Bob and Norris both raise interetsing and important points.
In Eugene, OR (my home from 1969-1978), the entry-level Peugeot UO-8s sold at Collins Cycle Shop came with drop bars and so did many of the UO-18 mixtes. Of course, the fashion then was to fit drop bars to everything on two wheels, and upright bars were relegated to three-speeds and cruisers, but as Bob pointed out, the extra reach and drop really killed cycling for many women I knew. TT length is not an isolated variable, but must be considered along with stem length, bar type, and much more.
Norris Lockley's account of Peugeots imported into the UK is intriguing. I could not attest to what bars came on UO-18s of the period--I traded the bars on my mom's early 1970s mixte for bars with less flare and a more straight-back grip, but I do not know what type the stock bars were. (I think the stem was a 7 CM, however.) The Rivendell "Priest bars have straight-back grip that better fits my wrists, which did not like the original bars. (I needed the extra reach, too. Ergonomics trumped the authentic original equipment ethos.)
Knowledge of proper bike fit was much less widespread then, and less was known about ergonomics and fitting. Much less importance was paid to proper fit and almost none to women-specific design, especially in the manufacture of mass-produced bikes. We have all benefited from the intervening decades of progress in ergonomics, biomechanics, design, and more enlightened attitudes toward women as the equals of men in athletics and other pursuits. We were younger then, but not wiser, IMHO.
Jon Spangler glad that ergonomics, bike fitting, and bike products' gender- diversity have improved since 1971, and still in Alameda, CA USA
On Oct 31, 2009, at 12:59 PM, Bob Hanson and Norris Lockley wrote:
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:30:38 -0400
> From: <Stronglight49@aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Mixte questions: sizing, ride
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Message-ID: <bdd.5e7a2d98.381dea5e@aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Just a quick comment on Jon Spangler's observations...
>
> The longer "effective" top tube lengths on most Mixte bikes
> seems to be ideally suited to (and likely were intended for)
> flat Porteur-style handlebars and a more upright riding position.
> My own P18-c (which was specified with drop bars) forces
> an extremely long reach for the measured seat tube height
> of the bike.
>
> I think the addition of drop bars fitted onto later models,
> was a concession for Ladies wanting to have a more "sporty"
> looking bike... perhaps this was mostly a marketing decision.
>
>
>
> BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:46:07 +0000
> From: Norris Lockley <nlockley73@googlemail.com>
> Subject: [CR] Mixte frames - ride quality and handlebars
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Message-ID:
> <29cfc1e00910311246i6d0ed0efo5bd839c9f48befbc@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
>
> For several years in the late 70s all Peugeot Mixte bikes delivered
> into the
> UK were equipped with HELVETIA model bars.
>
> Thes in plan view resemble porteur bars but are slightly wider and
> taper
> slighlty outwards at the grips. Additionally instead of being flat
> they drop
> away by about an inch or, if reversed they rise by the same amount.
> The bars
> were generally mounted on relativelt short, around 70mm, ATAX
> stems. In this
> way thew grips reached well back from the centre-line through the
> bars.
>
> The bars proved unpopular with UK dealers so the bikes were euqipped
> afterwards with either Allrounder straight bars or drop type.
>
> I ride with the Helvetia bars in their proper slowing down position
> and find
> them extremely comfortable. Of course I hace CLB reverse brake levers
> stuffed into the bar ends.
>
> Norris Lockley
>
> Settle UK
Jon Spangler Writer/editor Linda Hudson Writing
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