I fully realize that I may be on a snipe hunt, but maybe you guys can help me out. I'm looking to build a sporty city bike for Mrs. Trotsky. Frame weight is important, and the frame must be a step-through due to back issues. Was anyone making mixtes or ladies' models from high quality, butted steel? I've seen a couple of Japanese mixtes labeled as 4130 Cr-Mo, but they don't indicate whether they're butted or straight-gauge. I think one was a Miyata and one was a Nishiki, but both seemed low on the totem pole models.

Does such a thing exist? Or am I better off looking for an aluminum frame?

I've seen a few high-end mixte/step-through frames, but they are not very common at all. Miamijim has (or maybe had) a nice Paramount step-through as well as a nice Bob Jackson mixte.

And Mrs. Cinelli's city bike, now owned by Citoyen du Monde, is not to be missed.

I almost bought an 80s Dawes mixte bike for my wife a few months ago of CL, but couldn't negotiate the price down enough. The seller wanted roughly fair market value, if you could imagine that. It was Reynolds 531--at least some of the tubes and forks, as I recall. Nice bike. Sort of regret not increasing my offer, even if my wife hasn't been on a bike ride in about year.

I think high-end mixte frames are more common on the continent, so you may want to at leaast keep an eye out for the international sites and hope the seller is willing to ship.

French constructeurs made these. Not sure if your budget is a Rene Herse budget or not.

Edit: A couple more leads -
Mixte bicycle | Restoring Vintage Bicycles from the Hand Built Era

It's not.

Mercian will build a bespoke mixte/women's frame, but it won't be cheap.

Gazelle used to have nice examples in their Champion Mondial line-up. This is from the 1984 catalog:

This one is pretty neat, though may be out of budget and looks like it could use an overhaul. Could be a fun project:
55cm Vintage 1950's French Mixte Constructeur FB Clement Titan Ideale Oscar Egg | eBay

Raleigh Super Course mixtes come up fairly regularly; they're 531 straight gauge frames and hi ten forks and stays.

1974 Raleigh Super Course MK II Mixte Vintage Road Bike | eBay

There's a nice Univega Gran Turismo mixte on my local CL. It is a full on touring bike with cantis, rack mounts, triple cranks, etc. It looks to be around a 1984. My Gran Turismo is a 1983 and it's double butted cromo, so I'd assume the mixte is too. I really want it, but I already made a mixte for my wife and can't use the excuse that it's for her .

Austro Daimler/Puch made some nice, full 531 mixte's. I see them on ebay from time to time.

[MENTION=172428]photogravity[/MENTION] has a very cool Claud Butler, butted 531. They do exist. I don't know if he could be persuaded to part with it.

Kettler, one of the main suppliers of bicycles in Germany, used to make an aluminum mixte. This was in the late 70s. Rather nice frames, made with normal-looking tubing, not the oversized tubing associated with later aluminum frames. Set up a permanent search "Kettler alu-rad" or "alurad" on ebay (there's nothing today).

My 1987 Miyata One Twelve mixte has a sticker that says triple butted chromo tubes & "manga light" fork. It was Miyata "Sports Touring" lineup (the One Hundred was the other). It has brazed on downtube shifters though & originally had drop bars, & 27" wheels.

I'm in the process of giving mine (22") a makeover - made 700c wheels using original hubs. Anyhow I don't know how much it weighs but I like it. Also took a triple/6-speed mountain freewheel & accompanying derailleurs off an '87 Miyata mtb., obtained a longer bb spindle and now my One Twelve resembled one of Miyata's dedicated tourers. Has full Shimano lineup on it.

Indeed, I do have a Claud Butler step-through sitting around.


Ladies Claud Butler - 1953 - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Ladies Claud Butler - 1953 - 6 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Ladies Claud Butler - 1953 - 7 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

Gorgeous, [MENTION=172428]photogravity[/MENTION]. PM sent.

Got the link?

Mom has what I believe is the Motobecane Grand Jubilee Mixte, probably from the mid 70's with the red and black paint scheme. As far as I can tell, it probably has Vitus double butted tubing, at least for the main tubes. It is relatively light. Of course, components are important too.

They show up on E-Bay from time to time.

Univega Mixte. It's pretty sweet, and the price is OK.

That CB is fantastic.

Oh, man, that is sweet and a good price for a touring, canti-brake mixte.

I've refurbished a 70's Schwinn World Tour & a 1986 Raleigh Pursuit step through frames. Neither one was very light but, they were nice bikes. I saw a mid 80's Centurion step through for sale a few months back. Wish I had got it.

I hope your wife appreciates your search for an extra nice frame for her mixte build. My wife wanted a mixte and I was not able to find anything double butted, etc. I did find a nice Puch in burgundy with gold lettering and pinstripe. She wanted it with index shifting, swallowtail bars and complementary colored grips and saddle. Did it. She wanted it blinged. Did it (polished components, KMC gold chain, brass crane bell, gold cables).

Has sat since completed. Sadly not ridden

Alternatively, new mixte frames are popping up more frequently. Since you're budget conscious, take a look at what Soma as to offer.
Buena Vista Frame Set | SOMA Fabrications. They have 2 models, $350 and $500.

If interested I also have a 49cm Schwinn Paramount step-through (not a true mixte).

Good looking ride. Is the shifting trigger? How many speeds? I have no experience with this type of indexing, but I suppose I'll need to learn. Some northroads bars can fit bar ends, right?