Hollywoodpete

I came into possession of a Dave Scott Ironman Centurion 12 speed with all 105 components including the clipless pedals. The wheels appear stock (Alpine ~something) The color is Pink and Purple. The Tires are dry rotted and appear to be 20. The seat is dry rotted. I'm not sure of the size but would guess ~54. I will post pictures latter but had a few basic questions. There is some rust

1. Would I devalue the bike by converting to modern components?

2. What is the value of this bike in rough condition?

3. Would it be worth while to save the seat if I replace it with a newer one.

4. It obviously needs a new cassette and chain. Where do I find vintage parts?

FullGas

Ironman bikes in this part of the world go for ~$150-300, depending on condition.

needing a saddle, tires, chain, cassette, and having rust issues is going to drag the price down to the lower end of that range.

elboGreaze

1. No, but save the old stuff
2. Need pics, but prob $100-150
3. Not if its dry rotted
4. 6 speed freewheel is prob ok, new chain, Ebay SRAM PC 850 5 6 7 8 Speed Road MTB Bike Chain 114L Fits Campy FSA Shimano | eBay
And , welcome !

DMC707

Thanks for checkin' in Pete !

There's a substantial thread in the Classic bikes section about these bikes -- there is a lot of love for the Ironman out there -- post a pic of your ride in there


https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...aint-jobs.html


Here's one I "modernized" for a friend --- they work amazingly well paired up with a tasteful smattering of modern bits n pieces

plonz 

Sounds a little rough so I'd guess value is <$200 without actually seeing pics.

As far as modern components, I think the Ironman is a perfect candidate for this. They're great frames but also not so scarce that you feel guilty about modifying it.

Given you want to spend money to modernize, I'd try to get the price in the low $100s. You're going to have several hundred in it very fast.

Hollywoodpete

I'm new here so please disregard if the photos don't post

https://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Ho...?sort=3&page=1

Hollywoodpete

The bike is in better shape than I thought. The index shifting works fine and the chain ring is barely worn. Brakes work fine. The rear wheel is warped and probably not able to be tuned. I would love to know the size. Is there a size stamped on the frame somewhere? It is too small for me 6' 4" and probably too big for my wife. 5' 4".

cb400bill

Pic Assist.

cb400bill

cb400bill

oddjob2

You have it right size wise, won't be appropriate for either of you.

Pretty rusty example, both Tt and fork, which would be a deal killer for me. However, FMV oas shown around $100.

T-Mar

It's a 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert in the magenta and yellow livery.The frame sizes were in even 2 cm increments, measured from the centre of the BB shell to the top of the seat tube. It looks like it may be a 58cm but photo angles can deceive. The pedals aren't clipless and the missing toe clips and straps are dedicated to Shimano pedals of the era, which makes them harder to find. You may be better off selling without the pedals. IIRC, these used a freewheel, as opposed to a cassette. That makes replacement easier. Six speed HyperGlide compatible freewheels are inexpensive and will improve the shifting performance. The only drawback is that ratio selection has become very limited and won't match OEM. r unless you go to a more expensive option like IRD or seek out NOS. Replacing the saddle is not a big deal for most buyers, as the saddle is one of the most commonly replacement items.

FullGas

hmmm, looks like it lived outdoors for quite a while.

given that it doesn't fit anyone in your household, wouldn't invest a dime to repair that bike.

put it on CL and see if someone will give you $50-60 for it...

Andy_K 

The answer to this question is different for a bike that you intend to use than for a bike that you intend to sell. Putting modern components on a bike like this doesn't reduce the value but it almost never increases the value enough to cover the cost of the parts.

The rust would be my biggest concern with this bike. It looks like it might not be too bad, just surface rust, but it's in really bad places for minor touch up. For instance, you wouldn't be able to clean it up without damaging the top tube decal. The rust around the headset cups also concerns me. If I were going to be keeping the bike for personal use, I'd probably want to strip it and have it repainted, but that's not a good idea if you plan to sell it.

If I were going to sell the bike, I'd maybe see if I could clean up the rust with some naval jelly and a wire brush, accepting that the decals are going to be damaged, and apply some touch-up paint. If that came out well, I'd replace the chain, cables and handlebar tape and see if I could do anything about the brake hoods. Those minor repairs would significantly increase the value of the bike.

If you don't want to take on the rust, I would just sell it as is and leave it as a project for the buyer because no matter what else you do that rust is going to anchor the bike's perceived condition.

D1andonlyDman

I'd guess it's a 56cm, but it could be 58cm. That would be measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the top tube at the seat tube. I agree that since it won't fit you or your S.O., and it's rusty, you should try to sell it as is. The good parts and frame make it worth maybe $100 or so. Making it a rider would cost at least another $150 or so without dealing with the frame rust, noticeably more if one really went at the rust.

Hollywoodpete

You guys have been great. I actually have a basement full of bike parts including a Vision Aerobar 10 speed Duraace and rear derailer. I also have a neice who is interested in triathlons. I was inspired by a couple of photos in the Ironman Centurian thread. It looks like it is a 58cm frame. Much larger than I expected but the seat post is almost down to the frame. I was wondering about the pedals. I have never seen clipless that looked like that but I was using SPDs and knew Shimano had something different. These pedals were completely different from anything I have seen before except maybe cages which I never looked at closely (although I did own some a long time ago).