no67el

Hi folks,

1989 Centurion Prestige 56 cm. Blue smoke fade/swirl what have you. Tange Prestige tubing, frame and fork.

Shimano 600 tricolor derailleurs, brakes, levers, crank. Araya CTL-370 rims.

A lovely ride, but it's simply too small for me. (Witness the extension of seatpost and stem height in the pics. Upward-angled stems or giant Technomic stems bug me aesthetically.... plus I'm trying to keep my N+1 number down, resolving to keep only bikes in my size. We'll see how that goes. ;-)

Paint is good--- a few marks and chips, some white touch-ups from the previous owner, but no dings or rust issues, and the bike looks darn nice even up close. I rode the bike probably 6-8 times this fall, and did not wash it for these pictures, so excuse the road dust on the rims, etc. Headset, hubs, bb all spin smoothly, though I have not repacked them.

Purchased from the original owner who said she used it for some triathlons in the late 80's/early 90's and then rode occasionally. . Largely original except for generic black Cannondale branded seat post, Prologo saddle, and stem. I changed the heavy/worn specialized tires for some 23c vittoria rubino pros, and put on new white cork tape, now of course a bit dirty. I also replaced a short no-name black stem with an 11cm(ish) Nitto to try to stretch out the fit a bit. The bike came to me without pedals--no pedals are included now.

$350 plus actual shipping via BikeFlights. I will pack it , or if you prefer professionals, bring it to a shop for them to pack and ship at your direction. Bike is in Boston right now, but I am back and forth between Boston and Vermont weekly, so I'm willing to meet you partway in northern New England. I'm posting it here first as I'd rather see it go to someone who really digs these bikes-- no craigslist or big auction site yet....

I'd consider trades for something interesting in my size. A 58 cm "miami vice" ironman? A Gazelle Champion Mondial in 58 or 60 cm? Whatcha got?

More pictures here.

(And yes, the chain is too long-- sorry, it came to me that way, and was on my list to fix, but I never got to it. Other bikes got in the way.)

crank_addict

Sizzling! Tange Prestige, very nice package. Paint is timeless sporty.

rccardr 

That's a 56cm deal, right there.

bikemig 

Yep, I like prestige tubing. This is a heck of a nice bike.

T-Mar

This is my grail Centurion and it's my size. A couple of forum members have been promising me one of these for years. I wonder if it will mysteriously turn up on my doorstep?

tiredhands 

Wow that's some nice stuff. I had one of these briefly a few years ago, it was one size too small so I sold it. I've been kicking myself ever since that I didn't try to make it work. GLWS!

no67el

Hey folks,

Thanks for the comments--- it is indeed a really nice ride, and I love the looks-- such 80's goodness. Believe me, I have tried to make this frame work---- but I'm 5'11" with REALLY long legs (35" inseam) and a short torso and long arms". With even slightly small frames I end up with super-long seatposts and bars that are way below the saddle. I have found I'm happiest on some non-square "old-school" geometry bikes with long seat tubes and shorter top tubes.... I have a custom-made IF road bike which has a 61 cm seat tube and a 55 cm top tube, and that feels great, with a regular 12cm stem....

Hopefully someone will be able to enjoy a perfect fit on this bike--- it deserves to be ridden fast and far.

--N

2wheeljonz 

no67el

Hey Mel,

Send me some pics if you want.... can't hurt, right? I'd rather sell the bike outright, as I keep telling myself that I need to reduce the number of bikes in my basement. But if the bike is right, I could be tempted.....

Thanks,

Noel

texaspandj

That 56cm prestige also came in an aqua blue but that cobalt blue is way more uhmm Killer.
​​​​​​​GLWS

RobbieTunes

PM sent.

no67el

OK Robbie you are the first to lay claim! Trade have been proposed by others but I'm really looking to reduce the pile of bikes a bit.

N

bikemig 

You can never have too many Centurions, right? That is a very pretty bike. I'm looking forward to seeing it on the road.

RobbieTunes

Right, and me, too!

avhed

Does this have a 55.5 top tube?

canklecat

Not sure if the OP sold this bike already or found a suitable frame size. A couple of suggestions...

I'm also 5'11", 33" inseam, average torso/arm length, so not quite the same bike fit challenge as the OP. But age and neck/back/shoulder injuries have made bike fit a challenge.

I do have the next size up in the Ironman (58cm? 57cm?) and it fits me well. Back in late 2017 or early 2018 I switched from the original 120 or longer stem to a 90mm stem, which relieved some discomfort while I gradually improved my conditioning. A year or so ago I switched to a 110mm stem which now suits me better. Comfortable reach, better handling. The short stem was a bit twitchy on fast curves on rippled pavement. These are traditional road stems, parallel with the ground/top tube, not upward angled stems.

One thing that can really improve bike fit with a frame that's technically "too long" is compact drop bars like the very good and affordable Soma Highway One and very similar FSA Omega compact drops. Both have nearly identical proportions. I got the FSA Omega for my newer carbon fiber bike with threadless stem, and the Soma for the older bike with quill stem. Same feel on both bikes. And the bars don't look out of place on classic diamond frames. I still have the original WinPista drops on my Ironman, but I'm considering switching it to the Soma Highway One as well.

no67el

Hey thanks for the ideas folks! The handlebar reach was OK with a long stem, but the relatively short head tube on the 56 cm frame made it hard to get the bars high enough without resorting to things I dislike from an aesthetic point of view--- hi-rise technomic stems, weird upward angled stems, etc. I know many folks make their bikes work this way, but for me I'd rather just find a frame closer to the right size.

I enjoyed this bike while I owned it, and if I ever found a 58 I'd be pleased--- it's certainly a beautiful machine. But back in the summer I found a happy buyer for this bike-- he was 5'9" and the frame fit him perfectly. I still have a 1987 Miami Vice and a 1978 Semi Pro, both 58's, and both keepers...



One of my favorite bikes to actually ride fast...

Set up as a single speed while I find the correct black Suntour Cyclone stuff to complete it...

DMC707

beautiful finish on the Soma Highway Ones combined with a new production Nitto stem on my Colnago - love it

avhed

What is the frame weight?

cb400bill

He sold it in 2020.