She's here! The Mixte has landed :)

[hebe]

I picked up the Dawes this afternoon. I need to take her back to the shop tomorrow because the rear fender is twisted. I decided not to ask there and then because the young man who was serving didn't know how to adjust the tilt of the saddle....

Anyhow, the bike is gorgeous. I love it. Steel frame, 7 gears, and just so much fun. She is called Minnie (the Moocher) because I was singing the Cab Calloway song all the way home. I'm going to take a road-trip next week to a dealer that has both Dawes bikes and Brooks saddles to seek out a new saddle, as the one on there is not to my taste, though luckily it's not uncomfortable. The cream tyres didn't stay cream, but I don't care.

Here are a handful of photos, not great, but I'll update when I've sorted a new saddle.

[Owlie]

Very pretty bike! She looks like so much fun.

[Tri Girl]

she's BEAUTIFUL, hebe!!! LOVE her!! Can't wait to see her all decked out. Congrats!!! :D

[TigerMom]

Love the colors!

__________________________________________
2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[lovelygamer]

BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!!! Enjoy decking her out and riding her. :)

[hebe]

Thank you all :D

I'm starting to wonder how much of a setup the bike shop did. I checked the tyre pressures this evening, as the rear one felt a bit low at the shop but the guy said that everything had been checked. The rear pressure was half what it should have been. I'll check again in the morning in case there's a slow puncture. And the front wheel doesn't rotate entirely smoothly, it's catching very slightly, and stops dead after a few spins. I know it was a cheaper bike and a shop floor model, but even so I'd still expect the tyre pressure to be right. I'll ask them to check it over tomorrow. It wasn't my regular bike shop, needless to say.

[Desert Tortoise]

She is pretty!! And I like how you haven't wasted time putting your purse in the basket:D

Muirenn, nooooo. I'm looking for an around the neighborhood bike and as soon as I saw the pictures I thought, "Oh, that's one to check out." Bummer its not in the states.

[indysteel]

So pretty, hebe!!! I hope you and Minnie have many happy miles together!

[malkin]

She's lovely!
An English countryside dream!

[murielalex]

I love the color!

[Bike Writer]

Hebe, she's beautiful! Wishing you miles of smiles with her and it sounds like you already have a head start on the smiles. Sounds and looks like a fun bike. :D :D

[hebe]

On my route to town today :) The fender is now fixed, I forgot to ask about the front wheel rubbing. I am besotted with this bike, it's just such a pleasure to ride. I rode home with paper, bread, potato cakes, half a dozen eggs and my leather jacket in the basket and everything made it back intact. I'm trying to track down a bike shop with womens Brooks saddles in stock now.

[breeze]

What a gorgeous ride! I love the color!

[silversurfer]

Hi Hebe,

Hope you're enjoying the bike - she's pretty. I wanted ask a question: How tall are you and did you get the 17 or 19 in?

Thanks.

[hebe]

Hi, I'm a smidge under 5ft6 and I bought the 17inch frame. It's a good fit for me.

Thank you :) I absolutely love the bike, running errands is so much more of a pleasure now, and the relatively low price and the lack of quick releases mean that I don't mind leaving it locked up in town. I am always getting smiles from people when I ride it, although in many cases the smiles are from men of a certain age smiling fondly at the bike. I don't mind.

[Scrappy]

Hebe, 2 words describe your mixte: DROOL FUEL!!

Simply gorgeous. Congratulations :-)

[hebe]

Here she is with her super cute new backside too :) The Brooks is fantastic, I just don't notice the saddle at all and happily ride in jeans or summer dresses with no discomfort. I am going to get a mobile mechanic to check the bike build over, as the handlebars suddenly rotated towards me on a ride yesterday. The bike itself is fine, but I do have my doubts about how well it's been put together in the shop. Or she might just have suffered from being the display model. Their wrench isn't in until Thursday, so I'll treat Minnie to a proper once over and sort out a couple of minor niggles.

