Hello,

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a New York Kryptonite U-lock, and am trying to complete the registration form. It wants some bicycle information, Model, size, and Year. I spent some time trying to decipher the serial number #N3H7521. The bicycle mechanic that worked on it checking out the charging system for me and putting some fenders on for me, etc. told me it was a mixte. I knew it was a Centurion from the frame, and he thought it could be from the 70's, but the "3" in the serial number (after reading the info about serial numbers) makes me think it's from 1983, but I would like to make sure if I possibly can...

Last weekend I posted a message in the introduction thread, and a couple of people suggested I post a picture of it in this section, so I just replied to my original thread with the bike in it, and wanted to also post one here too, as suggested. I would appreciate it if someone could help me out. (I think I purchased it in 2007 at a Play It Again Sports in CA.) Thanks!

Linda

so your pic is too small to be useful. does that have disk brakes on it? if so its more likely that its a 93, I dont think disks were available in 83 but ive been wrong before.

Forum member T-Mar has posted a great tool for determining the model year.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=1#post2208689

1980-1990 Japanese models:

Japanese models during this period use a serial number format WXYZZZZ where;

W = a letter, purpose uncertain, but probably indicates manufacturer or Centurion
X = a number, indicating the calendar year of manufacture
Y = a letter, indicating the fortnight of manufacture (A = wk 1 & 2, B = wk 3 & 4, etc)
ZZZZ = four digit number, probably indicating frame number during fortnight

Example: N4E0283 indicates the 283 frame manufactured during the period of weeks 9-10, for the year 1984.

If the picture was bigger (try going to photobucket or something, then copying it in from there)....

It's not a '93, because there was no Centurion then. None came with disc brakes, and I can't tell in the photo if it's a dynamo hub or a drum brake, but neither disc, nor dynamo, nor drum were original. Most of the mixtes were Lemans, and most I've seen were late 70's, early 80's. Given the "3" you mention, I'd probably go with 1983 and call it a day.

Welcome to the old bike forum.

Thanks for your replies, after spending a few minutes on Wiki, I think the bike has rim brakes, not drum or dynamo as mentioned. I know you suggested to call it a day at 1983, but since the place where I purchased the bike thought it was from the 70's, were they wrong or just guessing?

I had never heard of photobucket, so I signed up, and not very fluent with it yet. So, I copied the link to the picture of my bike and also copied it from photobucket not knowing which version would be larger. Or, if you know a way I can make it larger from photobucket?

Thanks for the welcome too...

Linda

https://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/...578/mybike.jpg

I forgot to mention I had looked at T-Mar's tool before posting my question last week, so I understand my bike is the 7521 frame, 15 or 16th week of the year 19(?)3. So, I was just trying to clarify if it was 1973 or 1983 because of what Play It Again told me, and the recent bike mechanic thought it was from the late 1970's which really didn't fit with T-Mar's tool.

And, I clicked on the link for the picture, but it looks even smaller to me. That's great... Any ideas or suggestions? Not only for this purpose but for future reference...


Thanks,
Linda

They were wrong, and most likely they were guessing. Ask them how they came up with the age estimate, that would be most interesting.

Many/most bike shops I have ever been to could not date a single vintage bike I own. Its just not their expertise. Go to Best Buys with a vintage TV, they probably won't be able to date it either. Join a vintage TV forum, and I bet someone could date the TV for you.

Many on this list have either owned or currently own vintage Centurions from that era. I have a 1983 Centurion Lemans mixte myself, along with a 1977 Centurion Super Elite.

How to post pictures?

Google: posting pictures site.www.bikeforums.net

The headbadge on 1970s Centurions was quite distinctive. Better, full sized pics are a must.

I just looked at the headbadge, it's the words Centurion Bicycle Works with a big C in the middle.

I get that a full sized picture would really help, so I'm trying to figure out exactly how to do that.. Any previous time I've posted or uploaded a picture, I've never had to worry about it being full-sized, so I'm having to learn how to do it, which is a bit frustrating since I'm a newbie to it basically. Sorry....

Linda

Big C = 1980s headbadge. 1970s headbadge was a narrow vertical badge, with the word "Centurion" spelled out. A pretty cool badge IMHO.

Thanks! In between the C headbadge and the "3" in the serial number, I feel good about saying it's a 1983. I do like the C, but the 1970's one sounds cool too. I had never even noticed the headbadge until you mentioned it and I just googled Centurion headbadges, wow....

Just curious what do you think it's worth, without the attachments and the electric conversion kit? Not much probably...

Linda

Without better pics, hard to tell. Around here, a ready to ride mixte will bring $200. Portland is a red hot market, enjoys quite a premium. I would not be surprised if a ready to ride mixte might go for $300, maybe even more. Its all about condition: in particular paint. Rust is a value killer.

It will depend on the components. We can't appreciate them in the pic. Most Japanese mixtes were on the low end. Value is very much geographically driven. Luckily for you, you are in one of the priciest markets for bikes. Mixtes are still very popular. I'm thinking possibly $250 for a complete mixte like this one in Portland. Many buyers may have more of an interest in a Japanese mixte for restoring or spiffing up because parts are easier to find (standard) compared to French mixtes.

Wow... I had discovered used bikes here are on the pricey side, but didn't think my bike could be worth that much here. Almost two months ago when I wanted to start biking again, I had thought about getting a second used bike, since my bike was in my storage unit and wanted to have fenders added as well as having the tires and charging system checked. Ha! When I started calling around and looking on various websites I was floored by the prices. I can't find the receipt, but I vaguely remember paying around $40.00 for my bike. Compared to the prices here, that was a steal of a deal. Whole different town, different city and somewhat different mentality, and several years ago!!


