Hi All,

My wife has expressed that she loves the Mixte look, and as such, I am now in search of a nice Mixte frameset. What I am curious to know is about quality and ride comfort.

It would seem that there are a number of quality levels to choose from, so I am looking to hear from Mixte riders as to what they think are the better makers/models to look for.

Of course we are looking for something vintage and has nice detailing ! I'm mostly concerned with the frame, as I have plenty of vintage components to work with, and it will likely receive Nuovo Record goodies and 700c wheels, along with custom paint job....my point being, that I'm not worried about how a model was equipped, just ride quality.

Thanks in advance for any input on the matter !!

Cheers,

Joe

how about a framesize to start with?

I got a mixte under my wife that is too small for her-its a 55cm

lugged Crescent with braze ons,
57-58 in mixte is not so easy to find

I built up a really sweet mixte for my wife in 2008 and its the only bike she will ride. Its only a 10 speed but she says its the most comfortable bike she has ever ridden. I got the frame free from Bigbossman what a guy and built it from there. Powdercoated the frame and fork for less than $100.00 got a sweet Shimano Crane rear derailleur and Suntour front can't remember the model. The ride is a lot more stable than a regular ladies step through frame because of the double toptube and the extra triangle tubes. This bike sports a 27" wheelset with Panaracer Pasels TG tires. Sorry for the long winded answer but as I said she loves this bike. I found some bartape to match the cables and also some pink hoods too that I ended up having to order them from France,surprisingly inexpensive and shipping was next to nothing.

I had about four mixtes at one point, all Japanese. Although they did come in low to mid range tubing (Hi-Ten, Champion 5, Tange 900), I found them to offer a stable and cushy ride. 26" wheels made them even better. The Nishiki Olympic Royale had forged Suntour GT dropouts, chrome fork, and the beautiful Suntour V-GT derailleur. The Nishiki Riviera also had forged dropouts and a very impressive Suntour ratcheting stem-shifter set. Both also had braze-ons for fenders.

If your wife isn't a bike connoisseur, I would also recommend the venerable Suntour components like the V-GT, Cyclone (1st/2nd gen.), Sugino fluted crankset, XC thumbies, etc. Well made, classic designs, and most importantly, they work well.

While a frame made with Columbus or Reynolds would bring in the wow factor, the humble Japanese mixte, for me, fills your two requirements: comfort and quality. I don't know if Peugeot made a U08 mixte but if they did, that would be another fantastic option. The road frame U08 rode incredibly well for me.


55cm? Riviera

57cm? Olympic Royale

53cm? Shogun 500

Mainly I posed the question to find out what I might be looking for in terms of ride and quality....but size wise, anything in the 53-55cm range will work pretty well.

I ask because many of the contributors here have a great deal more knowledge then I do, including yourself, and I value that experience.

Also, I have been thinking it may be a good opportunity to build up a IGH rear / dynohub front wheel set. I've seen some sweet set ups done by other BF members !

Thanks,

Joe

Yes ! Thanks for posting String and Veloh....just the kind of info I'm looking for !

Since we will be relocating to the Seattle area next year, it will have full fenders, lighting, and at least a rear rack. I will be doing a custom paint job, so as long as the frame I find is not damaged, the condition of the finish is unimportant. In fact, the green one that Stringbreaker posted is just a shade or two darker than the color I plan to use ! Once I find the right frame, I will post progress photos of the build. I'm hoping to make this a Christmas present

Cheers,

Joe

Fenders, rack, lighting, 650b or 26 in. wheels, IGH hub, chain guard (velo-orange has a beautiful one), mudflaps, bar-end/tumbies, cork/leather grips, plush saddle (very important to women from my experience), kickstand, and a front canvas bag.....my ideal setup.

This is probably the most beautiful mixte I've seen:
https://royalhcycles.com/?p=234

Austro Daimler made a very nice high end mixte, the Vent Noir, with Reynolds 531 tubes and nice box lining.

Shame Im here in Finland, I got the bike and several IGH's and dynohubs,
spreading mixte frames can be challanging due to their strength.
I got plenty of used IGH's if you want one!

Finding a high quality mixte can be a real challenge. Most made between the war and the mid seventies were entry level stuff and ride alright but were not the high end tubing of the time; Reynolds 531 or Columbus. Motobecane Grand Jubilee and Raleigh Super Course Mixte's were both made from 531 tubing, but are really hard to find. Most of the mixte frames out there are really good, are built around touring geometry and ride really well. My son has a Raleigh Gran Prix that he likes. You just have to search. These days, Soma produces the Buena Vista frame and Rivendell produces the Betty Foy, other than those, I don't know.

