You may recall my "before" photo of Marianne in Post #35. Well, here she is after her spa treatment!

http://queenmargot.com/velovelo/MarianneJuly3.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/velovelo/MarianneJuly2.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/velovelo/MarianneJuly5.jpg

1981 Motobecane Mirage mixte, fitted with Panaracer Pasela Tourguard tires, fluted Hinjo fenders, and Brooks Flyer
Special saddle. The saddlebag is a Carradice Barley, the bell is a brass Japanese "watch-winder" style bell, and the
enormous retro-looking headlight is a Low Rider "Bullet" by SunLite. The bars are wrapped with Cinelli cork tape in
"celeste", treated with amber shellac to turn into an organic-looking olive green and secured with cooking twine.
The flowers are faux cherry blossoms from a craft store.

They still have those on eBay, but not white you lucky dog...

That is simply GORGEOUS!!!:love:

That is WICKED COOL!!!!!:thumb:

Very inspiring builds you two!

pardon the fixed gear conversion, a friend gave me this bike and I salvaged what I could. my girlfriend's town bike

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2008/sep...rances_2-1.jpg

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2008/sep...rances_2-2.jpg

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2008/sep...rances_2-3.jpg

Fixies are awesome! it could use another paint job though IMHO

just starting out with mixtes
 

but I love 'em.....anybody know the history/origin of the style????

Three mixtes in the fleet right now. Two Peugeots, and a Centurion. A couple more have passed through the shed recently, a nice Schwinn and a Panasonic.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/...800fc950_o.jpg





http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/...f9b46ca7_o.jpg




http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2592/...2425f84e_o.jpg

There was a HISTORY OF THE MIXTE thread last year but the origin is a little vague and there is no documentation to back this up. As nearly as I can get it, the design appeared in France during the thirties. Somewhere I learned that they were originally delivery bikes, the lower twin tubes making frequent dismounts easier and providing more lateral strength. The additional stays strengthen the rear triangle for heavier loads. After the war the design persisted as a "women's" touring model with most manufacturers. The term "mixte" is French of course, and has been used to denote different genderless applications and technologies for centuries. I love mine and ride it almost everyday.

The Mixte frame is a very old frame design that came out of the "Cross Frame" designs of the late 1800's early 1900's. On this page http://www.rijwiel.net/kruisfre.htm
If you look at the illustration, from a Dutch magazine, of cross frame designs at number 33, it is a Mixte frame. That article dates back to 1901. But, I don't think "Mixtes" really started seeing much production until the mid 1930's. If you go down to the link on the page that says "Different types of cross frames" it takes you to the next page and explains it all a bit more.