base2 

I've got the mixte on the brain & I just can't quite shake it. I think a classic styled drop bar mixte frame built to modern standards like 1&1/8 threadless, disc brakes & carbon forks with sporty/aero-ish "endurance" geometry would be the bees-knees.

Soma Fab seems to be the only place that has a mixte of any kind on offer with their Buena Vista model. The "purchase" button redirects to a "404" error.

Rivendell is perpetually out of everything. It's a wonder they can stay in business...Even if I wanted to sit bolt-upright like the Omafiets Grant has decreed is the only "proper" fit, any tech newer than 1993 seems to have escaped him.

The ancient mixte's at my co-op rock heavy 1010/1020 gas pipe noodle frames of long obsolete "standards" in anything other than what would be considered an ergonomic "sporty" fit.

What gives?

Is there any True Temper OX Platinum, Reynolds 853, or Vari-Wall ThermLX, mixtes out there suitable for fast gravel & spirited group rides?

Though I have a surplus of weight-weenie goodies in the parts bin, I have the feeling most self-respecting frame-builders would laugh me out of their shop for asking such a request that defies convention...That it defies convention is sort of the appeal, if I'm being honest. But I want to be armed with a scratch pad of examples &/or a handful of lugs should a custom order prove to be the only path.

Short of a custom build, is there any honest-to-goodness modern mixte's for sale in 2023?

Edit for clarity: Step-through & mid-step bikes are down the hall to the left. I specifically am asking about the 2 tubes from the top of the headtube extending to the rear dropout in classic French style.

retswerb

Soma's site has some quirks, but at least certain sizes of the Buena Vista do seem to be available: Soma Frameset Buena Vista (Rim Brake) White | Soma Fab Shop

dedhed

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2510209.m570.l1313&_nkw=reynolds+531+mixte&_sacat=0


​​​​​​https://www.traditionalcycleshop.co.uk/pashley/pashley-aurora-oldenglishwhite

seypat

Plenty of high level mixtes BITD. Here's one listed on a thread in C & V. Most of your modern CF frames have enough of a sloping TT that there's not much of a difference between them and a mixte anyway. Plus modern design, at least for the TT is in the wider is better camp at the moment. They'd probably go with just 1 tube about the size of a 2 x 4 instead of dual smaller tubes between the headtube and seattube.

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/pr...er_share&rt=54

bargainguy

https://handsomecycles.com/products/she-devil-frameset

Would double-butted 4130 work for you?

chaadster

Yeah, there used to be many, like back in the 70s and ‘80s. Peugeot were big around my town, and my sister had a Lotus mixte which had Columbus tubing, as I recall.

As for today’s high-performance, though, I don’t think so. Modern mixtes are retrostyled even if they use cromo tubing; 1” head tubes, steel forks, and stuff like that.

I ran into Polish brand Creme at a bike shop in Riga Latvia, and they make a nice looking, decently tubed, classically sporty mixte called Echo. They have pics of a drop bar variant, but I don’t see it in the lineup, just flat bar:

https://www.cremecycles.com/lady-echo-series,22,pl.html

Linus also make a handsome mixte, but Hi-Ten tubing. A lady in my hood has one in a khaki green color and looks so good riding it!

https://www.linusbike.com/collections/mixte-3i-mixte-7i

Custom would be the way to go for a performance mixte frame, I suppose. Dunno who, exactly, but seems like any skilled builder could do one, but would probably have to fish around for all high-end tubes, as I’d suspect they’re not many that have the long, thin, Tt-to-rear triangle tubes. As a styling exercise, I think that’d be a cool project.

tangerineowl

There was a german brand that did a carbon mixte disc frame/set a few years back. Ultra-rare though.

Noticed on the Rodriguez site the other day, a couple of their gravel/adventure steel custom frames can be done in a mixte style.
I assume they can do these using their high-end steel tubing options.

