Sneek Peek at the Art About Display

 

My love affair with the Mixte continues...

 

Vintage Centurion Fixed Gear Roadster

Look for us at 5 Star Bar on Chicago Ave.

Things are Heating up.

I should be on the reality TV show, The Biggest Loser. Not because I'm trying to lose my fat ass, but because I'm such a slacker to this blog. The weather is getting more to the liking of fair weather riders, so folks are coming out of the woodwork. I've never been a fan of seasonal cyclists. But alas, this year I'm ready. (somewhat).

Last time I posted. I listed the Next Girlfriend Bike Challenge. I have some challengers and I'm confident that I'll kick the balls off of all of them. The most serious challenge, I believe will be the one from Bean. She's re-doing an already hot Peugeot mixte, that will be one of the nicest rides on the street. It's Purple for gods sake. Hard to beat that color.
Ryan, got started on a bike and let Roseanna finish his project (of course), a Peugeot mixte as well. It's nice, but my next girlfriends bike should easily crush it.

I also got a challenge from Jesy G. a girl who this time last year rode a Schwinn Collegiate. Now she has a small collective of bikes. Not sure what she's gonna do. I don't think she's sure either. But as with the others, my NGB will kick her cute little ass. Mike Figueroa also sent me a challenge via email. I however see him walking and holding hands, more than riding, so his ass is kicked before he ever starts. Yes Mike thats right. Laura, is working to build her next girlfriends bike for herself. She's putting a ton of effort into it, which pleases this guy to no end. She has however asked for my assistance with assembly. Naturally, I'll assist. I will also make sure she doesn't win.

I built up this pretty Raleigh Sprite last week. The gem goes to Lane, who looks Divine in the saddle. For fans of "Chicks and Bikes" here it is:





Roseanna rebuilt this little guy on Sunday. It's a Raleigh Twenty folding bike. She even repacked the 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub. (impressive)I bought 100psi tires tires for it. They have a lot less drag than the originals. The little sucker really moves out.

Seems it needs a basket, perhaps a rear one. Gonna look in to that.

Here are some pics of recent work:


I'm really diggin the roadster setup.

This is a Nashbar frame, Bean built up.


Keep you posted.

The Misunderstood Mixte

It's been a while since our last post. Mostly due to brain death. I've been glancing around the shop at some of the frames hanging from above. There are a number of real beauties there. The ones that get the least respect and for the life of me I don't know why, are the Mixte frames. Many folks look at them and see the typical step through. Lot's of folks, even ladies, don't seem to get turned on by Mixte's. People will pick up a ladies hybrid or some Internet bike, like a Windsor or Mercier.

Mercier Kilo TT, what a terrible little beast. I spotted the one above on Milwaukee Ave. Look at how many spacers are in the headset. What's with the one size fits all forks? I don't have photos but the ball bearing wheel hubs were reminiscent of, dare I say, Magna? I'm pretty sure the owner did their research and looked around at various shops, before they settled on the Kilo. How in the world does this happen? Is it the belief that new is better? Gleaming chrome spacers are at least not rusty? Is it possible someone told them, bearings don't really matter that much as long as they are new?

So it is now, that I'm dreaming of celebrating the "fabulous Mixte".


The Mixte is most easily identified for it's 3 rear stays. If you're looking for stability, what more could you ask for? A heavier person would benefit greatly from such a strong setup. As would anyone looking to pull a trailer. They make fabulous commuters for both men and women. They can be mounted easily, for those wearing suits or skirts. They can easily accommodate most racks, bags, baskets, and so forth.
They also look pretty damn classy





Keep your eyes peeled, I think you're going to look at these in a whole new light.