Are Mixties the New Collectables?
 

Vintage road bikes getting scarce and pricey round here so, maybe i should start collecting mixties?

Here's a Raleigh Radpido (?) mixtie for $120...
RALEIGH RAPIDO LADIES 10 SPEED

No. Mixte frames have been around a long time and I think they hit their popularity when Veloria of LovelyBike was obsessed by them. Interest has waned somewhat with the onslaught of high handlebar Dutch style bikes. Vintage mixtes generally command higher prices than their diamond frame men's equivalents.

They're popular with hipster women and around research university campuses, not so much in Red states.

You're most likely right. But man, i kinda like this one:

Peugeot Road Bike/////////

Always liked the boom bike Peugeot Mixte's. Ridden by well-to-do Brighton mums BITD around here. Upright bars, full guards, racks w elastic straps, dynamo lighting and wing nuts on HF Normandy hubs.

Just finished this Super Course MK II today.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/4675t4g0j96...%20PM.jpg?dl=0

The poor purple Panasonic is still wasting away in Fairfield, CA. Someone (who isn't prevented by work and family obligations and no budget) should go pick it up along with the yellow Miele in Vaca

I personally can't say about it here in Seattle, but they sure aren't dirt cheap and completely unwanted. I am a huge fan of mixte's due to the sloping 'top tubes' carrying from the head tube to the rear axle. Just a fantastic and confident aesthetic statement. Also, if the rear brake is mounted on the seat stay, then the brake cable makes a lovely (and whimsical!) 180° turn to meet the caliper (a la Schwinn Breeze among many examples). I've rebuilt one--a 1980 Fuji Gran Tourer SE--with sportier kicked-back flat bars (old, indoor photo) and really liked the look. Not as jazzed about drop bars, mostly as the rest of the bike is all about not being fast/serious/sporty and more about just being a comfortable leisurely piece of transportation.

https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...34451223_o.jpg

I do like the ones that have a center pull with the straddle cable going either side of the seat tube. It looks clever and well-integrated.

Yeah. That's why I like mine.
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/l7gfgzykw90...45_1.jpg?raw=1

The drop bars on the mixtes here have too much reach for the sake of symmetry and aesthetics.

Dallas ordinarily doesn't have that many Mixtes,

Also, Mixtes sometimes hide under other names on CL, "Unisex", "Woman" (woman's) and even "Lady" (lady's) , so sometimes, one doesn't see "Mixtes" because the seller doesn't call them that.

Or in this following ad, seller sells a "MixtY"

This below is interesting, the seller advertises, Sterling, I havne't heard of that brand, the seller actually has pictures of 3 different Mixte-type bikes.

Vintage Lady's mixty road bike

https://images.craigslist.org/00O0O_...m_1200x900.jpg

So, if one is truly interested in a Mixte, try the other search terms too.

----------

There are a few nice modern makers of Mixtes around too; I just saw one the other day. It's a time honored design.

----------

Columbus, Ohio, "girls...", though lady is then mentioned in the description.

Girls Raleigh Road Bike 27"/51 cm frame

https://images.craigslist.org/01616_...np_600x450.jpg

Back brake on this one is not where the purists like it.

So, if one is in the market, there's a bit of a trick in looking for one.

Random examples above.

Ladies , even this description is a bit tricky and doesnt' even read "mixte" anywhere.

I even found a Raleigh Mixte frame, sold cheap, the previous owner dipped it in paint or something. Kids do those kinds of things.

There's even a few different styles in the sub-genre, Mixte, I like the curves as on a few unique ones:
http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/83/19/72/01012.jpg
http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/83/19/72/00814.jpg

True, but the longer straddle cable reduces braking leverage.

I never liked them. There is a remote possibility of my snapping one up to strip it for the parts bin. Maybe a fixie flip.

Here's a Chiorda mixte, actually a Berceau frame with those bent twin laterals ("berceau" is French for "cradle"), that I built up into a mountain bike for my then-girlfriend back in '83. We sold it to a friend for his teenage daughter years ago and recently re-acquired it recently. I'd like to find a 23" mixte for myself for future use when I can no longer easily swing a leg over a diamond frame. I already have a ladies' 23" Raleigh Sport waiting in the wings for my 3-speed riding.

Years ago, I had a Raleigh Mixte that I restored & it took forever to sell. If I still had it, today, it would bring more than what what I sold it for,,,, MUCH more !

I would love to find a nice looking 80s mixte to refurbish and turn into a more upright bike. My wife or sister would ride the rubber off something like that for around town/neighborhood.

Bikers known to wear a doorag on ocassion would look strange on a mixte. :innocent:

An Hermés scarf would be totally acceptable.

Dunno about that. I do know the fiancee loves her Maruishi mixte that we built into a road touring machine, though!

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYRi8Wm3O...0/DSC00335.JPG

I've always thought one set up in a French porteur style would make a sweet city bike.

Mixtes really have an interesting frame design that make them timeless.

I actually have this tall (56 cm) and handsome mixte for sale in the C&V classified section, if anyone's interested.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...s/SAM_0587.jpg

That picture looks familiar, for some reason.

I generally don't post pics with her in it on here, but it was surprisingly the only good pic of the bike I have. I had a blog on my tour I posted in the Touring section, from the Wednesday entry, maybe you saw it there: Jeff's Journal of Europeaness: Wednesday: Oosterhout to Rotterdam

Unless of course you work in the same building as me and walk by my desk where it is hanging, then I'm busted on how I spend my days at work....

I love the look of mixtes. They look so much more purposeful than other step-through frame types.

From a riding point of view, however, you really need to watch out when buying one as there are vast differences in geometry. Some are quite sporty, but many seem to be built for upright cruising with a basket on the handlebars.

My favorite so far is mrs non-fixe's lowly Benotto '500 Lady' which has surprisingly steep angles and an uncharacteristically short head tube:

https://myalbum.com/photo/vxqhPH0qe1tn/1k0.jpg

Nice mixtes are becoming more expensive in my area. $120 wouldn't buy anything special.

Ha! No, I hadn't seen the actual picture, I just happen to live in Zuid-Holland ... :)