I just bought a mixte!

EKE_38BPM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0522429829

Cafewanda

Skirt and shaved legs to follow?

rjsterry

Saw a lady riding this exact model this morning. Reminded me of Fou de Fafa.- the Conchords song not the, err, Singapore restaurant.

EKE_38BPM

Cafewanda wrote:

Skirt and shaved legs to follow?

Probably. Its for one of my cousins and she is a skirt wearer. I cannot confirm whether she shaves her legs.

Today has been a busy bike buying day for me. I've bought this mixte and it looks like my friend has taken my advice and will at least go to look at Admonall's bike.

Now, if this man 'flu would go away once and for all, I'd be able to go for a ride to enjoy the weather.

gtvlusso

Love this:

A "Harry 10 Misty" decal is on the seat post.

Wonderful!

EKE_38BPM

The bike is very nearly exactly what I was looking for. A kick stand, basket and rack would have been perfect.

My cousin is a creative type and is already thinking of colour schemes to prettify it.
She's a photographer, so don't be surprised if there are some very arty shots of it posted on here at some point in the future.

Now to persuade her that a 7 mile ride to work is not impossible.

EKE_38BPM

Update:
I've just collected the bike and apart from a squeeky rear brake, its ready to go.

It has a kick stand and the foam grips have perished so will need replacing. I'm unsure if I should take out and relube the BB and headset, because I'm not sure it needs it.

I'll take the chain off, clean, lube and replace it, clean the cassette, grease the cables, give the (steel) wheels a light rub down to remove the surface rust, remove the "Harry O" sticker and generally go round it giving it some love and then I'll hand it over to my cousin (in exchange for £60). I may ask my Mum to re-upholster the saddle (coz she has skillz like that).

I hope she'll like it, but I think she'll love it!

rolf_f

EKE_38BPM wrote:

It has a kick stand and the foam grips have perished so will need replacing. I'm unsure if I should take out and relube the BB and headset, because I'm not sure it needs it.

I asked the good folk at Spa cycles that very question about a BB. They told me not to bother and instead just sling a load of gearbox oil down the seat tube! Not sure how long that will last but it certainly smoothed things up!

What I would say is that on the bike I was doing up, there was no sign of any liquidy gooey greasiness anywhere. I certainly would pull the forks out and see what condition the headset bearings are in. Another bike I did up (a not very high mileage Peugeot) had a cracked crown race. Needed a whole new headset. Wouldn't surprise me if the race was cracked when it left the factory but I certainly wasn't going to leave it there!

And you'll grease the hub bearings won't you?

EKE_38BPM

Yeah, I'll give the hub bearings a greasing as part of the general love!

Also, just like LiT's mixte, the brake blocks are felt pads in a rubber block. Very strange and probably not very effective. They'll be getting changed for some new rubber.

itboffin

I've been restoring fettling a kids 20" bike given to me by a neighbour, which apart from one seized BB cup and rusted bearing seems in perfect working order, unsurprisingly I had a set of replacement cotterless BB bearings so degreased & popped those back in.

I was just about to ditch the heavy sus forks and pick up some cheap fixed when I came across a deal for 4 x frames + forks for £19.99 delivered :shock:

Er WTF? okay these are 5-6 yr old 20" frames but even so that's bloody cheap.

Should I bother continuing with this project or buy the frame / fork sets?

EKE_38BPM

itboffin wrote:

I've been restoring fettling a kids 20" bike given to me by a neighbour, which apart from one seized BB cup and rusted bearing seems in perfect working order, unsurprisingly I had a set of replacement cotterless BB bearings so degreased & popped those back in.

I was just about to ditch the heavy sus forks and pick up some cheap fixed when I came across a deal for 4 x frames + forks for £19.99 delivered :shock:

Er WTF? okay these are 5-6 yr old 20" frames but even so that's bloody cheap.

Should I bother continuing with this project or buy the frame / fork sets?

If you did, you'd have 1 old kids frame with sus forks, but no bits (handle bars, saddle, wheels etc), 3 new kids frames and forks with no bits and your neighbour would have 1 new kids frame and fork with all the bits from the old bike.
Even if all you had to do is swap the bits from one frame to another, you would still have 4 kids frames and forks that you have no need for.
But knowing ITB, the neighbour's kid's bike would have a Campag BB and headset, SPDs, Phil Woods stabilisers etc and you would have subjected yourself to an insane amount of budget creep.
So you'd sell the kids frames to make the money back and the kid would leave the bike in the rain and/or outgrow it 2 years.

Just fettle the bike as requested. Leave the forks as is. Its a kids bike!


Oh yeah, no Campag!

But yes, that is a cheap price for 4 kids frames. Just remember that you'd need to buy everything else that converts a frame and forks into a rideable bike and, even for a kids bike, that won't be so cheap.

EKE_38BPM

Frame stripped including BB. Just got to get the sticky headset out and do the wheel hubs and then its a general clean and reassemble to go.

I've found out that the bike was made in 1983. It will be a few years older than its new owner (my cousin, not me).

EKE_38BPM

The mixte is complete (nearly), I've just got to fettle the gears, add handlebar grips and re-cover the saddle and then the bike is complete. It is also the easiest bike to ride with no hands that I have ever ridden.

I've taken it for a spin around the park and it rides like a brand new bike, which despite being nearly 30 years old, it pretty much is. I doubt the bike has done more than 100 miles since new.
It has original tyres, original tubes (it had no patches on either), original brake blocks. Once I stripped the wheel hubs, headset and BB of the original grease, the bearings and races looked virtually unused. The chain is showing zero wear.