Marc

My wife's aunt had this older Peugeot sitting there unridden for the last twenty years.

My wife decided she wanted a very inexpensive town bike for shopping and the Farmer's market.

Extended duty for city trail riding.

I put a few $$s into this one to square it away and she loves it.

So for $60 or so, here's the Peugeot.

There really are not a lot of quality levels to choose from in mixtes, 99% of them are entry level to lower end. 1% are something special, and the really special ones are extremely hard to find.

In addition, about 90% of them were in the 19 inch frame size, since you want something larger, that is going to make the hunt more difficult.

So short of paying an ebay price, finding a 55cm mixte is going to take a while, and finding a higher end one? Tougher still.

I just came from the BikesDirect.com website (on a different matter). They're selling Windsor mixtes for as low as $199. You could sell the stock components you didn't want/need (I'ld buy the wheelset, crankset & bottom bracket).

Those look pretty good and with 4130 chromoly frame they should ride like a dream

Its actually not that dark it was the flash and the pic was taken in our basement. That color is call granny smith green and it has a metallic fleck in it which is call Adams Gold top coat. It still looks great after 4 years of riding.

Actually, I made a mistake on the size....went and measured her road bike, 52cm frame, so in a Mixte, I would guess that anything from 49-53cm would work. I always think she's taller than she is !

Ah. Well the color I will be using is called Colima Lime. A light metallic lime yel/grn sort of color. The same as used on the Land Rover Evoque. I will probably use it along with a cream color, with a hint of pearl in some sort of two tone or accent. Honey brown Brooks saddle and leather bar tape, and matching brown leather toe cage protectors.

Havent decided on the fenders yet....either wood with a lot of marine clear coat, or the Velo Orange.... I'm leaning toward the wood to keep the tones warm, but still undecided.

Joe

This 1980 5 speed Raleigh Sprite isn't a bad Mixte. I flipped it recently and it rode well. You can get a decent example in the $100-$150 range in my area of the country.



Here is a good Mixte thread to review...

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...happy-place%29

Just wanted to say THANKS to all who have posted ! It is exactly the info I was hoping for, and now I have some idea of what models I am looking for. I will go and have a look at BikesDirect as well. That sounds like a pretty darn good deal, considering what some of the vintage Mixte prices are anyway.

Thanks again for all the ideas and input !

Joe

I've seen two 58cm Gazelle Mixtes with 531 tubes show up on Ebay. Both were listed out of the Netherlands.

Thanks for the offer...yeah too bad you are in Finland !
Yes, I know I will have to be careful spreading the frame....especially since the rear hub I am looking at is the Sturmey 8 speed with drum brake. - probably the most expensive part of the build, but I think well worth the money in the long haul.

Joe

Unless you live in Summerlin, do you really need more than even three speeds? IMHO, while the guys here sweat the details like frame tubing material, components, 700 or 27" rims, the vast majority of women mixte buyers/users for the most part want style and comfort. In Vegas, it barely rains so are aluminum vs. steel rims that critical?

I have ridden/reconditioned/sold the Japanese made Nishiki Century, Centurion DX, Fuji, Shogun, and Zebranko Grand Sport. Also Raleigh Grand Prix, Record, and Sprite. Also, countless Peugeot U-18s (U-08 equivalent), Peugeot Iseran Carbolites, and Motobecane Mirage and Super Mirage. IMHO, the French bikes standout, with the U-18s and Super Mirages being the most responsive and fun to ride.

Publicbikes.com makes some great looking new mixtes with IGH.

And if you build one frame up, here are two production Peugeots to inspire you.

I have had a half dozen mixtes pass through my hands (and still own 2 of them), all but a Motobecane were Japanese built, and while not made of high-end tubing were very nice to ride.
I still have a Bridgestone and a Univega, and have sold a Fuji, a Nishiki, and a Centurion. I don't think you can go wrong with a vintage Japanese bike.

If you want to go new, the Soma Buena Vista frameset is pretty nice. Tange Prestige, (Tange Infinity fork) sporty handling. I had this built with a SA 5speed hub. My wife loves it.(So do I- it's really fun to ride!)

Yes, as mentioned in a previous post, we're relocating to the Seattle area, and will be dealing with the wet weather and the hills, so in addition to having a comfortable ride, I want to give her more gearing, good braking and not have as many worries about rust, etc. Also, by looking for the better quality frame, it will help minimize the weight where possible.
Nice looking Peugeot !

Thanks,

Joe