Are There Any MTB Mixte Frames Out There?
 

Kind of a unique question, but I'm sure it's been asked before. My Search-Fu must be weak because I'm coming up with very few leads for this one.

I'm looking for a mixte or step-through frame that can also accommodate 700x50 (or wider) tires. Is there any such animal?

This would be for my wife, who has some spine issues that remain after some surgery. She has difficulty swinging her leg over the saddle, and prefers a step-through frame. She has a couple bikes, but the one I'm looking to replace is her Surly Ogre, but she does not like the more-aggressive riding position - she likes to ride bolt-upright like she has a broom handle up her butt. I've managed to get her into that position with swapping out different handlebar and stem combinations to get her comfortable. Its a good fit now, but she still has issues getting her leg over the saddle, so here I am looking for a step-through.

So if I could find a quality mixte frame that will also fit bigger tires, I'd be happy because I wouldn't have to hear her *****ing.

I know this may fall into custom frame-builder territory, but I won't even consider it, so don't even mention it.

Can anyone help? Is there a manufacturer out there that makes this sort of thing? The best frame I've found so far that almost fills the bill, is the Soma Buena Vista. Nice frame. Reasonably-priced, yet only wide enough to fit 40mm tires. Not wide enough. If only Surly made a drop-bar Ogre!

Step through and mountain bike aren't used in the same sentence. Unobtanium.

Try this...

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b.../verve/c/B411/

Hey, that might work. Thanks!

Specialized makes one similar to Trek, for one more option: Crossroads Step Through | Specialized.com

The Roll Elite would be a better option on that front; clearance for much wider tires and better components and potentially a little better upright position.

That's kind of interesting. Its would certainly check off all the boxes.

I don't like the price, but its heading in the right direction for what would work. I think that 1100 clams for something like that is about twice of what anyone should pay. For that kind of cash, I could start with the Soma mixte frame and build a really good bike, not just some mass-welded frame with a conglomeration of mediocre parts fastened to it.

Soma frames ARE mass welded frames. Nothing wrong with that, but don’t let the hipster designs, marketing, and elegant graphics fool you. These are Surly-grade frames. Nothing wrong Soma or Surly frames. I own both and love them, but these are not any higher end than an entry level frame Specialized puts out.

That said, it is awesome to build a custom bike, and frames from Soma are solid and affordable. My Soma Fog Cutter frame has a couple defects, but it was acceptable for the price.

I know they are mass-welded. In fact, they could even be made in the same factory for all I know. I just have a hard time paying the prices Trek is asking, and their bikes being all loaded up with Bontrager junk. What I'd really like is a custom Ahern mixte, but that's not in the cards. Sometimes in bicycles we reach a point of diminishing returns, where fit and function outweigh everything else. A custom frame would be overkill for my wife, and she would be incapable of fully appreciating the work on it, and what it is to own a custom bike. I do build her some great bikes, but she rarely appreciates the bike for what it is and the work I've put into them.

I mean certainly a frame up construction is my way to go and if you are looking at the Ahearn go for it. Yeah custom bikes cost money but if you want it or it has something you desire go for it you won't be disappointed.

The cost of the bike is maybe a bit higher than I would like but most bikes are getting up there. The ride on it is quite comfortable and is decently spec'd compared to the older versions.

I appreciate your input here, Veg. Sound advice. I thank thee! :beer:

Yeah, the Ahern would be wasted on her, so its just an example of what "I" want, not necessarily what "she" needs. She can't understand why its almost impossible to have only one bike to fill all of your needs. For example - and I probably should show you some pics, but its almost embarrassing - I modified her Ogre with some new bars.

I got a pair of Ogres for us just this May. I had them on order since January, and after the pandemic got done with messing everything up, they were finally available and shipped. She liked Jones Loop Bars on one of her previous bikes, so I installed the Loops on both bikes when I assembled them. I'm not as fond of Jones bars, and its basically because of how they look. I think that they look sweet on a Jones bike, but I also think they look like rancid goat-ass on everything else (with the exception of fatbikes). Mind you, the Jones H-Bar is a fine bar, but its an aesthetic thing with me - stuff just gotta look right ya know? :rolleyes:

So the Jones 1.5's that I installed on these bikes were functioning properly, but Dearest Wife wasn't happy with her riding posture. She just didn't have enough reach for her liking, and it placed her (torso) into a more-aggressive, forward position, which was somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees. I tried to bring them up and aft a bit with trying some different stems with different lengths and angles, but it didnt do much good. So I bought a cheap, but still lightweight alloy, handlebar, which resembled the Nitto Bosco Bullmoose that she has on her Linus. It only came in silver, so I coated it with spray-on bedliner - it actually came out nice! FWIW, I use bedliner for a lot of things. I've even sprayed frames with bedliner, and I like the utility of it. Works!

Anyway, the new bars gave the bike a seriously-doofy look. Argh... :notamused: Know what? I'll take some pics and brb...

Okay here is the current bike. Jones Loop, decent Terry saddle, and a nice bag.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5a1ba23792.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...eabac3dc46.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9d2c7074b3.jpg

She looked great on it. It looked like it fit her very well. I liked everything about it when I saw her riding. Her legs, her arms, her torso position, EVERYTHING looked great to my eye, but she complained about her sensitive parts going numb, and her spine hurting, her feeling of unease, etc etc etc.

