Above par mixte frames?
 

Hey all,

I've seen my fair share of run of the mill Raleigh, Peugeot and Centurion low end mixtes and I always love the style but there is hardly anything else impressive about them.

What can you guys recommend me in terms of a higher quality mixte frame

I'd like to pick up a higher quality vintage mixte frame to build up as a gift to my girlfriend. Happy to see that Soma and some other manufacturers are making new mixte frames but I'd rather have something genuinely vintage

Thanks in advance!

Rene Herse made many mixte bikes. IIRC Motobecane made a 531 framed mixte.

Raleigh made a 531 super course mixte as well. I think there is a picture of one in the "show us your super course" thread floating around somewhere on the first page of threads.

Yeah, Motobecane had a few I think. I know there is a Grand Jubilee mixte, I have seen one posted here before. I think Puch made one too, a sweet matte black Vent Noir. I had a Miyata 210 mixte once, not quite as impressive but definitely not bottom of the barrel either.

Velo Orange.

Paramount
Miyata
Peugeot w/ Reynolds if you can find one

Hetchins: http://www.hetchins.org/504mixte-02.htm

I found a triple butted Lotus mixte in elegant condition not so long ago. I'd wager all of the biggies made a few mixtes in good tubing, its just that they are in limited numbers and less likely to circulate in the garage sale or other used markets.

Mercian, if you can find one. These usually aren't in garage sales either (I've only ever seen one), but they are still made.

Jack Taylor made some nice ones, too.

There was a beautiful Claud Butler Magestique on ebay just a few days ago...

This link may last for a few days.

Nice.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...g?t=1268350534

This

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Austria/AD_V_Noir.htm

Another option worth mentioning is the Kettler Alu-Rad, an all aluminum bike made in Germany in the late 70's early 80's. They turn up on ebay occasionally (here's an example). They are pretty light, with a traditional mixte-frame made of aluminum.

The Paramounts are all step-throughs, not mixtes.

Almost all, a woman long long ago came into the bike shop for adjustments and she had a Paramount Mixtie, special order, fillet brazed like a Tandem.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/1660126492.html

Motobecane Grand Jubilee mixte... not bad...

This, but good luck...

http://ruedatropical.files.wordpress...erse-mixte.jpg

There's a Chrome moly DB Fuji mixte on today's Boston CL

what about this one? http://www.somafab.com/bvista.html I just wish it came in a color other than white

sorry the pics didn't load

http://www.bikeforums.net/buenavista_senorita.jpg

I'll toss in a couple more names; Holdsworth and Bob Jackson made 531 mixtes
and ask a trivia question:
What did the builders use on 531 mixtes to make the long "top tubes". Reynolds didn't draw special extra-long thin tubes of 531 just for mixtes, AFAIK.
So, is the set always a mix (with a couple non-531 tubes thrown in) or is the construction always a "hybrid mixte style" with a regular single down tube with a 2 more stays attached, or did they splice stays together to make the long tubes?
That Claude Butler (Holdsworthy, no doubt) sure seems to have a 531 decal on the forks, if nothing else.
edit: just looked at the eBay, pics, the decal says 531 frame tubes, so maybe that indicates a mix to include the 2 long ones made of something plain.

The Claud Butler that was on eBay apparently didn't sell or even attract any bids, at $275 asking, and is now re-listed....with a higher opening. Interesting selling strategy. :rolleyes:

Seller has imperfect feedback and doesn't inspire confidence from his description, but if it was possible to pre-inspect and pick up the bike personally, it could be a good deal, for a small-builder bike.

http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-SCHOOL-CLAUD...item414e1cf5cc

Most companies simply didn't make a mixte version of their bikes above the low-middle range. For example with Miyata the best mixte was the model 210. A mid to late 80s 210 would have a double or tripled butted cr-mo frame, 'managaloy' fork, cantilever brakes, a triple chainring, and might be as light as 25 lbs. Not exactly a racer but a nice bike. They don't turn up often, but something like that might be offered up cheap as 'an old women's 10-speed.'

That Claude Butler is a very nice mixte. Buyer beware with that seller, he has enough marginal and negative feedback that I would really want to do a local pickup.

I look for bicycles pretty much every day. I have found five mixtes in the last two years (at reasonable prices). My Centurion is the best one I have found. A couple were high ten steel frames, one Carbolite 103, one generic cromoly, and the Centurion. Mixtes are really hot in my area. So if you see what you are looking for, I would be ready to pay a premium for it over a comparable road bike.

Other than that, what is your budget? My Centurion Lemans mixte is pretty decent (I am keeping it). It has Champion 5 Tange frame, has a frame mount for the RD. It started as a frameset find off Craigs List.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/...8ba11259_o.jpg


With the help of a donor bike, it ended up like this:

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

Any Mixte with a chrome moly frame and alloy components is decent. You can add Panasonic to the list of manufacturers mentioned above.

not for sale but check out the one cassave is building....you will cry

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ilding-a-Mixte