Rat Rod Mixte
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Rat Rod Mixte
Here is what happened when someone at the Bike Exchange showed me an old rusty Mixte frame he was about to toss in the bin. I have sort of become the Mixte King at the shop having restored quite a few of this iconic frame type from manufacturers near and far with often spectacular results. Rather than see it in the dumpster I took it home. It could sit in my bone yard for now and maybe I would repaint it later.
Once I got it home I put it up on the stand and started wondering what I could do with it. Then I remembered the MTB rear wheel I had in the corner. it has a 3 speed internal geared hub with a coaster brake, a pretty unusual combo, and I had been looking for something to mount it on.
Amazingly, with a 26 x 1.75 tire, it fit in the Centurion Mixte frame. With the coaster brake there was no need to try and fit a rim brake so I now had the start of a bike. I soon found a front wheel that fit as well and my creative juices started to flow. In the corner was a banana seat off a Schwinn Stingray. I also had a sissy bar that almost fit the seat and with a little massaging I made it work. The Kelly green seat cover was not the look I was after so I re-covered it with some black leather I cut off an old couch before taking it to the dump.
Now I was on a roll with the idea of a Road Warrior style desert Mixte rat rod bike taking shape. The next challenge was how to connect the seat stays to the frame. The original Stingrays had springs at the bottom. A trip (actually a couple) to the hardware store produced (2) 10 inch x 1/2" pipe nipples some 5/16" all thread, nuts and lock washers, and 6 rubber stoppers. The rubber stoppers were inserted into the tubes acting as shock absorbers. All thread was then slipped inside the stay tubes which slid inside the pipe nipple caps which were drilled at the top. The bottom cap was tapped to accept 2 special eye bolts I had been given a couple years ago and had wanted to use for something. When assembled everything worked.
By now I was really getting stoked. I dug into my stash of parts and came up with a chrome chain guard which I mounted, then a cool head light. It looked so good I decided to mount a dynamo and rear tail light as well. Not knowing when to let well enough alone I dug up and old sufficiently rusty front, and converted it to a bobbed rear fender. When I gave it a test ride I almost crashed it because I forgot to use the coaster brake so I dug some more and found a caliper brake from a bmx bike that had a super long reach and actually worked on the 26" rim.
So there you have it, my Road Warrior, back to the Waste Land, post apocalypse Playa Bike for this year's Burning Man. The only thing I have to work out now is whether to hook up the 3 speed Trans or ride it like a single speed. Somewhere in my garage I have an old Stingray Stick shift and If I can find it I might mount it on the bike.
I have to thank Ed Russel , from the “Full Custom Garage” TV show for inspiration. If you haven’t seen his show you are missing one of the true masters of the art of making beauty out of junk.
Once I got it home I put it up on the stand and started wondering what I could do with it. Then I remembered the MTB rear wheel I had in the corner. it has a 3 speed internal geared hub with a coaster brake, a pretty unusual combo, and I had been looking for something to mount it on.
Amazingly, with a 26 x 1.75 tire, it fit in the Centurion Mixte frame. With the coaster brake there was no need to try and fit a rim brake so I now had the start of a bike. I soon found a front wheel that fit as well and my creative juices started to flow. In the corner was a banana seat off a Schwinn Stingray. I also had a sissy bar that almost fit the seat and with a little massaging I made it work. The Kelly green seat cover was not the look I was after so I re-covered it with some black leather I cut off an old couch before taking it to the dump.
Now I was on a roll with the idea of a Road Warrior style desert Mixte rat rod bike taking shape. The next challenge was how to connect the seat stays to the frame. The original Stingrays had springs at the bottom. A trip (actually a couple) to the hardware store produced (2) 10 inch x 1/2" pipe nipples some 5/16" all thread, nuts and lock washers, and 6 rubber stoppers. The rubber stoppers were inserted into the tubes acting as shock absorbers. All thread was then slipped inside the stay tubes which slid inside the pipe nipple caps which were drilled at the top. The bottom cap was tapped to accept 2 special eye bolts I had been given a couple years ago and had wanted to use for something. When assembled everything worked.
By now I was really getting stoked. I dug into my stash of parts and came up with a chrome chain guard which I mounted, then a cool head light. It looked so good I decided to mount a dynamo and rear tail light as well. Not knowing when to let well enough alone I dug up and old sufficiently rusty front, and converted it to a bobbed rear fender. When I gave it a test ride I almost crashed it because I forgot to use the coaster brake so I dug some more and found a caliper brake from a bmx bike that had a super long reach and actually worked on the 26" rim.
So there you have it, my Road Warrior, back to the Waste Land, post apocalypse Playa Bike for this year's Burning Man. The only thing I have to work out now is whether to hook up the 3 speed Trans or ride it like a single speed. Somewhere in my garage I have an old Stingray Stick shift and If I can find it I might mount it on the bike.
I have to thank Ed Russel , from the “Full Custom Garage” TV show for inspiration. If you haven’t seen his show you are missing one of the true masters of the art of making beauty out of junk.
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#2
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I shouldn't have to "make myself more visible;" Drivers should just stop running people over.
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I shouldn't have to "make myself more visible;" Drivers should just stop running people over.
Car dependency is a tax.
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gotta go for the 3 speed and then ride in on one of the bike party rides
and convert the front light to led since you are on a roll
and convert the front light to led since you are on a roll
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
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I think I spy some old school ODI mushroom grips? I love this!!! You definitely need to get the 3 speed going, especially if you find the stick shift. As we said in the '80s... That's Rad!!!
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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. (o.o)
#6
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The Schwinn 3 speed stick shift is a very valuable piece, as the 5 speed stick doesn't have the detents for the 3 speed hub. Probably difficult to mount as well since they were designed for the single top tube. I doubt the mount would slow down the OP much with his skills hacking a mixteray. I seem to recall some off brand muscle bikes that had twin top tubes, there were probably 3 speeds in some of those.
PS, I looked it up. The twin bar shifter was called the Sturmey Archer 3 speed SportShift
PS, I looked it up. The twin bar shifter was called the Sturmey Archer 3 speed SportShift
Last edited by daverup; 02-04-22 at 12:43 PM.
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That's freakin' awesome
Nice conversion!
DD
Nice conversion!
DD
#8
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I'm curious about from what MTB that rear wheel came. I have an old.. oh.. BSA I think, from the '60s with a Sturmey 3-speed and a coaster brake, but I haven't seen that combo on anything else.
Also had the same question in my mind as above -- how to mount a top-tube stick shifter on the mixte long-stays. Not that I doubt it will happen, I'm just to see how.
Also had the same question in my mind as above -- how to mount a top-tube stick shifter on the mixte long-stays. Not that I doubt it will happen, I'm just to see how.
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FCG: Great show, great dog. Best one-man shop. (I’m a Martin Bros. fan, too.)
Ed’s buddy that comes in with changes every other day is hilarious.
When they went cruising and the old guy was reminiscing: riceless.
You can tell Ed is a hero at car shows, and still a big kid fan at the same time.
Last edited by bamboobike4; 02-06-22 at 05:25 AM.