Stop looking at my messy shop! :P:D

Here's the after-pics of the bike with the "Bosco" bars installed.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1182adc5ef.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...efea5ca358.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d1e4fc0b61.jpg

Here's the dumbass-looking bars I installed - mainly for a need to either make it worse or make it better - which is one of my most-valuable diagnostic techniques. Makes it look pretty weird, but this was honestly a step in the right direction. She feels better and more-comfortable riding it, but is now worried that she looks like a dork... which she does. It doesn't help me singing the wicked witch of the west bicycle theme whenever she's on it. :innocent:

This bike is a medium frame. Being 5'8" tall, I felt that she could easily handle a medium, and there were no smalls available, so that made the decision easy. However, I feel like I made an error in judgement.

So you can see my dilemma here. I love my wife and I want to rode with her, but I feel like she does nothing but complain about this bike. She loves her Linus, and it fits her perfectly. If I could get her a dutch-style frame that would accommodate big wide tires, I think we'd have a win. For what its worth, my wife is not a drama queen, nor is she a clothing horse or a person who spends much. She doesnt complain much about anything, and thats why I take her so seriously when she b*tches... er... complains about her bike. Like I said, she has some childhood fears of bikes. She dumped her sister's old schwinn in some loose gravel and bashed out a few front teeth, and spent most of her teen years and later, a couple adult years in braces and prosthetics, and in the last 10 years, some new implants - which look great btw. Any loose sand makes her nervous, understandably, so I try to be as accommodating and resourceful as I can be. I've been working on bikes professionally and as a hobby since 1972, and this one has got me flustered.

Sorry for being so verbose, so I appreciate it if you have read this far and not fallen asleep yet!

ETA: I made an error in measuring the reach of her frame, so bear with me if you've read this post before I edited-out the paragraph where I was talking about the frame measurements.

Great news! You have a wife who either likes spending time with you, or at least tolerates you enough to ride bikes with you.

Step 1 out of the way.

Does she still complain about the bike after you put the cruiser(ish) bars on it? If she sits bolt upright, maybe she needs a cruiser(ish) seat also?

I guess if it’s her bike, your opinion of it isn’t all that relevant.

Maybe put balloon tires on 26” wheels on her Linus? There you go- if they fit I just made you a step-through mountain bike.

I need to get my wife a step through bike.

PS. Your shop is not that messy.

And I think the bike looks kinda cool.

If a mixte is defined by the two top tubes going continuous from the head tube to the dropouts, many hard tail MTB already look like that in side view. Just about any of the ones that have a mast and gusset for the seat post, including Treks. But it seems like that's not the kind of bike you are after here. If you knew where to find a Bosco bar you surely know that a Clem is available in step through and takes wide tires, or you could look at the Platypus. I really doubt you could start with a Soma BV frame for $700 and get a nice bike with another $400 unless you are counting on using some parts already in your garage you are considering free. For what it's worth I think the BoscOgre looks fine, though judging from the seat extension you are right it's a size too big. I looked at the Jones bar for an upright conversion of my gravel bike and it was a big step in the wrong direction for reach. I ultimately chose a Salsa Bend handlebar instead. I found this website very helpful https://whatbars.com/

overlay - Bosco, Jones, Salsa Bend. (X-axis is weird here, the light lines are in 1x cm but marked in 2x mm width)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e49b304756.jpg

Re: Cruiser bars on her bike. She likes the fit and feel better, but still doesn't like the top tube. She likes the reach and comfort of the cruiser bars, but I think she thinks she looks like a dork... which is true in my opinion. Still experimenting.

Thoughts.
1) I like the fact I can’t see myself doing almost any activity. I’m not that handsome.
2) Most people look kinda dorky riding bikes anyways. Let’s all look dorky together. Then dorky will be cool.

I kind of agree with your wife that one bike really could do everything. As long as everything doesn’t include being competitive in Crits or free riding down a mountain course.

Just adjust the “everything” expectations in time/distance.

Thats just it. If you want to go fast and cover some ground, you need one bike, and if you want to dawdle around and be comfortable and playful, then you need a completely different bike.

This could be a discussion of stilettos and a corset.

For the win!!!

Okay, but I get to wear the gimp suit this time! :eek:

I did not like the Jones Bars too much sweep back. the Surly Moloko or better yet the Koga Denham are more my speed. Fine with uprightness on much of my stuff though now my most ridden bike is pretty upright so all my other stuff feels way more aggressive than normal but still fun. Denhams with the right stem and stack and everything are perfect I just have to get used to that position on the current bike which is so far working out OK but so far my main commute doesn't really have a long fairly non-curved road without traffic lights and traffic so I am not in that position long enough.

I need to take pictures of my bike with those bars and the new Fox 36 fork but alas by the time I was out of the shop tonight it was dark as the dickens and hasn't seem to gotten any lighter in the past 2 hours something called night time I guess. However it probably looks amazing and will look better once I clean up the cables and maybe make a new headset spacer or find something that covers up for a massive kinda ugly stem that contained all the cables but wouldn't allow me to mount the bars I wanted which I removed in favor of a lovely girls Keirin stem from Nitto (since the girls don't have the quill stem regulations that can run threadless)

Where were you able to source those Koga Denhams? I'd buy one in a heartbeat if - for my bike - if I could find someone with a bar in stock.

...and I would LOVE to see pics of them set up on your bike!

I actually sourced them through a member here who mentioned they had an extra set and I jumped on it, Der Vankenfiester and CycleSense are out for a while I got mega mega mega lucky though sad I had to go 25.4 not a big deal since I got a Nitto stem for it so it is nice but I was hoping to have more options open. Ah well. I will get pics soon.

Think about what kind of husband this statement makes you sound like