I put the finishing touches on the Centurion Monday morning. I am very pleased with the finished product. Originally I was going to get rid of the white handlebar tape and matching hoods. My plan was to go with natural cork tape, gum hoods and a Brooks Leather Saddle. Or a leather like knock-off anyway. For some reason I decided to see how the white hoods would clean up. When I saw how nice they were coming out using just Armor All Cleaning Wipes my plan totally changed. .
I started to warm up to the idea of not only staying with the white handlebar tape but also going with the white saddle. Looking at the beautiful original red and white paint job, I thought "this is gonna look awesome" I did not go with the classic gum-wall tires. This bike needed some racy looking black tires with good graphics. The CST Compressor fit the bill perfectly.
The only thing I have considered changing is the pedals. But these (Dimension I think)pedals are very close to the originals. And their racy look and black color compliments the tires nicely. I do have a set of the Shimano 105 Pedals "knock-offs" but I think I am going to use them on the Fuji S10S.
Below: Here are a few more pics of the Centurion RS
All the things I decided not to do on the Centurion I am going to do on the Fuji. Except maybe the tires. I have rebuilt the threaded headset and 2 speed crankset. And have started working on the front wheel.
I just found out the spoon saddle for the Fuji will not be shipped till June 20th. That really sucks I wish they would have showed it "out of stock when" I first ordered it. I did not find out till I checked the shipping status. I was gonna give them a call and say some things I would have regretted latter. But after a good nights sleep I decided to just wait for the saddle. This was my first order with this company. Next time I will check the shipping status right away. Then I can just cancel if the wait is too long.
Before I sign-off. My Uncle Tim called the other day from a garage sale. He found a classic 10 Speed road bike He thought I might be interested in. I was very interested so he purchased it for me. And He even negotiated a great price for the bike! The bike will be a first for me a RAMPAR "RAPEDE". I think RAMPAR might be connected to Raleigh, but not sure about the details yet. My uncle will be in this part of the state July 2nd. And I can`t wait to see this thing and start making plans for it.
I will be updating the Fuji S10S project real soon. Till next time RIDE SAFE and as always please remember to RESCUE, RESTORE&RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh
Gorgeous bike, Hugh. I'm glad to see that someone in the area knows how to wrap bars without electrical tape! What kind of seat post is that? My frame is coming back from the powder coater this week and I need to order one.
ReplyDeleteHey Everett,
ReplyDeleteI hear you, when I saw how they are wrapping bars these days I was kind of amused. That would have never flew in the old days.. About the post it is stock. It did have a symbol. An arrow-point triangle, inside a circle. I cant remember who that represents though. If you need the size let me know. I`m sure that is engraved on it. I`ll have to pull it to check. no big deal. I filed that address, Thanks
The arrow inside the circle is the symbol for "Delta" bicycle components. They make mostly racks today but I have a few nice seatposts that they made on older bikes. You can find some NOS ones on ebay, but any SR/Sakae seatpost will be about the same in quality.
ReplyDeleteI really like the site you have here Hugh. I do the exact same thing you do in Winston-Salem, NC. I think it has recently gone from hobby to obsession!
Hey Greg,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info about "Delta" I remember the company name, but just did not make the connection. I`m glad you like the site. For what seemed like a long time, I wasn`t sure if anyone was reading it.
I understand what you are saying about the "obsession" I started by picking up one old bike to fix-up. Work was slow and I needed something to do. Somehow it all just kind of grew from there. My only regret now is that I didn`t do this years ago (:
Hello Hugh,
ReplyDeleteNice blog! Nice job on the Centurion!
I have a Centurion Accordo I bought back in 1986. I want to replace the seat post, but don't know the diameter. Using plastic calipers, it seems it's probably 26.2, 26.6 or 26.8mm. I looked for something stamped on it, but no luck. So if you do know the size, I'd be grateful to know. Thanks!
-Brad
Hey Brad,
ReplyDeleteMine has the max height mark. Also the Delta logo
(circled triangle). And the number 27 with no decimal point. So it`s gotta be a 27.0 It is in nice condition so I`m sure nothing got wore off or erased. Did you ever wonder why there has to be so many different sizes? lol
Ah, thanks very much Hugh! Yes, the range of small size variations is very bizarre. What were they thinking?
ReplyDelete-Brad
Hey Brad, No problem. I have started saving all the old posts to help me determine size. Just what I need more scrap parts laying around (:
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the brake hoods from? I need to replace mine on my Accordo and can't seem to find them anywhere. Great looking bike by the way!
ReplyDeleteHey Nick,
ReplyDeleteFirst Thank You. The brake-lever hoods are original. I think I used Pine-Sol to clean-up the hoods. Pine-Sol works great on dirty Vinyl too!
I may be wrong, but I think the hoods on the Centurion were manufactured into the lever. (I sold the bike a while back, so I can`t double check that)If this is true with yours you might have to replace the whole thing. If they are not to beat-up, try the pine-sol. The stuff really does work great. Good Luck, Hugh
Thanks Hugh! I'll give Pine-sol a try and hopefully that'll work until I replace the whole lever (the boot is starting to tear).
ReplyDeleteMr. Hugh
ReplyDeleteI just purchased a 1985 accordo from a local shop. It's my first road bike and i still cant believe how fast it is. i still need to make a few adjustments, but im already in love..I spent most my life BMX then got a 1980 yamaha maxim 650 when i was 17..the motorcycle was years older than me but the feeling i got riding that and this centurion for the first time was one in the same..im still curious as to know if 175 was a good price for it... how quick it gets me back and forth 5 miles to work im sure i can make it worth iteither way..love ur blogs BTW...
Hey Shelby,
ReplyDeleteMy second motorcycle was a 1969 Yamaha RD 250 I wish I could say it was older than me. lol One of the last bikes I rode was a vintage 1985 Outlaw V-Max. The 85 V-Max was actually outlawed in the USA until they tuned it down a little. In the thirty + years I rode I owned 14 motorcycles. Not all at the same time of course. I had to stop riding due to some physical problems. I do still miss it sometimes.
About your Centurion 175.00 is considerably less than I sold mine for. If yours is in nice condition I would say you made a good deal. If it is in near mint condition then you made a fantastic deal. You will always find someone who
made a better deal. Don`t worry about that, just enjoy your bike.
Glad to hear you like the blog. Stop by anytime. Cheers, Hugh
Is there a place to buy new/replacement frame stickers for my Accordo RS? I used my Centurion in a commercial and they covered my frame stickers with tape (after I asked them to use only paper tape). Of course, removing their tape took off 2/3rds of my original stickers as I warned them it would!
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteTry these three (The links are on the "Bicycle Related Links" list in the right column on my blog. Classic Resources *A Must See*
Cyclomondo decals & Velocal decals. And if you have no luck with these check e bay from time to time. Good Luck
Cheers, Hugh
I have a 1987 Accordo RS that looks the same. I'm breaking alot of spokes and need a new wheel. What kind of wheel can I put on this?
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous,
DeleteI sold that bike shortly after it was finished. I do remember that it had 700`S and that they were narrow. But I do not remember the exact size or manufacturer.
I also remember that I had to use a low profile tire as the clearance was tight at the fork crown. All or at least part of the size info is usually engraved on the rim. Sorry I could not be more help.
Cheers