3alarmer 

...the classic French mixte design, if you take a good look at it, is going to have more frame flex than a diamond frame. I've seen 531 Reynolds mixte bikes, Raleigh sold one for a while. But it's not how I would design a bicycle if I were interested in reducing frame flex.

stevel610 

Bamboo one in this video from Zach Gallardo.

dedhed

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155324741...d&toolid=10049

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-place-59.html

Vintage Schwinn

base2:

Give yourself credit for having a very good idea!
Why the hell would "respected frame builders laugh you outta their shops" for suggesting a very realistic & practical, potentially marketable product, albeit to a niche market until the stigma of the mixte being seen as a non pro-style bike fades somewhat.

Base2, you have good ideas from time to time, and your factual details, suggestions, and other related input is significantly helpful to the bikeforums community and the greater vast bicycle world, internet user that stumbles across your input and suggestions.
You don't need to worry or have any need to be anything but confident as a damn good idea is a damn good idea. Only a fool would dismiss it as having no merit, and only a dumbazzzz would think of laughing you outta their shops. Sure, they might not see it as being viable as a product that their clientele would accept, so perhaps you may encounter push-back in that they may not wish to build it for you as they may be afraid to place their "name" on to a bicycle frame that the public(their clientele) might deem not high end-forward thinking-high tech enough. I do think that you might find that one out of four top frame builders might accept such a project to build you your state of the art mixte. The others, I suspect would not do it due to the possible undue criticism that they potentially think might come their way once said custom one-off high tech mixte gets every idiot and his half-wit brother commenting in a 43 page forum thread post about how the great XYZ frame builder is losing his touch and his marbles because he stupidly designed a high tech mixte......come on, what serious cyclist would ever consider a mixte......has there ever been a mixte in the tour de france.....thus it can't be considered a serious bike.....---That is the typical kind of 43 page garbage thread that they may fear that could do their stellar reputation as a frame builder serious harm that makes them wisely consider the possible consequences and potential negative fallout.
.....Hey, if you don't have the intestinal fortitude and backbone to stand up with your great idea..........well then its doomed from the start and you have zero chance for success................... in the future,.someone may eventually come along with a similar or even the same idea but again if they are afraid or wishy-washy about possible criticism that they might receive...., ......again it may be doomed until someone confident enough comes along to convince other(s) that his/her idea is outstanding and practical.
No doubt about it, base2, your suggested idea for a modern mixte is indeed a great one!!!

veganbikes

Any good frame builder is going to say "hell yeah let's do this project" If they are doing only stock builds maybe not so much but a custom builder would build you something awesome to your specs. It may not be a traditional mixte with the dual tube "top tubes" but could be quite a fun project. If looking at steel Bilenky would be a good choice. In fact the road bike they show under bikes is a step through/mixte frame.

Vinnems

Mixte is just a frame style. No reason you can't slap a nice group set on one and go hard.

chaadster

Check out Chapman Cycles’ Instagram feed, it’s awesome; the craftsmanship is fearsome! Anyway, he’ll make you a mixte:

https://www.chapmancycles.com/2017/0...e-basket-bike/

seypat

Did the OP ever explain why he/she has mixte on the brain?

Darth Lefty 

I started a thread like this a few years ago. The overall answer is particularly nice bikes were from a custom builder and not a factory bike. There were factory bikes that were better than junk with straight gauge chromoly tubing, forged dropouts, and middling components.

1970s
Motobecane Grand Jubilee
Motobecane Grand Touring
Raleigh Olympian
Puch Vent Noir (531)
Peugeot PK65 and PR65 (531)

1980s
Univega Viva Sport
Miyata 100
Sanwa Classic
Shogun (chromoly, Deore group)
Trek 420L
Lotus?

1990s
Koga-Miyata Traveller (loaded touring)

2000s
Soma Buena Vista frame set. Rim and disc brake versions. There was briefly a complete bike in the mid 2010s.

base2 

Thank you all!
There is so many good suggestions here. Many makes, models, builders I had never heard of. Far too many to "at mention" or quote each of you by name. It will take some time to digest everything that is in this thread.

