Show us your mixte!

[HillSlugger]

Check out this one! I've never seen one quite like it.

[sandra]

I saw that one the other day. Very interesting, but I'd be scared of it because of the French threading.

[HillSlugger]

I saw that one the other day. Very interesting, but I'd be scared of it because of the French threading.

It caught my eye because it's not the classic mixte design, but I don't really like its lines. I love the classic mixte lines!

[Trek420]

Today I dropped by the LBS to have Chris take a look at the new/old Giant. Chris said to watch this space in the next couple'a months (yeah, this is way early). He's rebuilding a mixte for a customer. He says it's a Schwinn Paramount, repainted all original logos but in buttercup yellow, with red pinstripes.

Chris if your client is lurking here Show us your mixte!

[mkidd]

On craig's list. I'm still looking for a road bike, but saw this green schwinn that was tempting after reading and seeing pics of your mixtes:

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/bik/596620210.html

It's a little too far for me to get it or check it out, but looks like it's in good shape.

[uforgot]

On craig's list. I'm still looking for a road bike, but saw this green schwinn that was tempting after reading and seeing pics of your mixtes:

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/bik/596620210.html

It's a little too far for me to get it or check it out, but looks like it's in good shape.

Cute bike, but this one isn't a mixte. Mixtes have 3 stays in the back. I had a Schwinn Suburban and while it wasn't a mixte, it certainly was fun. Biggest drawback to these Schwinns is that they are really really heavy! If you want a mixte keep looking. They are out there and most of the time they aren't called mixtes. I found a Nishiki for $40 and love it. Took awhile, but I finally found her. Good luck on your search!

[Zen]

Kidd here's Sheldon's(R.I.P) explanation/definition of a mixte-
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_m.html#mixte

[HillSlugger]

Here's a three speed out in Virginia. $30!

[uforgot]

Kidd here's Sheldon's(R.I.P) explanation/definition of a mixte-
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_m.html#mixte

And when are we going to see a picture of YOUR new mixte zen???

[Stronglight99]

Lisa DH, mixte fit deserves some discussion. I'm an old fossil that got my first mixte touring bike over 30 years ago, so I have a few opinions! Any mixte will fit you if you're a little too big for the bike (slide the seat back, use a different stem). However, short folks can be fit-challenged on mixtes. In particular, many old european mixtes are just plain dangerous for most women...they were made with long equivalent top-tubes, long-reach stems and long-reach drop bars. "Suicide levers" were added to brake on the tops because women could not reach the brake levers on the drop bars. Owners of these bikes should replace the stem, bars and brake levers with woman-sized parts as a safety improvement.

I have *very* long legs for my height (5'2", 32" of leg) so I have a significant fit problem. Back in the mid-70s, I bought a Japanese 19" mixte with a 20.5" equivalent top tube, and a very long head-tube. The bike shop installed a 5mm reach SR stem. With this setup I can barely reach the drops, but it fit me well enough for twenty years of happy bike touring. About ten years ago the bike died of old age, and I had a long search to find its replacement. I learned a lot about mixte bike fit in the process. I abandoned drop bars, and instead use a nitto B-601 or porteur bars and it solves the reach problem. I still need a long headtube to get the handlebars high enough to match the long legs. I use a men's B-17 and a long seat-stem for the long legs.
Women shouldn't worry about toe-clip overlap on a mixte. That was a big deal in the old days when guys used large-size toe clips over clown shoes, and 27" wheels with fenders.

By the way, use centerpull or cantilever brakes on these bikes, never use sidepulls unless you have a death wish. On a mixte, the rear centerpull is properly placed underneath the mixte stays behind the seat-tube, and the cable routes between the mixte stays. If you can afford it, put cantis on the front. This together with replacement of the original drops/stems/levers will make a radical improvement in most old mixtes.