CaptainPlanet

Do you feel any difference riding a step-over bike vs riding a step-through bike for standard steel tube bikes made before modern engineering took place? Is the step-through frame really heavier and more unstable? How noticeable is it?

The Golden Boy 

Generally step-through bikes are *generally* less expensive- with lower grade steels and lower grade parts, with the higher end ones being CrMo main frame- and it's just because someone who was more of an enthusiast would get a diamond frame. The step-through designs are *generally* less rigid than the diamond framed bikes.. just a geometry thing.

That being said, there are nicer step throughs and mixtes made with nicer steels like 531.

EDIT:

If you have a step-through and it's working for you- and it's acceptable in it's weight and handling- you're in. Ride it- and if you ever feel that it's not stable enough and your'e most comfortable on a step-through, look for one of the 531 framed Mixtes out there- there's also been different modern-y step throughs with fancy steel. You can always change up some of the parts (old cheap steel parts are heavy and steel rims don't brake so well)- figure out what would be the best bang for your buck on a bike that works for you and that you like.

Enjoy your bike!

randyjawa 

Is there any difference between step over and step through? Yes and the immediate answer is appearance. Step through, long deemed to be woman's bikes, are not nearly as collectable as step over, long deemed to be men's bikes, is the main difference. Part of the difference is just "stigma related (men, or at least me, do not feel comfortable riding a woman's style bicycle except perhaps one of mixte design),

Performance difference has to do with the strength of the frame. The step over is, generally, stronger and stiffer than a step through, in my opinion. And there is one other thing to consider, particularly in my case.

I am in my mid-seventies and plagued with arthritis, I find it hard to step over my bike when getting on it. A dangerous when getting off of it after I finish a ride.

Peruano

And you have to keep your hands on the bars at stop signs. Having the bike fall over only because you used both hands to wipe sweat is embarassing.

ollo_ollo

The true "step thru" ladies type bikes are popular "old man" bikes because of their easy mount/dismount. The unisex mixte type still require some step-over, just not as high as the diamond frame.

The female stigma does make a step thru harder to sell. If you shop around, you may find a ladies model for cheap if it sat unsold for some time. A Schwinn Super Sport for example: Chrome moly, filet brazed frame, but has heavy steel components. So around 30#, can be converted to have a 3 piece alloy crank with alloy derailleurs, lighter wheelset/tires to get down around 26-27# without breaking the bank. I have a Motobecane mixte Grand Jubile that's around 25#, not bad for vintage steel. If you want light weight, there is always the Ladies model Vitus 979. Pretty rare, but they show up now and then and about light as you can get. Don

Bad Lag

The vintage term is, "girl's bike".

Nice bikes are NICE, no matter the configuration. Junk bikes are junk.

jamesdak 

Yep, not vintage or a road bike but I purposely went for a step-through frame when I bought my Azor bike. This will be my "forever until I can't ride anymore" bike and serves as my utility bike. Reasoning being practicality, 1, just plain easier in whatever I have on to mount the bike. In jeans or shorts I sometimes have to hike up a pants leg to get the freedom to swing a leg over. 2. In the past with a milk crate on the back rack it's even harder to swing the leg higher over the crate to mount. 3. If the racks are loaded the bike can be unwieldy if you lean it over to mount a top bar. 4, Step-through solves number 2 & 3. 5. I could care less what anyone thinks about a bike I'm riding. 6. My step-through has a very high carrying weight so I'm not worried about the frame being "weaker". I bet pretty much the same applies to any quality vintage step-through.

Anyway, my rambling's after a night of too little sleep.

thook

i built up a mixte for my wife and took it out on the city bike trails "just to see". i never felt any difference in ride quality or anything else except maybe a little weight ....and it was stupid easy to mount and dismount. loaded touring bikes should be so easy, imo

CaptainPlanet

How noticeable are the weight and stability differences?

Maytag

I chime in with many here. My Dad pedaled over the Alps in the 50s from Northern Germany to Italy on a 3 spd bicycle.
Now in his mid 80s, he is still riding a bike around town, but after a double hip replacement, a step through is much easier to mount and dismount.
Ride whatever you feel comfortable with. Maybe frame configuration is different, but are people selecting a step through or Mixte really "speed demons?"

thook

it's likely most average step through or mixte frames are made with single walled tubing...which means a bit more weight. but, who's gonna go weight weenie for a step through?
and, stability has more to do with steering geo, wheelbase, and bottom bracket drop than where the top tube is located.

Vintage Schwinn

It depends on the bike.