Your encouragement is very much valued and it feels good to be such good company.

I see that Rob English has 2 projects in his portfolio that look interesting. Rodriguez is also very near to me. (Their work is outstanding, BTW.) But I also see that, thanks to you guys, maybe, a version 1 or version 2 test bike may also prove to be a worthy venture as well.

I got to thinking on some of the potential complications. There will be more to follow as things progress. This could be a very interesting adventure before it is done.

I'm feeling bold.
I'll keep this thread updated when things coalesce into action.

base2 

Frame flex in the proper direction is a feature. It's called "vertical compliance." A mixte uses a cantilevered double triangle design. This level of compliance is something current gravel bike manufacturers strive for with dropped stays, long seat posts, & other unique innovations of frame design. All invented for traversing cobbled streets & rough, uneven or inconsistent terrain. The goals are the same, even if the execution is different.

In the wrong direction it's called "noodle-ness" & leads to vague non-confidence inspiring handling as the front & rear of the bike try to ride in different planes. That's the reason for the desire of modern metallurgy with large diameter strong tubing, stiff carbon forks, tapered headtubes, stout large bore cranksets etc... escape the historical limitations of the materials of the time.

It seems the 2 innovations would compliment each other nicely. Historical design & modern advances.

I don't know why. It was a fleeting thought 18 months ago...& now it's "in there" & it's taken to waking me up from time-to-time. At the very least, it's a vehicle to learn new things from. And that's good enough as any reason, I should think.

seypat

I have 2 vintage mixte frames. One made from Tange Infinity. The other from Tange 900. Both are nice riding frames. If you can find one with a RD hanger from a reputable company, go for it. For gravel, you might even prefer Tange 2 over Tange 1 depending on what size of rider you are.

seypat

The best thing to do is get a vintage one, and soup it up with some parts. Ride it and see if it does what you want it to do. If it does, you can find a company to make/sell you a modern one and spend some real coin.

Most of them came with 27" x 1 1/4" wheelsets. You can put 700s on and still have room for big tires.....and fenders.

seypat

https://khsbicycles.com/bikes/2024-k...ape-disc-2024/

Trsnrtr

I ride with a woman who once owned a mixte made by Waterford. She's since owned a few regular bikes. No idea what happened to the Waterford.

Darth Lefty 

One challenge with the design brief is that the fittings and tubing may not exist. Bike tube sets come in lengths and butting appropriate for diamond frames. There’s no 853 butted mixte side tube that’s 3.5 feet long. That part is going to be straight 4130. Without lugs the joints get tig welded or fillet brazed

I reorganized my list in the prior post and added a few

seypat

OP's question might get better answers in the framebuilders forums.

base2 

Indeed. That is one of the complications. But there are Columbus Spirit ovalized down-tubes available in as many as 44mm in diameter. As well as stainless Columbus XcR chainstays as tall as 30x18mm. I really don't know enough to know if I'm on the right track or not. But it seems to me that would take care of the noodle-ness. I'm sure there must be equivalents from the other big names as well.

From there, seat-stays/seat-tube would probably be standard fare. Then, I think you're right: The side/top tubes would be a compromise 4130 or best available.

The brake mount may be a challenge too. *Thinking out loud* Flat mount seems the lowest profile to fit under the side/top tube. Maybe a larger rotor would be necessary to move the caliper further from the pointy end of the triangle. Maybe the tube would need to join the seat-stay above the dropout...

I sold a Bill Boston tandem that had this:
IMG_E0401 by Richard Mozzarella, on Flickr
I see no reason a flat mount caliper couldn't work within this arrangement.

It's been said: "Confidence is that feeling you have before you fully understand the situation."
I think it may be time to send a few emails to gauge response.