Strange frame - mix of old and newer fittings

[FiveAlpha]

I just got a frame and fork from the recycling centre ('the tip' in British parlance). The VIN (we have these for bikes here in Denmark, since the 40s) suggests it is a Centurion (the Danish brand, not Japanese one) from 1987.

BUT...it has 120mm rear spacing; fittings for nutted brakes; and no brake cable guides on the top tube. It also has gear cable guides under the down tube, where shifter bosses would normally appear.

These things all seem much more 70s, than late 80s - is anyone aware of 120mm rear hubs being a thing in 1987?

 

[bikeworkshop]

Maybe a Hub gear frame?
Roadster style bikes also stuck with nutted calipers, and frequently had full length brake outer held on with plastic clips, right up to their near- total demise in the late 80s.

 

[Mohawk]

Photos would be good

 

[FiveAlpha]

 

[FiveAlpha]

As you can see, it's not a hub gear frame, and the rear derailleur cable goes under the chainstay, which is more modern, and not what I would expect with a frame with no brake cable guides.

My guess is that it had stem mounted shifters (Suntour?), but the 120mm rear spacing is just weird.

 

[Mohawk]

The frame could have been 'sprung' from 126mm to 120mm to make it suitable for a single speed gear. Not an uncommon thing to do.

 

[FiveAlpha]

The frame could have been 'sprung' from 126mm to 120mm to make it suitable for a single speed gear. Not an uncommon thing to do.

That makes a lot of sense - this was in Nørrebro, hipster central, where it's not uncommon to see crimes such as vintage Colnago's turned into singlespeed basket bikes with 20cm wide handlebars!

 

[bikeworkshop]

The frame could have been 'sprung' from 126mm to 120mm to make it suitable for a single speed gear. Not an uncommon thing to do.

You can often see if a frame has been rejigged by sighting along the seatstay - there's usually a subtle bend at the brake bridge.
Cheap frames stuck with nutted brakes into the 90s.
Once the gears wore out, youths often replaced the wheel with a singlespeed, as we all know, and many didn't even bother to set the back end, just bolted it together with the wheel nuts!