Another Find
Every old bicycle has a personality.
A few weeks ago, I sold my Fuji League. Even though I was sad to see it go, I couldn't explain exactly what it was about it I disliked. It was unbelievably light and zippy for vintage steel. And the fit was a perfect 54cm ctc. What bothered me about it was something that I figured out just the other day...
... after I picked up a 1984 Centurion Sport DLX for $25. Okay, I really shouldn't have. But it wasn't a ton of money, and it looked so fornlorn, sitting in the thrift store. The paint was in terrific shape--I'm guessing its original owner probably rode it just a few times. There was some dirt and also some pitting in the chromed parts, but otherwise the components looked decent.
When I got it home and did some research online, I discovered, to my dismay, that it was a lower end model: straight gauge cromoly and a whopping 28 lbs stock (didn't feel that heavy in the store!). Oh well, I thought, let me clean it up and at least see how it rides. Surprisingly, it felt pretty good. Then I took an old 700c wheelset I'd rebuilt with new spokes and slapped it on. Hmm, not bad at all. And much lighter.
That's when it hit me: the Fuji was fast, but it felt like the frame was almost TOO light--like it would fly apart! (I'm 150 lbs, not at all heavy.) In contrast, the heavier, lower quality Centurion frame has a sturdy, more balanced feel to it. The geometries are also probably different, I think. The Fuji was a racing bike; the Centurion is a "sport tourer."
So I think I'll keep the Centurion. Many of the components are steel. I think if I poke around at the local shop for some old alloy parts, I could lighten it up a bit, and make it into a really fun, zippy little thing.
A few weeks ago, I sold my Fuji League. Even though I was sad to see it go, I couldn't explain exactly what it was about it I disliked. It was unbelievably light and zippy for vintage steel. And the fit was a perfect 54cm ctc. What bothered me about it was something that I figured out just the other day...
... after I picked up a 1984 Centurion Sport DLX for $25. Okay, I really shouldn't have. But it wasn't a ton of money, and it looked so fornlorn, sitting in the thrift store. The paint was in terrific shape--I'm guessing its original owner probably rode it just a few times. There was some dirt and also some pitting in the chromed parts, but otherwise the components looked decent.
When I got it home and did some research online, I discovered, to my dismay, that it was a lower end model: straight gauge cromoly and a whopping 28 lbs stock (didn't feel that heavy in the store!). Oh well, I thought, let me clean it up and at least see how it rides. Surprisingly, it felt pretty good. Then I took an old 700c wheelset I'd rebuilt with new spokes and slapped it on. Hmm, not bad at all. And much lighter.
That's when it hit me: the Fuji was fast, but it felt like the frame was almost TOO light--like it would fly apart! (I'm 150 lbs, not at all heavy.) In contrast, the heavier, lower quality Centurion frame has a sturdy, more balanced feel to it. The geometries are also probably different, I think. The Fuji was a racing bike; the Centurion is a "sport tourer."
So I think I'll keep the Centurion. Many of the components are steel. I think if I poke around at the local shop for some old alloy parts, I could lighten it up a bit, and make it into a really fun, zippy little thing.
posted by Hacky Biker at 11:12 PM
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