Rollnsteve

Hi everybody,

I picked up this frame in a garage sale this past weekend and I am having trouble identifying the manufacture.
,
About the Bike:
The frame is steel,
The frame may have been repainted with a vintage Bianchi look. But, it was a very thorough paint job not done with aerosol spray cans.
Crank is Silstar
Chain rings are Sakae
Front Brake is Dia-Compe.
The head tube has two holes in it where the manufactures plate was removed.
I have looked carefully and this frame doesn’t seem to have any serial number stamped into the frame.
That is all I know about the bike.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

TimmyT 

It looks like a low-en late 70s Japanese bike ... Is there a stamped serial number on either the dropouts or bottom bracket?
If so, maybe @T-Mar can help.

rhm

I don't know what it is, but you should know that it's pretty badly bent. I would not spend much time on that frame. You may be able to sell the fork, if that isn't bent.

juvela

Camera angle.

Interesting, the lug manufacturer chose to replicate the Prugnat 62/D.

Thinking 1974.

rhm

Ripple.

juvela

Thank you.

My error. Thought you were looking at rear triangle.

Rollnsteve

You seem to have a good eye..... The top tube seems to be straight, but the down tube seems to be about 3/32 off ..... That's about 2mm. How did you see that?

I am still trying to identify that flat triangle in the rear dropout.....

Rollnsteve

I am beginning to believe this frame is a Centurion Bicycle Works Lemans frame from the mid to late 1970's. Although the fork and crank might may be from the 1980's.

This bike looks a lot like my frame and forks........
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ans-1970s.html





The frame loo

juvela

This new comparison cycle is constructed with different lugs and seat stay caps. Poster's photos are poor ones for comparing however. From what can be seen it is more different than the same.

TimmyT 

I was thinking Nishiki, but it really could be anything. With a bend on a lower tier frame, it's not worth the time and effort.

francophile 

Came here to say this. Happy to see you caught it also. Good eye, Rudi!

MauriceMoss

While I agree with @juvela that the bike you linked to is more different than similar to yours, I think you are on the right track (maybe off by a year or two).


I think your bike is most likely a 1979-ish Centurion Le Mans.


You can check out page 7 of the 1979 catalog here.


Also, here are some pics from an expired listing (that one has a Silstar crank as well):







A damaged and repainted lower end Centurion is probably not a good place to invest any money or energy.

Rollnsteve

Maurice, thanks for the post. I think you nailed it!!!

There is whiteish looking paint under the blue that was either a primer before the repaint job or the original paint. Just for kicks I might spend a few minutes looking to see if it is actually silver like the example you posted.

As for the cost of resurrecting this bike, it depends on the cost of parts from my local bike-coop. The Bikerowave has reasonable prices and a Centurion Le Mans in ok to good condition around here costs $200 to $300 USA dollars. So if I can get her up and running for under $65.00 is it still not worth it?

rhm

In my opinion, no. The condition of the frame does not warrant it.

TimmyT 

+1
I agree with rhm. It is now recyclable. If the fork is not bent, save that.