My Misty Mixte

moonio

I want to start a thread about my mixte so I can dip into it from time to time.
As you know I am now the proud owner of EKE_38BPM's Raleigh 'Misty' Mixte
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... c8d5a1af64

I rode her part of the way into work today and was surprised how quick she was, I knocked 5 mins off my normal time on harry the boardman..i was v.surprised.

I think its because of her steel frame? Its stiffer and once she gets moving it takes little effort to keep her going at high speed.

Anyway she is now with the lovely people at bikefix http://www.bikefix.co.uk/shop/
as I want to put new tyres on her which are more suitable for country tracks..as she is primarily my weekend bike
However I have been told that modern tyres may not fit as her rims are flat?? so she needs beadless tyres??

Am waiting for bikefix to call me back after they have looked at the rims...

I have asked them to build new wheels if the rims are a problem (salvaging the hub as its a peculiar size) is this the right thing to do??

EKE_38BPM

I'm so glad that you are enjoying the mixte.

The hubs are fine internally (not sure what they mean by a peculiar size) and aluminium rims will help the braking quite a bit. I don't know about the 'flat rims' but a new set of tyres can't hurt considering the ones on there are the original tyres from the 80s!

Maybe Bike Fix are not used to 'vintage' bikes and 'vintage' 27 inch wheels?

moonio

It was another cycle shop that told me she had weird rims...
I only trust bikefix to touch any of my bikes (unless its an emergency) so will wait for them to give me the lowdown.
They seem to have a good range of vintage and specialist bikes in stock such as recliners and dutch transport bikes so I'm guessing they will be across the rims issue.

I found braking quite difficult and scary in the rain and they mentioned that new rims could improve things so I dont mind having new wheels made up.

I think the hubs are longer than modern bikes..or shorter cant remember which..

t4tomo

I (or rather Mrs T) has 2 Puch Calypso's from the 80's, one a rather knackered remnant from her uni days and a recent ebay replacement as the original is looking shabby and its rims are warped beyond redemption.

It has 24" wheels (she's a bit of a shorty) and although it took a bit of hunting I did track down some "period" tyres a few years ago in the correct size. 24 by 1&3/8ths. They have beads like any modern tyre so assuming they can get the right size I think this flat rim beadless tyre stuff is nonesense.

That reminds me, I still need to transfer the better tyres off the shabby bike onto the shiny replacement, which is in remarkably good nick for its age, and has 3 speed SA hubs over the originals single speed.

UndercoverElephant

The rear hub would probably be a bit narrower than a modern road or MTB hub. Road hubs got about 5 mm wider when they moved from 6 to 7 speeds.

EKE_38BPM

UndercoverElephant wrote:

The rear hub would probably be a bit narrower than a modern road or MTB hub. Road hubs got about 5 mm wider when they moved from 6 to 7 speeds.

That would make sense. 'Flat rims' sounds like bull to me.

ride_whenever

Unless they thought they were really old tubs...

Looks like one of the standard old wheel sizes. You'll struggle with new wheels but there shouldn't be an issue building it up with all new parts. You can usually fit a 700c in but occasionally need different drop calipers.

The Rookie

'flat rims' I can only assume meas they think it takes tubular tyres....idiots!

Simon

moonio

Ok, I just called the original cycle shop who mentioned the rims problem and they said the rims are wider steel rims without a bead..so I will need beadless tyres

EKE_38BPM

Hmmm.

Still smells like bovine excrement to me.

t4tomo

are you sure they aren't just trying to stick a 700 tyre onto a 27" rim? If they got the right sized tyre it will fit I reckon.

clarkey cat

I'd be very surprised if Bikefix have got this wrong they are an excellent bike shop and deal in all sorts of weird and wonderful machines

EKE_38BPM

Moonio said that it was another shop that were serving up the bovine excrement, not Bikefix.

clarkey cat

Ah okay.

chadders81

You've more than likely got 130mm dropout spacing as opposed to 135mm on modern bikes.

I've got the same problem on my bike. My wheels are knackered and am looking in to getting the frame spread by the extra 5mm to accommodate a new (second hand) ebay wheelset.

Apparently it's quite easy for a frame builder to do this.

davis

Chadders81 wrote:

Apparently it's quite easy for a frame builder to do this.

They call it cold-setting. You'd call it "bending".

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

chadders81

davis wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

Apparently it's quite easy for a frame builder to do this.

They call it cold-setting. You'd call it "bending".