I think I'll take several more pictures of my bike closer up, to help identify it even more for identification purposes, just in case. Any particular parts of the bike/which components in particular should I take pictures of to post here?? The frame, brakes and chain??

Thanks again.

Linda

Pictures, to give a good evaluation:
Drive side complete
Left side complete
Front wheel, R side
Rear wheel, R side
Crankset/Front derailleur, R side
Head-on shot of headbadge/bars
R side shot of seapost and saddle
Head-on shot of the front brake

For mixtes:
A good shot of the rear brake, from the rear, showing the routing system
(some are bottom-pull from below, some are centerpull from around the seat tube)

for pix:

save the photos to your pc in a separate folder.
go to photobucket, since you're a member
upload the photos using the basic uploader
view the album
open Bike Forums in another tab
go to this thread, to quick reply at the bottom, click on the "Insert Image" icon
select "from URL"
go back to the photobucket page, to the links below each photo
highlight the photo link, R click and select copy
go back to your Bike Forums to the reply window, paste in the link in the URL box, close it.
You should get image bracketing ( ...[/image]xxxxxxxxx[image] showing, with the photo inside it.

The reason your photo came out so small is because you're probably trying to upload some kind of thumbnail image.

I'm not certain there was ever a Centurion mixte in 1972, and I'm quite sure there was no Centurion mixte in 1993, so '83 it has to be.
Like Chris Pringle said above, the big draw for those mixtes is the nearly complete upgradeability because of standard sizing and parts.
By contrast, my French mixte, a Peugueot, is a complete *&*(^&*%^&$&(*.

The only issue you may have is a rear brake issue when trying to swap out to 700c wheels from the present 27" wheels, or even to 650B wheels from the present 27" wheels. In many cases, the rear brake on a mixte pulls from the bottom, and I'm not sure a standard longer reach caliper can be modified to bottom pull. However, often on mixtes, there way to either route the cable differently or mount the rear caliper somewhere else.

Wow, thanks for letting me know what pictures to take, and the great directions for posting pictures when I get them done, developed, and scanned. I'll try to repost the picture using your instructions to see if the image will be larger, or not. Maybe I'll try to find someone with a digital camera...

The bike picture I started with was a 4X6 and went to the library, the employee scanned it, and sent it to the computer I was using, so I could then email it to myself as an attachment.

After I was done chuckling from reading your "*&*(^&*%^&$&(*", I got curious and wondered what makes it "*&*(^&*%^&$&(*", cause of the parts used, or something else?? I apologize for not knowing, but until 2 weeks ago, I didn't even know my bike was a "mixte", it was only until I needed to know the model and year in order to register the bike/lock with Kryptonite, so I searching and started asking questions.

Linda

French bikes of a certain era don't seem to want to fit anything. The stems have a different diameter; the bars often have a different diameter; the seat posts, pedal threads; and probably bottom bracket threading all seem to be contrary to what the rest of the world was using at the time.

For example, I am a Centurion fan. Centurion never made a single bike, but had others do so to their specs. Things fit. They are pretty much standard sizes. I can buy old ones and put new components on them. There are enough things to make you mad when repairing and upfitting bikes; besides the French problem. Like an idiot, I bought a Peugeot mixte. A French bike. Therein lies my the seeds of my downfall as a human bean, a $40 push to a slide towards utter rage.

The handlebars were very cool, with engravings of a lion. So cool, but so steel, and so heavy; I sold them. I didn't check to see why so many people wanted to buy them. Well, because nothing else fits the stem clamp, that's why.

Since none of my light, aluminum handlebars fit my Peugeot stem, I sold the stem, figuring I'd just use one of the plentiful, sensible stem/bar combinations I already had. Well, nothing else fits the steerer tube, where the stem goes....

It got worse from there, and let's just say it's an idle project. Stick with your Centurion. Heck, sell it and buy a new mixte for $400. Either way, you're better off than if you started with a Peugeot, and were, like myself, too dumb to leave well enough alone.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are Franco-bike Fans Flying Far and Fast on their steel prizes. Few bikes were as cheap, plentiful, and as good a buy for the buck as the Peugeot UO-8 in it's many incarnations. The frames are well-made, well-balanced, and seem to ride just great. I rebuilt a Peugeot Triathlon model for a cutie here, and I get first dibs if she ever sells. From what I can tell, it is of an age when everything fits, and I'd love un-mix it's Campy/Shimano setup and make an honest bike of it....

It must be me, because when I go on large charity rides, there are always as many Peugeots as Centurions. That does kind of bother me.

Ah.... wow, sounds like it's been very frustrating, no wonder you typed "*&*(^&*%^&$&(*". Are the other Peugeots you see mixtes?

So, I've been trying to repost the picture I already have from photobucket, and am very perplexed and frustrated. I have tried to highlight, R click, and copy umpteen zillion times, and for some reason when I try to do so on the direct link, I don't get the usual options show up, like copy, so I'm feeling "*&*(^&*%^&$&(*" myself. Aaarrgghhh. When I R click, instead of copy, etc... I get "settings (which is grayed out), Global Settings, and About Adobe Flash...". There are four possible choices for links, either email and IM, direct link, HTML code, and IMG code. I have found I can resize it, but very quickly it gets blurry so I quit trying to copy and paste a larger version that way. Sigh...

Actually, I do like my bike, and since I've already had an e-bike conversion kit installed, and the hitch for my Burley bicycle trailer, I'm happy and do want to keep it. Someday I might buy a second bike, or one of my many projects that are on the back burner right now, is to build a bike.