LoL salvaged a centurion.. must be earlier model, sun tour components and "74 special" tubing.. I haven't got a clue on dating these yet, any input would be appreciated, and can I use my standard 27x1 1/4 tires/tubes on this baby? Gotta say I know this is only a "low mid" level bike, but it's like night and day with the cheapy 10 speeds I play with from the era.

That's probably the earliest one I've seen. Has to be mid-70's.

I'm suspecting mid to early 70's now.. I'm trying to find a catalogue so I can see color schemes.. since it sounds like serial dating is sketchy at best this far back. Well off to find a groupset date if I can, still would love more answers!

It's got to be a very early year, though I don't know when they started production. Tube angles look a little slacker than mine. If it fits ya, I'd say you have a keeper. Mine has just a fantastic ride, very lively and springy. I can bomb down the potholes and patch-bumps we call 'streets' around here faster, and more comfortably, than any other of my bikes. Very stable, too, it really wants to ride on the front tire's contact patch. Clean it up, put a set of Pasela 27x1-1/8' on it, and rock the living tar out of it!

heh I have found nothing that looks remotely like a manufacturing date on anything.. and unless the serial is extremely small, no apparent stamp on the BB. Would really love to be able to date this sucker.. I'm pretty sure it's my main ride now.

I like it. Definitely cool.

Dug up a small glimmer of info... https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/..._style%29.html
Introduced in 1970 so it'd be safe to say this bike is 70-72 range I hope. Still digging, anyone know how to date a Shimano 50 front derailleur since the ST rear is so old it doesn't have a date stamp?

Looks like they were trying to compete with the Raleigh Grand Prix. I love Centurions from the 1970's!

I've actually been told that this far back they're basically raleigh clones, so I don't find that surprising and the green definitely puts me in the mind of raleigh BRG

The story I've heard is that the earliest ones were actually produced under some sort of contract for Raleigh during the boom, but they soon realized that the better quality coming out of Japan at a lower cost couldn't be sold along side the English built bikes. And that was the birth of Centurion.

It seemed like a reasonable story from a guy who had no reason to lie to me.

thats what wikipedia says as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_%28bicycle%29

i wonder if that is one of the original lot produced for Raleigh and then rebadged as Centurion.. if so... some Centurion nut might want it

That's what I'm trying to find out.. if it's not the original year I won't feel bad at all sanding and redoing it if it is.. even with the bad paint job maybe I should leave it be? Todays done so far list: Shifting dialed in, brakes dialed in, flat bar brake levers added, new tires/tubes put on, front/rear hubs cleaned/repacked. Edited added thought: I'm pretty certain now it's an original... the only thing keeping me from that though is that it doesn't state what model was first year, and mine is a standard le mans

Update, I've been prepping the frame for painting and made a discovery on the seattube that was hidden before, the serial begining with A, which pretty much confirms this is one of the first Centurion bikes... the original Le Mans, so yay I guess?

cool.. too bad the paint is rough though and is going to be replaced

yeah it is, but it's just a temp rattlecan job till I got a couple hundred to make it classic again.