Cosmetically, I de-stickered it so it looks much 'cleaner' now. The handlebars still need grips. I bought some pink ones to compliment the metalic purple of the paint but its a bit too pink in my opinion, so my cousin will have to decide what she wants to do about that.
The fabric on the saddle has faded badly so I may take it off and recover with fabric or leather if I can find some.

I upgraded the brake blocks to something that actually works, but as the wheels are steel, I'll be suggesting that she change them, but I doubt she will.

deptfordmarmoset

Has your cousin seen it yet?

EKE_38BPM

Only the picture from ebay.
Its ready(ish) now, but I want the burd from the other thread to have a go on it before I hand it over to my cousin. The burd is riding/buying Adonmell's bike on tuesday so I'll get her to ride it then so she can compare it to the 2008 Boardman hybrid (if she buys it) back to back.

After that, when my cousin gives me the £s, its hers.

Now to google how to set up the Shimano Positron FH rear derailleur as I have no idea how to fine tune it.

rolf_f

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I upgraded the brake blocks to something that actually works, but as the wheels are steel, I'll be suggesting that she change them, but I doubt she will.

Is she likely to ride it in the rain? Steel is no bother in the dry.

EKE_38BPM

I think she'll probably be a FWC. I'm toying with the idea of taking the mudguards off for exactly that reason (and because they rattle).

rolf_f

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I think she'll probably be a FWC. I'm toying with the idea of taking the mudguards off for exactly that reason (and because they rattle).

Cack still ends up on the bike (and the flowery frock of the Mixte rider) even in dry weather if the mudguards are off. And as one of the Spa Cycles staff said to me when I made a comment about rattly mudguards, they only rattle if you haven't put them on properly. They just want fettling!

EKE_38BPM

Rolf F wrote:

[...mudguards, they only rattle if you haven't put them on properly. They just want fettling!

Well, thats put me in my place. Must fettle the mudguards properly! Ha ha.

rolf_f

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

[...mudguards, they only rattle if you haven't put them on properly. They just want fettling!

Well, thats put me in my place. Must fettle the mudguards properly! Ha ha.

Well, second hand put in your place - I'm just generously forwarding the little put down I got! To be fair, most of the time mine don't rattle (unless they are Crud Racers) - really just a case of checking clearances and tightening everything up. Besides, I don't think Spa really approve of bikes without mudguards - I'd be very reluctant to show up on one of my carbon bikes

EKE_38BPM

Well, The Burd from the other thread tried the mixte. She said it was really comfortable but because it looks 'old' (the mixte was made in 1982, The Burd was made in 1986) she wasn't interested.

She is all about form over function (or feel).

EKE_38BPM

The mixte is complete!
If you want to see pics, here they are.

Pay particular attention to the leather saddle and handlebar grips, which were hand sewn by yours truly. Everything apart from the shopping basket and the leatherwork (and probably the pedals) is original. I think she's a good looking bird considering her age.

itboffin

Yeh but is "she" cut ...? :roll:

EKE_38BPM

LOL. I have no idea and I won't be asking!

deptfordmarmoset

Not really my colours but she's a nice enough looking bike in her own way...

I've never seen pedals like that before - you could put your plates of meat on there and still have room for knives, forks and at least 2 sets of dessert spoons.

It looks like you've used Champagne corks for the handlebar ends - but are the screws just for form alone or do they have a function?

EKE_38BPM

Yeah, the platforms on the pedals are massive. They don't look original but everything else on the bike is, even the brake blocks, tyres and innertubes. I replaced the brake blocks but the braking is still a bit pants. I don't see my cousin speeding around though so I don't see it being much of a problem (hopefully not famous last words).

The corks are from wine bottles sanded down to size. The bolts have nuts on the inside of corks and when tightened they compress the cork to ensure a very snug fit. A bit belt and braces really.

Not much I could really do about the frame colour. The leather came from ebay. £5 delivered for 5 20 x 20cm pieces.Three used on the saddle and one for the two grips so I've still got one whole piece and a few little bits left over.
I'm now looking for new projects to use the remainder on with my new found leatherworking skills.

deptfordmarmoset

The corks are from wine bottles sanded down to size. The bolts have nuts on the inside of corks and when tightened they compress the cork to ensure a very snug fit. A bit belt and braces really.

''Improvised'' is pretty close to ''ingenious'' in my dictionary...

Anonymous

Nice work, looks really neat. Love the leather work.

Just one thing, how come you went for the black basket? I brought the same one for the misse's bike, but that's a modern Kona Smoke. That bike just screams out for a old wicker basket.

EKE_38BPM

I get your point, but I thought it would kind of look like I was trying too hard.
My cousin is a photographer so I nearly bought a padded handlebar bag to carry the camera in, but that would look really ugly and would probably be too small for her kit.

I could still take it back if she doesn't like it.

Anonymous

You could well be right.

To be honest I just walked to the shop and on the way did have a little word with myself. Did I really just post on a form that a women's bike had the WRONG type of basket?

Perhaps I'm taking this bike styling thing to seriously.

But anyway, tassels on the handle bars, yep too far. But a big classy wicker basket never looks out of place. IMHO.

lost_in_thought

Lovely! Would be sacrilege to take the 'guards off

EDIT: White tyres FTW - panasonic panaracers from CRC. Also white cable outers!