Despite a reputation during the 70s and 80s for budget bikes, the US-based Centurion brand featured a few highlights in their range, including the Centurion Pro Tour which Richard Ballantine listed as one of his ‘Best Bikes’ in his Bicycle Book. Centurion even collaborated on the Super Corsa-esque Equip model with Cinelli but this TT frame was an even rarer bird.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is home to Basement Bicycles, a workshop manned by Travers K Bohenstiel and the enigmatically-named Dumptruck Junior, who rebuilt Centurion’s time trialler with a mix of Shimano 600 and their undervalued Santé components. Centurion’s TT is a bit of a mystery—for any amount of research, this appears to be the only one in existence.
Basement Bicycles acquired the NOS frame on eBay from an Italian seller, which led them to believe the model wasn’t sold in the States. A period correct, perforated white leather Turbo saddle is a perfect complement; collar and cuffs matched by the handlebar tape. The hoops are 700c rear and 650c Mavic Open Pro laced to Santé hubs, with anodized nipples blinging it all together.
Read the full story on Dumptruck Junior’s blog. Special thanks to Jesse Williams for the photos.
