ooh la la - new semi-custom mixte from Sweetpea!

[jdubble]

I've been sitting on this news for awhile, waiting for Natalie to make the official announcement of the launch. As some of you know, I'm the proud owner of a lovely custom mixte from Sweetpea, and now Natalie has come out with a new offering in her Lust line ("when you have to have it now!" - she designs and does the fitting, someone else does the welding, and you get your bike way faster than her current 3 year turnaround)...

Check out the A-Line!

[Zen]

looks similar to my Tocino

but my Tocino only cost $800

A-Line-

* Tiagra – $2800
* 105 – $3200
* Ultegra – $3600

That's ridiculous

[jdubble]

looks similar to my Tocino

but my Tocino only cost $800

A-Line-

* Tiagra – $2800
* 105 – $3200
* Ultegra – $3600

That's ridiculous

whatever. it's a hand-built bike with a small production run. not built by the hands of natalie or margo perhaps, but still a hand-built bike. i'd compare it more to the rivendell betty foy instead of the electra ticino mixte personally. the betty foy complete is around $2200. if you built it up with ultegra and added a brooks saddle, it'd probably be closer to the sweetpea price. and that's built in tawain, not oregon.

if i'm not mistaken, the electra is one-size-fits-most. with this, you have three stock sizes, plus a custom fit option as well. for those who are want a sweetpea, and there are obviously plenty of people out there who do, or her waitlist wouldn't be so long, this and the Little Black Dress are ways to get one faster.

[KnottedYet]

I want a Sweetpea.

She's just down the hall from Michael Sylvester, and the thought of having a bike built by Natalie from fit specs by Michael just gives me goosebumps!

[jobob]

Gee Zen, I thought you'd gotten out of the habit of getting all santimonious and judgmental about how people choose to spend their own money. Guess not.

[Zen]

Oh yeah, it is a full moon

[Cataboo]

looks similar to my Tocino

but my Tocino only cost $800

A-Line-

* Tiagra – $2800
* 105 – $3200
* Ultegra – $3600

That's ridiculous

Your tocino costing $800 is ridiculous. It's 8 speed - none of the drive train components are quality.

[Selkie]

In my experience, you get what you pay for in most cases..... I figure that the happy miles that I have and will rack up on my Lunas and my Seven will more than offset the initial investments. I plan on riding them well into my dotage. Eventually, those bikes will be part of my posthumous estate sale.

Dubble, thanks for the heads up on the Lust line. It's good for those of us who are considering a new bike (no, not me!!! ;-)). By the way, I love your swe'pea (and I'm not a mixte rider). Wouldn't mind getting one of those Little Black Dresses sometime in the future..... http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog...e-black-dress/

[Biciclista]

little black dress? OH that is too much. Very good very good. omigoodness, it comes in PUMPKIN!

congrats on your new bike!

[Catrin]

I LOVE the little black dress that comes in different colors I already have my heart set on either a Luna, Gunnar or Waterford so my short list is already full. This is probable a good thing

[7rider]

Your tocino costing $800 is ridiculous. It's 8 speed - none of the drive train components are quality.

It's a steel bike.
Huffy makes a steel bike.
I can get a Huffy at Walmart for $60.

[Cataboo]

It's a steel bike.
Huffy makes a steel bike.
I can get a Huffy at Walmart for $60.

*cough*

It might be 8 speed of not very good components, as well.

It will not have Ms. Plum's style or grace though

[Biciclista]

7 rider, I think you're kidding; I'd say that MY steel bike is better than that Huffy at Walmart.. WAY better.

[Zen]

none of the drive train components are quality.

Quality for WHAT? It's a towine/errand bike ferchrissssssssakes.
Gawd

[jdubble]

but why does it have to be just an errand/townie bike? i've regularly done 40 milers on my sweetpea mixte with no problem, and have mounts for racks to eventually do touring/bike camping with it, once the kids are old enough to pull their own weight so to speak. it's set up to be a great all-rounder and very good at it. i have no doubt that it'd be just fine on longer rides, i just haven't had the opportunity to do so.

i've held my own on club rides and hill repeats on it too, much to the surprise of the other women who looked at me sort of askance when i showed up with that instead of my road bike. in fact it gave me great pleasure to pretty much dust my friend who's a very strong climber on a ride this spring, on a big hill. my back was bugging me and i didn't want to be on my road bike. she said, ok, take that one, but i don't want to hear you complaining when we hit the hills. first big one we came to, she was struggling and i dropped into a nice low gear, sat up and spun past her, whistling the Wicked Witch of the West tune as I did so.

and someday when i'm old and my gimpy back doesn't let me ride my road bike anymore, or i have trouble clearing the top tube, i'll still have my mixte to keep me company. at least that's the plan.