15315

[hebe]

Hello again :) well the small girl is now 11 and completely in love with her own bike. I had surgery earlier this year and am keen to ride again, with the girl. I am considering getting a bit of an overhaul for Minnie the Mixte. The rear brake is still rubbish, I’d like grippier tyres, I want to replace the grips for cork or leather ones, change the pedals for metal ones, take off the basket and put a rack on the back instead, remove the plastic chain guard and put a chrome one on instead. The bike has always felt as if everything except the frame was done on a budget. It’s a Dawes Cambridge Mixte with a steel frame, but that frame makes my heart sing. I’m just trying to get my head around spending as much on upgrades as the bike originally cost (£230 seven years ago...) but there’s nothing off the shelf for the same total cost that is exactly what I want. I’m fed up with not riding, and the Vita is not an errand bike.

Anyway, hello ��

[Trek420]

Welcome back. This is so much fun when you love the frame but hate or dissatisfied with everything else.

In my mind building up a customized bike is every bit as fantastic as going full custom. Enjoy the ride.

[hebe]

Thank you Trek �� I was starting to wonder if I was planning on throwing good money after bad. I just know that that mixte is never leaving, so it might as well be as good as it can be. I’ll keep you updated.

How are you?

[Trek420]

Thank you Trek �� I was starting to wonder if I was planning on throwing good money after bad. I just know that that mixte is never leaving, so it might as well be as good as it can be. I’ll keep you updated.

Most of our bikes are refurbed, rebuilt. I can find the threads about them here. Most of what I know about bikes was learned over the process. My late Trek 420 and namesake was completely customized. A GT Outpost trail I used to have. Love to follow along on your process.

And you can always post it here; http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19205&page=65


How are you?

I’m tired. Really tired. Tired and relieved.

Knott was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer last October. I quit my job (which is good. Hated the job), took retirement, cared for her through chemo and surgery. She’s now NED. Means No Evidence of Disease :D Which is amazing, really. But I’m seriously De-contitioned.

Watch this space as I attempt to make a comeback.

[hebe]

That sounds like a rollercoaster of a year. I'm glad you were able to take the time to support Knott, and how wonderful for you both that she is now NED! All the very best to you both. Good luck with your comeback, I'll be watching and encouraging you from this side of the pond.

I had a hysterectomy in January after several years of wretchedness. Now that I am largely recovered I really want to start enjoying my bikes again. Just need the mechanic to come back from his holiday or wherever he's gone so I can crack on with my plans!

[rebeccaC]

hebe….Your dawes is a wonderful and practical day-to-day steel utility bike frame! I see component upgrades as just part of the process of getting to what feels comfortable, safe and working for a persons needs. Enjoy getting back into riding!!!!!!!!



She’s now NED..
that REALLY makes me smile:):):):):):)

[hebe]

Thank you Rebecca!

The bikes came back from servicing today and the Dawes is in better shape than when it was new - honestly. Brakes are much improved (actually effective), the handlebar is correctly aligned for me both vertically and horizontally, both wheel hubs have had some kind of alchemy invoked to make the spinning better and so on. It almost seems to ride itself and the basket doesn't feel as if it's even there any more. I didn't swap the tyres as it's an archaic wheel size (26 and a weird fraction inches) so there's barely any choice. Also, with the rest of the improvements (and correct pressure) the tyres felt much more secure. I'll ride it as it is and see if I want to change anything else later. He really loved the bike, which I wasn't expecting at all, and it was great to see how much he cared.

The Vita is lovely too - he fitted new leather grips to match the Brooks saddle :) and checked it all over. It felt so odd being back on 700c wheels, I was all over the place for the first few yards! B was thrilled to have her Frog back too and followed me down the road.

[Trek420]

Thank you Rebecca!

The bikes came back from servicing today and the Dawes is in better shape than when it was new - honestly. Brakes are much improved (actually effective), the handlebar is correctly aligned for me both vertically and horizontally, both wheel hubs have had some kind of alchemy invoked to make the spinning better and so on. It almost seems to ride itself and the basket doesn't feel as if it's even there any more. I didn't swap the tyres as it's an archaic wheel size (26 and a weird fraction inches) so there's barely any choice. Also, with the rest of the improvements (and correct pressure) the tyres felt much more secure. I'll ride it as it is and see if I want to change anything else later. He really loved the bike, which I wasn't expecting at all, and it was great to see how much he cared.

The Vita is lovely too - he fitted new leather grips to match the Brooks saddle :) and checked it all over. It felt so odd being back on 700c wheels, I was all over the place for the first few yards! B was thrilled to have her Frog back too and followed me down the road.

Pictures please! Sounds lovely.