1980 - OEM badged copy of a famous star - the Centurion Professional

The story originally begins in 1969/70 when Western States Import Co. (WSI) in Canoga Park, California was formed by Mitchel Weiner and the first Centurion road bikes were introduced into the US market. While Weiner focused on running the business and on marketing, "Cozy" Yamakoshi served as WSI's product development manager, doing most of the frame design work and coordinating and supervising the manufacture of his creations in Mexico and later on in Japan and exporting them to the US.

The bikes themselves were manufactured initially in Mexico at Windsor/ Acer-Mex, followed by Japan with H. Tano Company of Kobe and later on in Taiwan with Merida. The Centurion brand in the US was consolidated with WSI's mountain bike brand Diamond Back in 1990. WSI ceased operations in 2000. 

The best models had a frame made of Tange Champion No.1 and No.2 tubing, that was easily as good, stiff and light as Reynolds 531 or Columbus SL. Furthermore quality was valued that high that all frames were offered with a life time guarantee.

Miki appears to have manufactured the upper end Centurion models for Western States Import. Tose models us a Serial number format Myfxxxxx, where,

M = Miki
y = number indicating year of manufacture
f = letter indicating fortnight of manufacture (i.e A = weel 1-2, B = weeks 3-4,,,,Z = weeks 51-52)
xxxxx = sequential frame number within the fortnight

M0L7497 as an example, would indicate the Professional to be 7497th frame made during 23 and 24th week in 1980.

Secondly and in Gemany Wolgang Renner, a former german cyclo cross champion, went into bike business at the middle of the seventies. First he startet importing Suntour, Sakae and Sugino. Since Mr. Renner stated in an interview with Bergstolz in 2016 that the japanese would have had the internationally and easy to spell brand name he was searching for already, he must have come in touch with either WSI or the japanese manufacturer of WSI, when he was searching for first the brand name of his company and second for the frames he needed in order to move on from beeing solely an importer for parts to an full range supplier. 

Consequently he named his business Centurion and started to import those japanese made Tange Champion tubed Centurion frames. Lateron he was the first, who imported Mountain Bike Frames to Germany and who created the brand names No Pogo and Citec in the 90th. 

Third and finally there´s much discussion ongoing about the top modells Professional and their Cinelli S.C style seat stay lug with that very special saddle clamping. Some argue about a cooperation between Cinelli and WSI and at least the japanese manufacturer.

This puzzle is all the more exciting, as it has been known for a long time that the Super Corsa and Modell B frames were not produced by Cinelli itself but at the outside of Milan at Chirico. Chirico is often referred to as Cino Cinelli's famous frame builder, although Chirico was actually an independent frame builder making those famous Super Corsa and Model B frames OEM badged products as well.

Actually I´m building the frame up. Thus you´ll find an update on this soon.

Bottom Braket: Sakae Ringyo (SR) Royal
Headset:
Crankset: Sakae Ringyo (SR) Royal RY-5SL
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace EX 7200
Brake Lever: Shimano Dura Ace EX 7200
Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace EX 7200
Wheelset: Shimano Dura Ace EX 7200
Chain: Sedis Color
Saddle:
Seatpost: Sakae Ringyo (SR) Royal
Stem: Sakae Ringyo (SR) Royal
Handlebar: Sakae Ringyo (SR) Royal

Frame tubing: Tange Champion No.1
Fork tubing: Tange Champion No.1

Stay tuned.

1980 - German Champion Replica Hercules Ajaccio - part one

I´m not quite sure what kind of material Friedrich von Loeffelholz was using when pedaling to amateur championship in 1978.

I´m sorry, but unfortunately I didn´t manage to find more hints and facts on that. Thus leads to the situation that I will point out only the facts I´ve came along without an collaborating time line or really structured and approved history.

Friedrich von Loeffelholz, born in 1955, was a co-founder of the RSG Nuremberg (Rennsportgemeinschaft Nürnberg e.V.) in 1972. The RSG Nuremberg was a co-working project of the RC 1950 Erlangen and the Verein Sportplatz Nürnberg 1903.

The RSG was renamed several times:  RSG Paintco Franken (1973), RSG Franken Katzwang (1975) and RSG Hercules Nürnberg (1980), RSG Nürmberg (1990). 

Starting at 1996 they became a individual professional team founding the RSG Nürnberg Profiradteam GmbH until 2002. The RSG was closed in 2010 finally.

At the end of the Seventies or start of the Eighties Hercules seems to have supported german (amateur) team with frames and material.  May be the missing link is Freidrich von Loeffelholz, who started to work at Hercules or who joined forces with them after his won championship in 1978. Obviously he earned a living at Hercules in 1982 as shown in the following catalog scan.

 

Nevertheless Hercules produced their Ajaccio called Champion Replicas between round about 1979 and 1987. First the frame was made out of "noname" high mangan 0.9/0.6 tubes, starting in 1980 with Reynolds 531 double butted tubes and finally in 1986 Hercules switched to Columbus SL tubes.

These lightweights (9,2 kg) were equipped with Campagnolo Super Records components for Brakes, Levers, Shifters, Bottom Bracket, Crankset and Headset. Gearing was achieved with Huret Jubilee derailleurs; Campagnolo Super Records Derailleurs were optional for a long time.

What you see in the follwing is a 1980 frame waiting for its reassembling to its original standard:

Stay tuned for next steps with more information about RSG and hercules history as well as pictures of the upcoming Ajaccio build.