# Centurion Super Le Mans questions



## Larski (Sep 25, 2016)

Someone is selling me a Centurion Super Le Mans, but as the seller has bought the bike second hand, I'm having a hard time gathering facts about the bike. Below is what I know

- Dia Compe brakes 
- Suntour Cyclone derailleurs (date code "CI" = 9/1986)
- 2 x 9 speed

The frame is bright red with "Centurion" with a yellow square printed on the seat tube. The fork is black. I managed to Google only one similar frame (link below) 
-> Super Le Mans

Does anyone have ideas on the year of the bike? The derailleur date would hint at 1986 or 1987. However, Centurion's catalogs don't list Super Le Mans as being manufactured during those years.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

It's obvious that parts have been replaced on this bike. New, it would've had a 2x6 setup. In fact, I wonder if a derailleur from 1986 could actually even shift the width of a 9-speed rear. Have the dropouts been cold-set to 130mm, or did somebody just force the newer rear wheel in? I also assume that this bike does not have index shifting?

If I remember correctly, these bikes were offered in the late 70's, as a low-cost brand sold at bike shops. So you are buying a 40 year old frame, with 30 year old derailleurs, and a 15-20 year old wheelset?


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## jtompilot (Mar 31, 2002)

I bought a Super Le Mans new in 1980. I felt it was a lot of bike for $250. 2x6 drive train, bar end shifters.


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

i've had a couple, but they were '70s bikes -- lower mid level with decent suntour. i thought the styling of the bikes was best bit of these hi-ten frames.



















i sorta liked centurion's upper level bikes as much as fuji.

the name, 'lemans,' seems to have moved up a bit in the lineup by '87, becoming more of an upper mid-level bike.

that prestige model from '86 with dura ace is hot. and the ironman is still a highly coveted road bike and popular choice for resto-mods.


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## Larski (Sep 25, 2016)

No Time Toulouse said:


> Have the dropouts been cold-set to 130mm, or did somebody just force the newer rear wheel in?


To my understanding, the original hub spacing would have been 126 mm or 120 mm. If it was 126, shouldn't the wheel with the 130 mm hub fit in without the need of cold fitting or resorting to violence..? (I've never tried this, but by what I've read I've understood it could be done...)

Does anyone know the spacing of the super le mans?




No Time Toulouse said:


> If I remember correctly, these bikes were offered in the late 70's, as a low-cost brand sold at bike shops. So you are buying a 40 year old frame, with 30 year old derailleurs, and a 15-20 year old wheelset?


You definitely have a special kind of wisdom there, but I've not yet made any decision on buying.

According to Sheldon Brown, the Hi-Ten steel originally used in Super Le Mans frames was replaced with CrMo or Tange in the early 1980s. On this forum I found a mention of a probably similar bike which was imported to Denmark in 1987 according to the serial number. The bike I'm interested in also has a serial number starting with "WAK".
-> Centurion Serial Number Database, post #94


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

you can probably find a centurion serial number database online at the bikeforums.

most bikes originally equipped with 6-speed freewheels had 126mm rear spacing (or thereabouts). can you squeeze 4mm more hub in there without cold setting? usually, yes.


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