Alt Bike Culture - could I chop the top tube on a mixte?
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andreubat
04-25-07, 12:03 AM
Hey,
I want to chop a mixte frame and convert it to fixed just for fun. At first I just wanted to chop the rear seat stays but I thought it would be fun to do away with the top tube.
my question: how severely would this affect the structural integrity of the bike... would I be able to notice significant flex on the first ride or would it just be a slightly weaker frame that I wouldn't have to worry too much about.
Heres what I'd be going for (original image from fixed gear gallery).
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6075/untitled1copymh5.jpg
Blue Jays
04-25-07, 12:05 AM
It would probably fold in half very quickly. If it was a free bicycle you could do it for kicks, but who wants to crash to the pavement without good reason?
andreubat
04-25-07, 12:09 AM
yeah, perhaps I will have to go with the original plan:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/241/untitled2copyie8.jpg
wethepeople
04-25-07, 12:10 AM
My friend has the same bike with the stays cut off and it;s holding up fine, and he's a big guy to.
East Hill
04-25-07, 12:16 AM
Interesting, wtp, I would have thought that a mixte without the stays would have been really unstable. I know I haven't had problems with 'whipiness' in my personal bikes, but the C & V folks claim that mixtes are really flexible under pressure (maybe I just don't abuse them that much?).
Andreubat, you'll just have to let us know how it turns out.
East Hill
wethepeople
04-25-07, 12:22 AM
It's either a Mixte or a Nishiki, but it's that exact color.
He also has the seat tube cut flush.
East Hill
04-25-07, 12:27 AM
The mixte is the frame type,
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0458.jpg
so it must be a Nishiki make. I don't have any Nishikis that blue colour though.
East Hill
mastershake916
04-25-07, 12:28 AM
I've seen people cut off the top part of the seat-post and one of the set of seat-stays, but cutting off the top-tube is not something I would do.
nugenhipsta
04-25-07, 09:54 AM
i have a peugeot mixte frame sitting around, and i was thinking about doing pretty much the same thing. i thought about making it into a 20" chopper, but instead itll look similar to that univega, the top tube-equipped version (ive been bit by the fg/ss road bike bug). at least i know it can be done...
I would worry about the extra force that you exert while riding fixed, especially if you aren't a fan of brakes...
I would recommend not chopping it if you plan on going fast enough that when the bike breaks in half you don't kill yourself or someone else.
Would be fun to try though :)
I kind of want a "fixte". Maybe I'll build one "for my wife".