Mixte emotions
06-26-18, 08:05 AM
#1
Steel is real
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Mixte emotions
...and yes it is intentionally ("Mixte" - that is).
Went to our family summer house for some R&R. Had a look at the bike I built as a birthday gift for my mother - almost 30 years ago. Cleaned and waxed it a bit. Put air in the tires. Took it for a short spin (it is small...). Very nice - light and yet stiff.
Mixte emotions or mixed if you would like - my mother is 86 now and she is still going strong, bright as ever, but life at that age does not allow for any bike accidents and she gave up bicycling some years ago.
The frame is a cro-mo triple butted Miyata One Ten. Built wheels for it with a rear coaster brake, grab on foam for the handlebar and made the rest as spartan as possible. She loves flowers and I handpainted the main tubes on top of the original Miyata paint. Back then I wanted to put a Brooks on it but she wanted a gel saddle - and it sticks out as really ugly. Now I have asked her if I can substitute it for a Brooks but she says "leave it as it is - it is still mine..."
Quite an emotional bike. Mixte emotional.
Back when she got it all those years ago - with installed vickers basket.
Went to our family summer house for some R&R. Had a look at the bike I built as a birthday gift for my mother - almost 30 years ago. Cleaned and waxed it a bit. Put air in the tires. Took it for a short spin (it is small...). Very nice - light and yet stiff.
Mixte emotions or mixed if you would like - my mother is 86 now and she is still going strong, bright as ever, but life at that age does not allow for any bike accidents and she gave up bicycling some years ago.
The frame is a cro-mo triple butted Miyata One Ten. Built wheels for it with a rear coaster brake, grab on foam for the handlebar and made the rest as spartan as possible. She loves flowers and I handpainted the main tubes on top of the original Miyata paint. Back then I wanted to put a Brooks on it but she wanted a gel saddle - and it sticks out as really ugly. Now I have asked her if I can substitute it for a Brooks but she says "leave it as it is - it is still mine..."
Quite an emotional bike. Mixte emotional.
Back when she got it all those years ago - with installed vickers basket.
Last edited by styggno1; 06-26-18 at 10:18 AM. Reason: Spelling
06-26-18, 08:14 AM
#2
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You did a beautiful job with the flowers and love the simplicity of this bike. I am sure she really enjoyed it, and yep it's still her bike and that's very cool too. Thanks for sharing.
06-26-18, 09:54 AM
#3
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Indeed, thanks; it brings up some fond & deep memories of my own mom. My mother also had a mixte, in Germany, when I was little (for as long as I can remember, really); she had a seat on the back & would take me with her when she went to the store. Later, when I learned to ride a bike, I'd follow her to the store on my little red Schwinn, and later still, after I'd outgrown the Schwinn, her mixte was the first 'grown-up bike' I ever rode.
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Last edited by DIMcyclist; 06-26-18 at 10:14 AM.
06-26-18, 10:35 AM
#4
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Aw, that's so nice. The bike and the story.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
06-26-18, 10:42 AM
#5
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Clever pun, and nice work on those hand-painted flowers, they really look great on black.
Your mom looks proud of that bike, and you'll have to leave the gel saddle!
And who could ever forget this one ...
Your mom looks proud of that bike, and you'll have to leave the gel saddle!
And who could ever forget this one ...
06-26-18, 03:15 PM
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awesome thread!
06-26-18, 07:53 PM
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I like it. Triple butted and a 110?
