I purchased this 1985 Centurion "Cinelli" Equipe in 2012 and sold it in 2015.
The bike fit me fine and rode like a dream, but I needed the money for... another bike, so I sold it. The person I sold it to, in turn, sold it to a fellow Classic and Vintage Bicycle Enthusiast who saw the potential in the Cinelli-built frame and decided to take this bike an entirely different direction.
He stripped the frame and took it to Evan at The Bicycle Stand in Long Beach to have their painter respray the frame in a brilliant BMW-Mini Color "Electric Blue Metallic."
I found the Centurion again during a random conversation with the current owner who mentioned he had a rare Centurion Equipe. I said, "Oh, I had one of those, but sold it about a year ago." He sent me a couple of photos and I was able to confirm, from touch-up paint and other small details, that it was, indeed, my old bike!
The owner mentioned his plans to leverage the frame's Cinelli legacy and turn it into a one-of-a-kind Cinelli Equipe frame. He chose the color for the frame after driving by a local BMW dealer and seeing a Mini in the lot. The precise paint details are: BMW-Mini Color "Electric Blue Metallic", Mini code 870. The Cinelli's paint is Matrix Brand, "Performance Basecoat" code MBP-LV-113822.
The owner was willing to sell the bike, so we made a deal and I just picked it up this morning.
I've got the frame hanging for now until I collect all the C-Record-Era parts for it. I have most, but want them to be as minty as possible.
There is one less stock Centurion Equipe in the world. How many are there out there now? Fifty? One hundred? Either way, I feel good about bringing a truly unique bicycle onto the road and having my old friend back home.