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Cheers - I always forget to read Sheldon. I'm going to ring a few places tomorrow and see if they can do it as I have got my eye on a pair of wheels.

desweller

Sheldon on the topic of hookless rims: http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ho-z.html#hook

moonio

I've just had my bike returned with new wheels but I have a problem in that I can no longer shift the gears onto the smallest cog, please see the pictures in the link. The picture shows the gear lever as far as I can push it, should it not go all the way down to the L position? I'm sure it did before..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56502363@N ... 367540770/


Also I think there is too much travel in the front brake cable, and I'm having to squeeze the lever loads in order to stop the bike.
How do I change that?

PinkPedal

No ideas on the mechanical questions, but what a lovely bike! Fantastic colour, looks gorgeous

Jay dubbleU

There should be a screw on the brake lever which allows you to change the amount of movement on the brake lever.

The gears may need re-indexing if you can't get onto all the cogs - its not complicated - take a look at Sheldon Brown

moonio

I've sent bikefix an email about this and other problems (wheels wobbling, new inner tube replace with an old one) and will wait for them to get back to me.

I really didn't expect such a poor service from them and can only think its due to staff changes...

The gear system is Shimano Positron FH (PPS), there is a set position on both the shifter and derailleur which i believe is over the 3rd cog. However I cannot even shift the chain onto this cog so i have no idea what they did to my bike.

Could it be that a nut has been used as a spacer inside the frame between the cogs and the gears, and this has misaligned the gears?

Jay dubbleU

Positron is notorious for shifting problems - mainly because the indexing is built into the deraillieur and not the levers - does yours have a double push pull cable system or a single semi stiff cable ?
From Sheldon Brown -
Positron ®
This was Shimano's first attempt at indexed shifting. The indexing "clicks" were built into the derailer, not the lever. The positron system didn't have a return spring; some models used a double cable to pull the derailer back and forth; other models used a single, semi-rigid push-pull cable.

Positron was a valuable learning experience for Shimano. Their original theory was that experienced cyclists already knew how to shift, but that beginners could benefit from a system that didn't require fine-tuning of the shift lever position. For this reason, Positron was offered on entry-level bikes, often department-store models. This marketing theory turned out to be unworkable. The parts had to be made very cheaply to meet the price points required. This caused less-than-impressive performance. In addition, the fact that Positron was only supplied on bottom-end bikes caused it to acquire a poor connontation, as something to be outgrown, and not to be considered by a "serious cyclists."

Shimano went back to the drawing board, and the next time they tried indexed shifting, in 1984, they started at the top of the line, with Dura-Ace S.I.S. Cyclists were initially dubious about this feature, but it worked so well that most resistance was overcome. Once the pros started using it, this now-glamorous feature rapidly trickled down to the hoi polloi. The result was Shimano's complete domination of the bicycle parts market, much as Microsoft dominates the computer software market. By 1986 it had become almost impossible to sell a bike that didn't have indexed shifting.

moonio

Its a single cable, look at the photo, there is only one lever on the bike which goes up and down, push pull.
The gears were working fine when I got the bike from Elton, the bikefix mechanic has tried to change the gears to fit the new wheel setup and it hasn't worked. Have sent bikefix a long email of complaint and will be taking the bike back on Monday to be put right..
after-which I will no longer be giving them any custom.

Jay dubbleU

Don't blame you - nice bike though - hope all goes well

moonio

Just spent almost 2 hrs at bikefix where told me they didnt know how to fix the gears then tried to claim that I had damaged them myself!!!!!!!

After a bit of a meltdown where I almost called the police they have agreed to replace the gears..

:roll:

Jay dubbleU

Good for you - if they couldn't fix it why didn't they say instead of making a botch job ? Now feet up glass of something and relax 8)

EKE_38BPM

As you know Moonio, the gears were perfect, so if they are broken, Bikefix broke them.
Glad to see you are getting a replacement.

walkingbootweather

moonio wrote:

they have agreed to replace the gears..

:roll:

What they going to replace them with Moonio? Can't imagine replacement Positrons are easy to track down, and it somehow feels wrong to put modern gears on a classic bike.

moonio

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Good for you - if they couldn't fix it why didn't they say instead of making a botch job ? Now feet up glass of something and relax 8)

Yes I was fuming, the mechanic knew the gears werent working when he gave me the bike and took my money.
But it was when he said 'the gears must have been broken before, why else did you bring the bike here' i was in so much shock that i nearly called the police. when he saw me on my mobile phone he quickly started to fix the problem..

Jay dubbleU

People like that make me really angry - can't do the job and then try to shift the blame - are you going to change the gears or can they replace the Positrons - shame if they can't - that's a classic bike. Might be worth asking around on the workshop thread in case anyone has any ideas