Here is a photo of an interesting Mixte. I waited for the owner for a few minutes in case they where nearby but they never showed.
http://www.flickr.com/
Stewart. Brooklyn NY USA
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 8:19 PM, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <
jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I think the discussion was that a mixte is usually understood to be a frame
> on which the toptube is replaced by two smaller lateral tubes that run from
> the headtube to a point halfway or more down the seatube and attach to the
> sides of the seattube. Usually these smaller diameter laterals also extent
> further to the rear DO's and attach there as well.
>
> Most Schwinn women's frames were not mixte in that they had a single curved
> tube about the same diameter as a conventional toptube, that ran from the
> headtube to about the same point on the seattube where mixte laterals would
> attach. Thus these Schwinn women's frames serve the same function as a
> mixte, but have a different construction. Some Italian women's frames had
> essentially the same construction as the Schwinns, while in France, Holland,
> Belgium, Britain, and to some extent Japan, one would usually see the mixte
> construction.
>
> As to whether mixte frames were specifically women's frames, the story I
> have heard is that these were originally made for commuting/basic
> transportation in climates where both men and women would wear long winter
> coats and long raincoats, Holland, Belgium and northern France for instance.
> Thus they were used by both men and women. Having never lived in those
> countries, I can't say if that is an accurate account or not. But certainly
> in the US and in the upscale markets in which bikes have been promoted for
> recreation rather than basic transportation, the mixte has been
> disproportionately targeted at females. But that doesn't mean that was how
> they originally began.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
> --- On Wed, 10/28/09, George Allen <jgallen@lexairinc.com> wrote:
>
> > From: George Allen <jgallen@lexairinc.com>
> > Subject: Re: [CR] Are Mixtes historically non sex specific?
> > To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 3:48 PM
> > I never understood the true purpose
> > of a mixte until my first trip to
> > Europe. It was in Florence that I watched a very attractive
> > lady wearing
> > an impossibly tight skirt walk down the street, unlock a
> > mixte and ride
> > off. The skirt never would have survived had she mounted
> > anything but a
> > mixte. The image is burned into my brain as if it were
> > yesterday. And
> > just to keep it on-topic, the mixte was one of those
> > ancient, lugged
> > city bikes ubiquitous to the continent. I can't really
> > think of another
> > reason to build a bike that way but I'm interested if there
> > are. BTW, I
> > believe there is a certain nomenclature concerning these
> > bikes. I think
> > it was Jerry Moos who disabused me of the notion of a
> > Paramount mixte.
> > What is it Jerry, a split tube? I have three on-topic
> > women's bikes: a
> > 1974 Cinelli, a 1977? Jack Taylor and a 1970's Paramount
> > and they are
> > all built differently but I think the Taylor is the only
> > one that is
> > definitively a "mixte". I think this Holdsworth is one too
> > but is built
> > differently still, what with the reverse seat post clamp
> > and the webbing
> > where the twin tubes meet the seat tube. I'll try to post
> > some pictures
> > of the bikes in the next few days.
> >
> > George Allen
> > Lexington, Ky
> > USA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Tom Sanders wrote:
> >
> > >Billy David remarked that "mixtes are unisex not female
> > specific". I really
> > >perked up my ears at this. I had not heard this
> > said before. I have
> > >wondered for years why more mildly physically
> > handicapped folks are not
> > >riding these instead of recumbents.
> > >
> > >Is this idea of the non-sex nature of them historically
> > true or is it just
> > >Billy's and my own opinion? It sure
> > could open up new choices for folks
> > >who have trouble swing a leg up over the seat,
> > etc. Are any of our American
> > >One Person Shops that I love so much building a high
> > quality Mixte? Could
> > >there be a new market there? I even like the
> > looks of some I have seen.
> > >Most seem kind of junky, but I have see a few that were
> > really great! A
> > >couple of years ago a really exciting Paramount Mixte
> > went through E-Bay for
> > >less than $500.in retrospect, I really wish I had made
> > a move on it, but my
> > >ideas on them were just nascent at the time.
> > >
> > >I haven't owned one (and then it was my wife's) for 30
> > years. How do folks
> > >find they ride and handle relative to a conventional
> > bike?
> > >
> > >Tom Sanders
> > >
> > >Lansing, MI USA
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
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