Now for a 1966 and up SCHWINN, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN STABILITY, EVEN WITH A HEAVY OBESE PERSON RIDING SUCH A '66 & up Step-Through electroforged Women's Frame. Heck, I would go further to say that the STABILITY of such a '66 up Schwinn Step Through IS MORE STABLE THAN A GREAT MANY European Diamond frames, as well as some from Tawain.
Hell yes, these old electroforged Schwinn step throughs are heavy as are all electroforged Schwinn frames whether Diamond, Stepthrough, Camelback, Cantillever or bmx type. Hell, if you're seeking a mixte or step through in the first place, YOU ARE PROBABLY SEEKING SOMETHING EASIER TO MOUNT & DISMOUNT from, so why the hell are you seeking something so lightweight anyway.........IF YOU'RE RIDING CASUALLY IN AN UPRIGHT MANNER, WHY CONCERN YOURSELF SO MUCH WITH OVERALL WEIGHT....... Gearing will carry you up any necessary hills........Yes, of course, you will not be setting any speed record pace, but you probably ride in the 11 mph to 17mph range anyway, so other than the perceived "Stigma" of riding something old and uncool, what difference does it really make. At some point many guys probably should realize that an old mixte or an old step through is probably what they should be riding IF THEY ARE RIDING UPRIGHT-TOURIST-Comfort style.
Most men are afraid to be caught dead on what some might call a women's bike. Those guys are insecure , probably with real problems if they think that way. Now before you exclaim that Vintage Schwinn is beyond nuts, you should consider the fact that the Women's step through models came in three frame sizes (17) , (19), and (21). The wheelbase of those bikes are relatively slightly longer than what you might expect with many modern bikes, and the relaxed geometry angles of the headtube and seat-tube gives one a GREAT AMOUNT of ADJUSTABILITY for Various persons' height within the same frame size......Stock seat posts are typically 9 inches but 14 inch seat posts can be substituted if greater raised height of seat is needed. The 21 inch Womens Schwinn step through frame can accomodate men up to at least 6 foot 2 and men and women as small as 5 foot 4 with the seat as low as possible. The 19 inch Step through Schwinn can accomodate most men to at least 6 foot 0.
I know because I own and ride these including a Schwinn Step through Suburban (21") 1972 Green Five speed -and- a Collegiate(19") 1972 Yellow five speed.
The reason that I cite the 1966 and later (chicago) electroforged step through Women's frames as being superior to many other makes, and superior to the 1965 and earlier Schwinn step through models IS BECAUSE THE HEADTUBE ON THE LATER Schwinns IS THICKER AND SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER, YIELDING A SLIGHTLY BETTER RIDE AND NONE OF THE SPAGHETTI NOODLE FEELING THAT YOU GET ON SOME OTHER MAKES' BICYCLES. Now obviously, yes you have plenty of highly regarded vintage diamond and step throughs that depending on the frame size, give you tremendous Spaghetti Noodle, Flexing.........obviously on such makers' crummy built frames, the diamond version is much more stable than the step through. You cannot just say that for example Manufacturer X made all excellent frames and Manufacturer Y made all Flexy, noodling trash frames........you can't do that, because you have to approach some marques on a case by case, year model by year model offering. There are certainly some very good ones, even from those that either previously made -OR- later made flexy spaghetti noodle trash.
The Mixtie's frame bar configuration gives reasonable structure on even the sorriest built of those. So unless you've got a weld coming apart or super serious rust or a massive crack/break in the metal tubing from a serious accident, then it is hard to go wrong with anyone's mixtie frame. Yes, you do have some like Peugeot and others with a DEATH STEM but you can replace the dangerous aluminum stem and you eliminate that factory equipment issue.
I WOULD NOT SUGGEST KNOCKING THE OLD SCHWINN STEP-THROUGH --or-- THE OLD MIXTE FRAMES that so many marques, prestigious and no-names, offered during the Seventies and early Eighties.
Sure, you are gonna find that MOST CAME WITH STEEL WHEELS, KICKSTANDS AND RELATIVELY HEAVY SEATS, HANDLEBARS, PEDALS, and BASIC DERAILLEURS THAT DID THE JOB WELL ENOUGH, THEY WERE NOT THE LIGHTEST WEIGHT or even Mid Grade Lighter weight Derailleurs that were fitted to the Non-Tourist Diamond frame models Most at that point in time, were not nearly as concerned with weight on MIXTE or StepThrough models WHICH probably were probably ridden in the Seventies by 90% women and 10% of men over 55 years old.
There are quite a lot of those old Schwinn step throughs and various marque Mixte bicycles from the Seventies that would make excellent riders for anyone today.
