Hi. I'm looking for your opinions on step-throughs in general and mixtes in particular.

My wife rode a nice British 3 speed in her college days (um, yeah, back when they were actually making them new). Since then, she has only ridden in the stoker seat of our tandems, until recently. After riding a Townie she recalled how much fun it is to ride on her own. One thought leading to another, it occurred to her that she might like to ride her own bike for touring, instead of always being on the tandem. But she still is not open to the idea of a diamond frame.

We're looking for a mixte, or other step-through, that would be suitable for multi-day tours. I have explained to her that there isn't (AFAIK) any such bike equivalent to my (wonderful) Miyata 1000...but maybe you know better?

I have seen the beautiful Rivendells, but it would be our preference to start with something a lot less pricey to see whether she enjoys it before moving up to the luxury market. (Actually, it would be my preference to find something from the 1980s 'golden age' of bicycles that she would fall madly in love with, and skip the luxury market altogether!)

(Yeah, I know that not everyone agrees with me that the best mid '80s bikes are the pinnacle of human achievement, but that's a different thread, right?)

So then...what do you think? Who made great "ladies" bikes that will be comfortable to ride 50 to 75 miles a day carrying about 1/3 of a couple's touring kit?

I remember putting flat bars on a Motobecane mixte in 1980.

Nice frame w/ a beautiful red paint job.

I'm sure there were others.

I just refurbished a Miyata triple butted mixte frame for my wife who also wouldn't ride a diamond frame.

I used some spare components with an 8 speed cassette on velocity rims and ultegra 600 hubs, 8 speed flat bar brifters, a compact crank, a Brook B67S seat SKS plastic shortie fenders and a Rivendell sourced brass bell. She is not a biker but rode it 25 miles on a bike trail with me Sunday and loved it. She felt secure without the bar and the bike all up is probably under 27 pounds. That isn't any flyweight but it is the same as my Bridgestone RBT. The only change I will make is to replace the compact crank with a trekking triple.

My plan is to tear it down this winter, powder coat it and reassemble, add a good looking bag and make some leather grips as a holiday present.

I rode the thing and it is a great bike to ride. I'm going to stash away a large mixte if I see one for me as my last bike 20 years from now. If you are near Boston 2 Peugeot mixtes followed me home last week.

I'd say go mixte!

Speaking from personal experience about riding the long distances...my Centurion LeMans mixte works quite well. I don't think it would have problems hauling around gear either, although I do NOT have any personal experience with that.

East Hill

There are a handful of high-end Mixtes that occasionally turn up for sale. I've seen a Holdsworth and Bob Jackson in real life, (and pics of others) made from 531 and with craftsmanship. But unless you get lucky, you won't find one cheap: most people know what they have and what it's worth. So why not get the best quality 80s Japanese mixte frame you can find and build it to suit her. I'm sure Miyata made them...check out the mrmixte thread (michael hendricks' happy place) for pics of some hot prospects.

I've got a NOS Legnano frame set that might fit the bill:

Yes, something along the lines of your Miyata would be nice. What model is that, and do you know the year? I didn't know Miyata made a triple butted mixte...a pleasant surprise.

Are the Peugeots U08s, PX10s, or something else? Do you like them?

I've always liked the looks of the Peugeots, but am a little concerned about the availability of french threaded versions of the bottom brackets I like. I'd want to put a Sugino XD triple on for her if I could.

I must be too eager or something...bikes never follow me home; I always have to be the pursuer!

That looks really schweet. Is she looking for a new home?

The paint is particularly nice looking.

I think the Legnano would look spectacular built up.

East Hill

I bought a Fuji mixte recently on ebay that is a 56 inch frame.. I'm sure they made smaller ones too. I could never fit that size in a men's diamond frame. The components are mostly Suntour and low to midrange in quality, but the frame is butted cromoly and the wheels are Weinmann alloy. The model is a Fuji Gran Tourer SE. I got it because I was intrigued by Grant Peterson's prediction that we would all be riding mixtes when we get old and I can't afford the luxury models. I'm also stashing it away to be my last bike.

Maureen

Yes, something along the lines of your Miyata would be nice. What model is that, and do you know the year? I didn't know Miyata made a triple butted mixte...a pleasant surprise.

Are the Peugeots U08s, PX10s, or something else? Do you like them?

I've always liked the looks of the Peugeots, but am a little concerned about the availability of french threaded versions of the bottom brackets I like. I'd want to put a Sugino XD triple on for her if I could.


I don't know the model of the Miyata but the components I looked at dated to 1986 from memory. Miyata, as you probably know Miyata pulled their own tubing and made some of the first triple butted tubing, or so I read. This frame is much lighter than the Bridgestones mixte I have that is suposed to be 4130.

I have a late 70's UO18 (UO8 mixte) and a late 80's that is internally lugged and alloy wheels and crank. Both have dropped bars and stem mounted shifters.

I know Harris stopped selling the universal bottom brackets but I know a couple of people who installed them without camfering and recommend them. At $17 it is a pretty reasonable solution.

It is, literally, NOS. Never been built. Not a mark on it. Even has a generator/light mount on the right side of the fork. I've been meaning to get around to it for about a year now, but so far I've been swamped with "other" stuff.

Note to EastHill - it has DT shifter lugs.

I'm on the fence about whether to keep it of move it along........

So it does...how big is that frame? Am I remembering correctly that it's a large frame?

East Hill

Agreed!

I'm thinking "and I'm just the guy to do it!"

Which way is the wind blowing? :-)

With her handy headlight mount, that Legnano is calling out for a Schmidt Original Nabendynamo, don't ya think? Such treasures await her if she moves in with us!

If you fall off the fence on the move it along side, let me know. I'll want to ask about some particulars, like seatpost diameter, threading, seat tube length, and so on...but I'd be interested.

I've seen pictures of a couple of Fuji mixtes...very nice. I have a real warm spot in my heart for Fujis, too. In 1975 I bought a Fuji "The Ace"...gawd, it was beautiful...and put many thousands of miles on it before giving it to my little brother so he could get into cycling when I bought a new bike for myself. It was promptly stolen out of his house in Brooklyn.

Fuji made amazing bikes in the 70s. I'm sure when Grant's prediction comes true for you, you'll have something great to ride.

Hi EH,

Are there pictures of your Centurion posted anywhere we could look at? I'm familiar with Centurion, but not that model.

Let me think about it some. I might be unemployed soon, so you never know......

Like unworthy said there are a few of those that turn up. I tried to buy a Jack Taylor Mixte with 531 that was on CL around here about 6-9 months ago. I thinK I offered the guy $350-$400 for it but he never got back to me. My wife's Centurion that I aquired from a trade with Bossman is a very nice Japanese Mixte. I ended up putting on Suntour Bar End shifters and a different bar and stem. Lokks sweet but too bad she doesn't ride it.

Good luck on the employment issue, Big.

There ya go!

East Hill

Nice bike; nice location. I'm envious!

Pretty neat solution for carrying the frame pump, EH.

Thanks for sharing.

Nice bike; nice location. I'm envious!

Pretty neat solution for carrying the frame pump, EH.

Thanks for sharing.

Lake Washington, at Enatai Park.

My husband decided I was not going anywhere on that bike without a pump...so the zip ties got pressed into service. Works quite well, actually .

East Hill