Originally Posted by
Veloria
I am trying to get a good feel for the history and evolution of the mixte bicycle. I have researched the topic online, but have not come up with much in the way of concrete information (dates, designs, credit for invention of various styles, etc).The earliest example of a mixte I have seen is the 1947 Rene Herse. After that, there is a 25-year information gap until the typical Peugeots, Motobecanes and various Japanese bikes of the 1970s. I even have some books about bicycle history, and they do not say much about the mixte other than mentioning its existence. Is there a source out there that has compiled some historical info? It can be in a language other than English.
Gosh, it seems like a lot of gender issues being raised without purpose or a whole lot of information. I don't have any solid reference either, but my understanding is that the French designers came up with the mixte design as a useful city bike. What I have gleaned from different comments on blogs is that the market was actually delivery boys in Europe during the war years. The twin tubes create a little better lateral stability, the third stay more strength for carrying loads, and the lower top tubes simply make it easier to get on and off a heavily loaded bike. That (and the fact that they look really cool) is why I found a Raleigh frame to build into a city cruiser for next summer. Of course, women jumped on because it was easier to protect their modesty getting on and off with dresses, but I don't think that had anything to do with the origin or purpose of the design.