I bought a New in Box 1981 Centurion Elite. It is nice midrange bike and I'm a nice midrange rider. I wasn't going to put my butt on the cheap seat that came with it, so I installed a Brooks B-17. The rear wheel had a bad radial dip. The wheels were built with cheap plated carbon steel spokes, modest quality Sunshine hubs, and were 27", so I had a good justification to put on some new wheels, and why not go with phil hubs? Even though the original hub was spaced 125 mm, there was only a 5 speed freewheel. The bike also has the high normal Suntour front derailleur, so you push the left lever forward to get into the big ring.

No collector value here, but I'm loving the feel of a brand new bike. My favorites are the Cyclone derailleur, the gold freewheel, the chrome fork crown, the chromed toe clips and leather straps, and the nice narrow 40 cm handlebars. I'm tempted to rub off the "Centurion" on the downtube. All the decals are clear coated, but the "Centurion" is jsut airbrushed on, probably so the same frame could be sold under different names. In 1981 I would have rubbed it off in a heartbeat, but I'll think about it for awhile first.

Sweet... I bought my first Centurion yesterday...

Nowhere near as pretty as yours though. :cryin:

Very nice. I hadn't realized just how much the Elites looked like the Semi-Pros. The major difference seems to be the Semi-Pro had chromed lugs on the head tube, and a chromed wrap-over seat stay. So you are pretty sure that the pinstriping is decals not paint? I've never been able to tell.

Here is a Semi-Pro:

That is a great find. Where did you find a NOS Centurion?

Agree-what a great bike and amazing find. Brings back good memories for me.

Small point: brake cable housings in those days were run behind the bar, not in front.

So you are pretty sure that the pinstriping is decals not paint? I've never been able to tell.


A buddy of mine that sells more bikes than I do has had a few and they all look like the pinstriping was hand painted. Mine looks hand painted as well... Actually looks as if the person that did it had had a couple drinks. But it's still cool to think it's paint rather than a decal.

That is a great find. Where did you find a NOS Centurion?

I purchased the bike from Citizen Chain in San Francisco. http://www.citizenchain.com/ They occasionally put NOS bikes up on Ebay and also advertise on the SF Craiglist. He was also selling some NOS Panasonic built Raleighs that we a little nicer, but I like the paint job and the chrome fork crown on the Centurion.

Agree-what a great bike and amazing find. Brings back good memories for me.

Small point: brake cable housings in those days were run behind the bar, not in front.

Thanks. I'll fix it today. I can't believe I did that. I've ridden bikes with non-aero brakes for most of the last 33 years, always with the cables routed behind the bars, and frequently nwith a handlebar bag.

Thanks. I'll fix it today. I can't believe I did that. I've ridden bikes with non-aero brakes for most of the last 33 years, always with the cables routed behind the bars, and frequently nwith a handlebar bag.

Well, it changes from time to time. In the 1950s, many riders ran the cables in front of the bar. Here's a shot of Nello Lauredie, who crashed twice on the cobbles in stage 3 of the 1955 Tour de France, but kept going.

Well, it changes from time to time. In the 1950s, many riders ran the cables in front of the bar. Here's a shot of Nello Lauredie, who crashed twice on the cobbles in stage 3 of the 1955 Tour de France, but kept going.

Sure, but maybe that is why he crashed :)

Sure, but maybe that is why he crashed :)

Ha! beat me to it..

So does this have Tenax tubing? I took some closer pics of mine and though mine is a LeMans, it looks really similar to yours... Might be the same color, same BB lugs and even the striping looks similar. Mine has the dreaded stem shifters which I need to change. ANYTHING but stem shifters!

Mine has a bit of rust around the fork crown and the lower head tube, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I put on a lighter 700c wheelset with a six speed hub and was surprised to find it slipped in with ZERO trouble... Just had to drop the brake shoes a little bit. Also replaced the brake levers with some nicer Grand Comp non-aeros. Mine has center pull brakes which I'd like to replace with something a bit less heavy.

Overall, I'm really diggin it. Hope you are loving yours as well!

I have a Super LeMans of that vintage and it also has the same pinstriping pattern. It's fairly obvious from close inspection that the striping and lug detailing is hand-painted. I have seen films of factory workers applying pinstriping (in a motorcycle factory) and it's remarkable how fast they can do the stripes once they are practiced.

Small point: brake cable housings in those days were run behind the bar, not in front.
Well, it changes from time to time. In the 1950s, many riders ran the cables in front of the bar.

:mad2: No. It has nothing whatsoever to do with fashions of the time.Brake cables have always been routed in accordance with having the smoothest possible run with minimal kinking. That could be in front of or behind the bars depending on the stem length, cable fitting locations, preferred housing lengths, brake caliper layout, preferred brake lever location,stem height, etc.

Dumb question: what is that thing attached near the top of the seat tube?

Dumb question: what is that thing attached near the top of the seat tube?

that's a clip for Zefal frame pump. I've had my Zefal HP frame pump for 25 years and it still works great.

I raced a Super Elite back about then. We got along well. Oh, wasn't the tubing Tange, not Tenax?