrade etc, though after a few years brake pads dry out and don't do much, go get some new pads from an LBS.

Chris_in_Miami

Nice find macetopher, yours doesn't look like it needs much attention and you're getting some use out of it already.

jimmuller 

Clip a baseball card to the frame and fork so they click against the spokes.