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Old 03-22-20, 09:33 AM
  #49  
Doug Fattic 
framebuilder
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Niles, Michigan
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One thing you need to know when buying your mixte is your saddle height. I measure from the center of the bottom bracket (the center of the crank) to the top of the saddle along the center of the seat tube. For a lady of your height this distance will probably be around 75cm give or take a couple of centimeters. Once you set your saddle height on the bike you are going to test ride, your next problem is your handlebar height. It is going to want to be at least as high as your saddle - and depending on how aggressive you ride maybe a centimeter or 2 higher. Being able to get your handlebars up to this height is related to your frame size. If your frame size can will not allow the handlebars to get up that far then your frame is too small and you need to find a larger size. Having the handlebars in the wrong position is a common reason a rider is not comfortable and as a result does not enjoy cycling.

You will notice that there are 3 general shapes of handlebars with many small variations within those categories. Your last 2 pictures show 2 of the 3 types. The top picture of the Ycenna shows a straight bar similar to what Americans use on mountain bikes. The Peugeot bicycle on the other hand has bars that sweep back in an M shape. For upright more casual riding I prefer that shape over a straight bar because it takes some pressure off of my hands. The 3rd category is traditional drop bars like the Hetchins or others in some of the 1st set of pictures. These are the kind of handlebars used for longer and faster rides.

The Dutch often have transportation bicycles with M shaped bars because they use them to ride to work at a fairly slow speed (like the effort used in walking) so they don't arrive all sweaty. If on the other hand you are going to use this bike for exercise and longer recreational rides you will probably prefer drop bars which put you in a more powerful aerodynamic position. So the question you need to answer and I am curious is what kind of riding do you want to do with a mixte bicycle?
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