The SCHWINNS are easier to Do It yourself, and are BETTER FROM A BOMBPROOF DURABILITY AND RIDE QUALITY standpoint, but there are still plenty of the MIXTE bicycles that DO RIDE AS WELL AS AN OLD SCHWINN as long as you upgrade said MIXTE to a Shimano or Maeda SUNTOUR rear derailleur and the widest, low pressure tires ...e.g. something like 37mm tire tread width, and something in the 55 PSI to 65PSI tire inflation range. Though some people do ride plenty of mixte bicycles with less than 32mm tire widths, in my opinion that is not the way you would want to go. Narrow tire tread for what??? Are you really gonna race your mixte in a tri? Realistically, I doubt that you'd get better overall race times with something below 32mm, given the weight of the factory wheels and frame of the Mixte.
You can find these old bikes easily because so many folks DO NOT WANT THEM, mainly because they believe there is the "stigma" of being seen aboard a Ladies bicycle. SURE, what should be the only Realistic Reason to Not Consider an old Schwinn STEP THROUGH or other old various mfr MIXTE frames is the Fact that they are DIFFICULT TO LOAD ON TO THE TYPICAL AUTOMOBILE/SUV BICYCLE CARRIER RACK. Now, if you do have a pickup truck, van, station wagon, or other suv or even something as small as a 2007 to 2019 HONDA FIT which can carry two bicycles inside with the Magic rear Seat folded flat (with only 2 seater configuration for humans)...for the tiny Honda FIT......load the first bicycle front wheel first then turn the front wheel so that it is relatively parallel to the front passenger seat back.....then load the second bicycle REAR wheel first and then turn the second bicycle's front wheel so that it clears the curvature of the rear hatch and rear windshield. Use a piece of one inch styrofoam, or a piece of cardboard box or a flattened broken-down corrugated cardboard box, or rug remnant, or $4 harbor freight moving blanket or something like a beach towel rolled up or folded to PROTECT THE SEATBACKS OF THE Honda Fit's front seats..........A carpet remnant or basic 2ft x 3ft doormat can protect the bike's paint from any possible nicks as the bicycles are essentially laying in there with the second bike's rear wheel laying atop of the first bike's front tire......I can load two bikes into a HONDA FIT in less than 30 seconds, when the Magic Seat is already down and the car is in 2 seater configuration.
So yes, step through and Mixte models can be a PITA for folks that rely on normal outside the car, bicycle carry racks because they are all designed for diamond frames.
If that "Transport Issue" isn't a major problem for you, then old Mixte and old SCHWINN STEP THROUGH models are worth considering. Schwinns are better in every way except overall weight. The American ONE-PIECE Ashtabula crank is super simple, and bullet proof durable (do not even think of changing it.) With some FRENCH made MIXTE bicycles, I would highly advise changing to a more modern Japanese(SHIMANO) crankset and bottom bracket IF YOU DO NEED TO ADDRESS ANY ISSUES WITH THE FACTORY SET-UP. It is easily do-able, but be advised that YOU MUST HAVE THE PRECISE MEASURED Japanese configuration that WILL FIT the particular BB that your bike might have....... I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL COTTER PINNED OLD FASHIONED 3 PIECE CRANKSET AND BOTTOM BRACKET if you do need to address any issues there with your old MIXTE. Just research what your particular make/model NEEDS to go Japanese and cotter free. *****DON'T FORGET THAT a Shimano or Maeda SUNTOUR rear derailleur is a must because anything by SIMPLEX, HURET, or CAMPAGNOLO is not worth the trouble to continue using as they are greatly inferior to the Japanese rear derailleurs. Put the old Campy, Simplex or Huret into a ziplock baggie and store it for the next owner who may want the bike as a museum display piece of..., instead of a nicer riding bicycle with no worries.

As Wilson Pickett and The Rascals both sang: Ride Sally Ride..................
well if you're now over a certain age, when it comes to needing an adequate bicycle that you can easily mount and dismount... ya might wanna rephrase that and sing the old catchy tune as Ride Jimmy Ride................................found me Suburban step-through, talking about a nine teen seventy-two..............OR ..........got me cool old Peugeot Mixte, a nine teen seventy-six........................ Mixte Larry....................ya better slow that MIXTE down........because it ain't got KOOL STOPS installed yet.
Its okay, you can be a man and ride a step-through or a mixte if you want to. There are no laws that prohibit it, at least at this point in time in your particular county or local jurisdiction.