# 86 & 87 Centurion catalogs?



## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

Anyone have catalog shots of these? Or know what the 87 Ironman expert has, as far as tubing and components?
EDIT: 1988 I think... found an ironman expert that seems pretty good - 600 components, pink & yellow frame. Think it's Tange 1, which would be a small upgrade from my Tange 2.


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## centurionomega (Jan 12, 2005)

No catalogs but much respect to Centurion. My first 10-speed was a Centurion Sport DLX. It was stolen outside the arcade in 1983. The candy-apple red paint job still brings back great memories.


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## 10sballs (Jun 11, 2009)

Also a Centurion fan. I have a 1984 Comp T/A that I'll be upgrading soon. New wheelset, 9 speed, probably will convert to a hybrid style bike (straight bar, MTB shifters/brake), etc. Been riding MTBs for a while and its to tough to go back to the drop bars.


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## LokiWright (Jul 4, 2009)

Hi,
.
The '87 Centurion "Expert" had the same frame as
the '87 Centurion "Master" but Shimano 105 components
instead of the Master's Shimano 600EX groupset. The
Expert was introduced in '87 at a slightly lower
price to broaden the market of the very successful
more upscale version.
.
More on Centurions: www.sheldonbrown.com/centurion
.
If you go to www.bikeforums.net 's Classic & Vintage
forum and run an internal search for "Centurion
Serial Number Database" there, you will find a
massive thread with pics and specs of zillions of
Centurion models of the '70s and '80s.
.
While the Expert and Master models boast a Tange #1
sticker on the seat tube, both tubesets were really
a mix of Tange #1 and #2, with the downtube and
chain stays of the very slightly heavier #2. For
frames of 60mm c-c and over, the seat tube was
also #2, so for tall guys like me (6'4") weight
differences didn't matter much. There was only a
2.6oz difference in weight between a #1 and #2
Tange tubeset for a 52cm frame.
.
Nice bikes, the Comp TA and its Ironman descendents.
They even have wrap-around seat stay caps through
1987 on those equipped with 600EX. You pay extra
for that on a custom built CrMo frame today.
.
Am I a Centurion fan? Yup! I've bought seven over the past
six years, including the Cinelli Equipe Centurion, the only
all-Italian Centurion ever made. Columbus CrMo SL tubing
and a mix of Campy and Ofmega Mistral components. Full set
of Cinelli investment cast lugs, Cinelli bars\stem, Cinelli
"Volare" suede saddle and, best of all, it was designed by
Cino Cinelli himself, according to a double-page spread ad
in the December 1984 issue of Bicycling Magazine, introducing
the Equipe for the 1985 year. Cino had been retired five
years by then, having sold his Cinelli bicycle works to the
Columbo family in 1979. Perhaps Western States Import,
Centurion's parent company, contracted him to design and
spec this one-year-only "project bike." Still lots of unknowns
about it. Brakeset was Universal AER, seatpost Gipiemme,
rims are Fiamme "Hard Silver" tubulars, hubs Miche "Competition".
Dropouts and fork tips are Campy. Pedals are Ofmega "Sintesi"
platforms with clips and Binda straps. Ofmega's top of the
line "Mistral" parts were headset, bottom bracket and
crankset. Main Campy components were NR front and rear
derailleurs and shifters (Pat. '84).
.
Am I rambling on? Sorry.
.


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## 10sballs (Jun 11, 2009)

I have a 1984 Comp T/A and was wondering what the wrap-around seat stay caps are? I did notice that where the seat stays are are slightly curved where they are brazed to the seat tube. Is this what is meant by wrap-around seat stay caps. These are details I never appreciated when I purchased the bike back in 1984. I glad I never sold it; its been kept garaged all these years so its still in excellent shape.


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## LokiWright (Jul 4, 2009)

10sballs said:


> I have a 1984 Comp T/A and was wondering what the wrap-around seat stay caps are? I did notice that where the seat stays are are slightly curved where they are brazed to the seat tube. Is this what is meant by wrap-around seat stay caps. These are details I never appreciated when I purchased the bike back in 1984. I glad I never sold it; its been kept garaged all these years so its still in excellent shape.


.
I think technically wrap around seat stay caps wrap ALL the
way over the top of the lug and connect, not sure. The
Comp TA's caps don't touch across the top of the lug but
they are nicely filed to meld into the lug.
.
I've got two hand built French touring bikes from the early
'70s with full wrap-around seat stay caps. Their points
appear to join or be one continuous piece, not sure which.
Filing and paint make it difficult to see a joint if there
is one.
.
The late Sheldon Brown singled the Comp TA out as a
particularly nice example and so I bought one in my size
when one appeared on eBay. As usual, his recommendation was
right on the mark and when another in my size came up a year
later I bought it too.
.
There's a guy named Tim Cupery, a grad student in NC, who has
restored and modernized a Comp TA and written about it on
www.bikeforums.net. His now ancient post can be ferreted
out with a search of the Classic & Vintage Forum there. Lots
of pics too, as I recall. He modified his DT bosses to accept
Campy standard shifters or maybe cable stops for bar end
shifters... can't remember now. In any case, he did a nice
job and how he did it and what parts he used are all laid
out well in his piece on the subject.
.
My skill level is not up to Tim's so I stick pretty much
to original where I can and keep to basic maintenance and
bearings overhaul and the like. Tim has gone way beyond that
and done some creative things with vintage frames. It might
be worth a read.
.


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