autoteacher

The bottles on that table, really? :0

rickpaulos

This Free Spirit mixte with a graceful curve came in the local coop for repair. Pretty low end bike that looks good anyhow. It needs all new components to make it more useable. I'm posting a photo of my Masi Soulville mixte with a similar curved tube set for comparison. The Free Spirit is all steel, 26" wheels. The Masi has 700c wheels and a Sachs 3 speed hub. I've since added a white front caliper brake as the combination of coaster brake and 700c tires don't mix well in a hilly town.

autoteacher

I just saw an ad for a bike that was described as an "enlightened male bike".

I will NOT be calling my Peugeot mixte by that name!

Velocivixen

@autoteacher - now that's funny! During my run today I saw a guy ride by on a Mixte. He didn't seem to have any issues with it.

irwin7638

The only real issue a guy should have with a mixte is finding one to fit. They were marketed as ladies touring bikes for years, so larger sizes were hard to find until the recent resurrection.



Marc

Velocivixen

@irwin7638 - yes, so true. Most of the Mixtes I've test ridden have been 19", which are too small for me & I feel cramped & have miles of seat post exposed trying to get leg position correct, and I'm only 5'6"! I can't imagine what anyone significantly taller would feel like. Fortunately I bought my two Mixtes, in part because they were 21"-22" size!

browngw 

Mrsbrowngw recently purchased what she calls a "girly" bike for herself. Although it is a new 2013 Liv/Giant Via 2 model, it has some unique and interesting features. Like a "Mixte", it has the twin tube design but dips lower and terminates halfway up the seat stays. Like a "Dutchie" it has an upright stance.I went along during the test ride but did not pay much attention to the details of construction because the bike fit her like a glove and her big smile told the whole story. Turns out its constructed of 4130 steel! It has a proper chainguard and SRAM 1X8 gear set. It is relatively light for its style and has a smooth solid ride. Old school style in a new build. Me thinks steel is here to stay!
P.S. She kept her Giant Cypress Hybrid Diamond frame and Expressway folder as well. I detect N+1.

jarle

Almost there. With a chain guard from Velo Orange it will be smashing, imo...

michael k

Thats a neat picture!

papik

A recent purchase, this 1978 GERMAIN mixte

KAH

Nice ride Velocivixen, my wife still loves her’s and has had it since the 80s. Your’s looks kind of naked without a rack covering it’s butt.
Do plan on drops or moving the shifters to those uprights?



sorry I can't PM yet still Jr. Member

Velocivixen

@KAH - nice photo. I just installed a vintage Jim Blackburn rear rack the other day - silver. My bike came with, what looks to be the bars/brake levers as the 100, which were upright bars. Black plastic grips even say "Miyata". Here's a photo. Saddle mount was loose, so it tilted back!

genspec

As my new commuter

piffilus

Here is my mixte, before and after changing some stuff on it. It is a 1986? Peugeot PX18S (UE18 in the US?) that I bought for $17 at a thrift store. Sorry for the crappy photos..

genspec

Recent kerbside find. Malvern Star AL12. Cleaned, lubed, adjusted and added some new white-walls and tubes.

Good to go

velofinds

24" (wheel, not frame size) Peugeot M46 single-speed conversion:

alcon19

IMPRESSIVE !!! I would love to have a single speed conversion but, it's nothing I could do myself for a number of reasons. I would hire someone to take it on as a "winter project" for me but, first want to get an idea of the approximate cost range for parts (not counting the frame). Parts do not have to be high end but, not cheap junk. I know there are many variables, just need an idea so I can determine if the project would be financially possible. Any guidance/recommendations you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Again, your bikes are impressive and you all should be proud. Thanks

jade408

Love this build! The honey accessories are the perfect touch!

ThermionicScott 

Here's a mid-progress mock-up of the Raleigh mixte I'm building up for my fiancee.



I've repacked the headset and installed the new cartridge BB so far. This frame is about one size bigger than the Peugeot (pictured below) which was just too small, even with drop bars to stretch out the rider a little. The North Road bars were requested because the drops just weren't working out as hoped. I'll be transferring much of the 2x7 drivetrain (which works nicely!) from the Peugeot to the Raleigh. The saddle is my Brooks B17S, which has just been gathering dust in my shop after I moved on to narrower saddles.



Not pictured above are the set of wheels with Mavic rims and Shimano hubs that will also be going onto the Raleigh.

I expect the rest of the bike to come together quickly. The only variables left are the stem length and what to use for handlebar tape/grips.

velofinds

A question about nomenclature: can the terms "Donna" and "Mixte" be used interchangeably, or do they in fact refer to different styles of step-through frames? I am finding (though by no means definitively or conclusively) that Donna frames tend to have a single sloping top tube (the same diameter as the down tube), whereas Mixtes have two thin top tubes in place of the usual single tube. (The latter is a much nicer look, I find.)

Thanks!

icepick_trotsky 

I was under the impression that the difference was in the presence or absence of the third set of stays.

jade408

That was my impression as well! I hadn't heard the term donna, but it does seem that people think any step-through with a straight top tube is a mixte. Though it appears the more accepted definition is the 3rd set of stays. Since mixes are supposed to be more sturdy than other step-throughs, and that sturdiness is provided by the 3rd seat stay.

jade408

I haven't tried the b17s on my mixte, but I saw loads of reviews that preferred the b72s or b67s for an upright mixte. And of course you can consider springs too!

GimbrasX

Good evening friends of mixte, I wonder if someone can help me find this Motobecane mixte model..year..value?

jade408

My mixte is almost done! Just waiting for a chain guard. Here is a look now! Loving the ride so far, speedy and comfy!

Frame: Soma Buena Vista (powder coated)
Rear hub: Shimano Alfine 8sp
Front Hub: Shutter Precision PV-8
Wheels: [FONT=verdana]Velo-Orange Diagonale 650b rims with Soma New xPress Tires
Bars: VO Left Bank
Lights: B&M Lumotec Eyc and Secula Pllus
Saddle: Brooks 67s
Grips: Cardiff Ergo Cork
Rack: Soma Deco