Faux Mixte sounds more impressive

Since that was the style preferred by the top constructeurs, it seems wrong to call it "false" anything.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...947083553f.jpg
Rene Herse

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...51d941c306.jpg
Camille Daudon

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...500665e430.jpg
Jack Taylor

I think mixties have the two down tubes

I think madpogue is right - It needs a whole new word of it's own ;)

Oh -- deux mixtes en chrome! <<swoon>>

Okay, final silly name idea - since the "midline" starts out as a single tube, then splits into two stays --

"Splixte"?

(Okay, I'll go outside and get some air now...)

OK - I'll play ......
From the French for "half" - How about a "Moitié" ?

No, no letters with accents; they confuse Americans.

So does music without singing.We can't cater to all of their whims. ;)

How about mono-mixte? Or is a single-mixed an oxymoron?

I suppose you're right - It's a hard word to pronounce anyway, accent or no.

How about another word I found on that list I looked up :rolleyes:
"Demi" is another French word for half - Demi-Mixte ?

I think what we really need here, is someone who actually speaks French ........

However I am Dutch i lived for years in France so speak some words.......

The French say ' meekstù ' (English phonetic). The 'ù ' is in fact the short natural ending of the phonetic ' t ' in a sharper way. Sounds like the u from urban but shorter and not like tee.

The bike (velocipède) was invented in France and so was the 'mixte', more a development in the demand of a utility bike in the country-side. Interesting story and still quite actual.
'Mixte' has a more lateral meaning than only the physical 'step through' height of the frame. Social and cultural the bike played an important role in the French style of living and had a big influence in the development of modern cycling.

Will explain in my next message if you are interested in the story.

Au revoir, Bastian

^^^^^ Okay, so a sort of half-syllable "uh" at the end, similar in pronunciation to, say, "quatre" or "outre", correct? That does sound right.

And yes, "the rest of the story" would be interesting.

As for a new name for the not-quite-mixte, why does it have to be based on French? The few modern examples I've seen are made by Nishiki and Schwinn, along with bg's Bianchi example.

Because the root name "mixte" is French ?
If anyone knows the Japanese translation for it, it could get interesting ......

Just say in phonetic English 'meekst' and hold the t a little bit, you will get the ù automaticaly. But sharp prounonciation.

The 'mixte' models became popular in the seventies all over Europe but were originated in France as a utility bike in the countrysite even before WWII. Later in the 50ties and 60ties these elegant bikes became popular among young women in Paris and the Cote d'Azur, south of France. It became a fashionable Lady bike and later in many countries the mixte was built like that. Also the cycling (cyclisme) became more popular for woman, also in racing. Because of the very strong, light and stiff frame the mixed was used as the platform for many woman race bikes.

About Japan, as far as I know, there is no dedicated name for the 'mixte' , in fact all the bikes (unisex) in Japan are lookalikes, I will ask Mihoko, a friend.

Not Japan, but I read somewhere that the vast majority of bicycles in Vietnam are mixtes, Of course, from the mid-19th century until just after World War II, Vietnam was French Indochina so that might be somehow related.

bastiaanson has done an excellent job explaining the pronunciation. 'Meext' is the easy bit; it's the 'e' that's hard to describe - like the 'e' in Porsche except not the way Janis Joplin (God rest her soul) pronounced it in 'Mercedes Benz' - "Ma friends all drive Porscheys, ah must make amends"! It grinds my gears, though, when hipsters pronounce it 'mixty' - it's only got two syllables and they manage to get them both wrong.

Incidentally, way off topic but re. Japan and pronunciation, I remember (I remember odd stuff) that somewhere on the forum noglider explained, even posted audio, that 'Tange', as in Japanese Tange tubing, is pronounced "Tan'geh" with a hard 'g', not "Tanj", which is the way I always thought it was pronounced.

I think Bianchigirll and palincss are both right, in their own way, about what Bianchigirll calls the 'faux mixte', with the single dropped top tube and twin stays - it was a direct evolution of the 'original' mixte which resulted in a more efficient but, to my eyes at least, less aesthetically appealing frame. So engineering-wise (and historically) it's absolutely the real deal but looks-wise maybe not quite so much.

Mind you, the above is splitting hairs when you look at Peter Weigle's lovely interpretation of that particular design:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...76c336e53e.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5dbd47af3a.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...740e33f6f5.jpg

^^^^^ A Weigxte!

(I dare anyone to call anything Peter Weigle makes "faux"....)

Indeed, many 'mixte' bikes in Vietnam, in the post colonial communistic periode it was the main and only personal transport. Remember the girl in the movie 'Good morning Vietnam', she had one (or a lookalike). At the moment nearly all the new retro mixte bikes we see in our shops are made in Vietnam, the industry is still there. And it seems that the small factories and workshops are familly owned on a small scale Fair Trade principle.

In Japan a lot of municipals of the big cities bought a city bike as emergency transport. A lot of people were stuckted after an earthquake, subway and trains didn't go and taxi's ....not available. So it was recommended to buy a bike in case of. They call them City Bikes, in Japanese '****ti Baiku', what's in the name. You buy them for about 10.000 yen (about $ 100) and are poor quality, allready rust before you finnish the payment. In contrast are the real cyclists, they prefer top-end bikes and spent an awfull lot of money, mostly famous European brands.

Interesting is the story about the Japanese/American brand SEKAI, founded in Seatle: there is a nice site about the small brand but I still cant sent URL or pictures. The name of this site is:
Sekai Bikes - Classic Rendezvous, please google. They also made real 'mixte"bikes.

Why is the Japanese word for City censured?

Iam looking for a Triumph USA bike, as a boy in the fifties I got one from my parents. During the wwII my grandfather was fighting in the Pacafic on board of a Dutch vessel and whenhe returned to Holland and took many stuff with him for the family. Includung a lady bicycle, black with gold striping and bartype brakes, a Triumph but not a British one, I remember the head bagde told 'Triumph USA bicycle Company".
Together with my two brothers we had to share the bike and we were very proud of the bike, showing all our frinds: This is an American Bike! If somebody has information about the brand I would appriciate to receive. I have a nice black and white picture of the bike but still have problems to sbmit.

Just two more posts until you can use image links. ;)

Try starting a new thread. I suggest using IMGur.com to upload your images.