Posters: please cut off the fat from the bottom of your posts. Thanks. On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 7:11 PM, David Estes <[email protected]> wrote:
> I built a Breeze up for my Mom. Really just swapped out the rear SA cog > for a 22T one as it's geared REALLY low. Great bike! > > On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 8:03 AM, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> > They are a step up from the World Tourist (made by Giant in Taiwan, I >> believe), and certainly >> > lighter than the old Varsity bike, which may have still been cranked out >> in >> > Chicago back then. Was that the one you were thinking of? >> >> Seems Schwinn made them under a variety of names. But they all looked >> basically like this one for sale on eBay: >> >> >> http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1973-SCHWINN-BREEZE-3-SPEED-26-LADIES-BICYCLE_W0QQitemZ190330929423QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c509b810f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 >> >> These are decent bikes for the money all things considered. But they >> are not as attractive (at least to me, and presumably the rest of us >> lugged steel fans) nor as readibly open to the 'Riv-treatment' as your >> daughter's Le Tour. >> >> > And even though it will fit my son by then, he probably won't want what >> he calls a "girls bike". >> >> Yes. Unfortunately the women's bike designation is so ingrained in >> the thinking here in the U.S. that it would be hard for a young man to >> want to break the mold. Kids can be awfully mean to one another about >> those things. >> >> Mixtes were originally intended as delivery and errand bikes where the >> rider, male or female, had to mount and dismount frequently. That is >> still how people see them in many other nations around the globe. >> Somewhere along the line in the U.S. Mixtes became ladies bikes. >> >> Let's hope you can find some nice young woman deserving of the bike >> once your daughter gets too tall. >> >> On Sep 1, 9:35 pm, John Aydelotte <[email protected]> wrote: >> > It rides very well -- with the sprung saddle she get's a very smooth >> ride, >> > even on rough city streets. >> > >> > Yes, the Le Tour series are quite nice, and this one was (from what I >> could >> > glean online) made by Panasonic. There are still lots of them out there >> in >> > garages and they pop up on Craigslist pretty frequently. They are a >> step up >> > from the World Tourist (made by Giant in Taiwan, I believe), and >> certainly >> > lighter than the old Varsity bike, which may have still been cranked out >> in >> > Chicago back then. Was that the one you were thinking of? >> > >> > The original catalog page for the Le Tour Touriste can be seen >> > here.<http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1980_1990/1981_10.html> >> > The Mixte isn't prominent, but the lower left photo shows one. >> > >> > My only regret is that she will be too tall for it in another year or >> two >> > and will need something else. And even though it will fit my son by >> then, >> > he probably won't want what he calls a "girls bike". >> > >> > >> > >> > On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 4:28 PM, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > > > 1981 Schwinn Le Tour Mixte< >> > >http://www.flickr.com/photos/aydelotte/2577031655/> >> > >> > > > ...which had a nice Japanese lugged frame, but otherwise rusty >> and/or >> > > broken >> > > > components, and turned it into this: >> > >> > > Thanks John. That really turned out well. >> > >> > > When I warned against Schwinn earlier, I was thinking of the old >> > > Chicago cruiser models with the one piece crank, and old north >> > > american standard stem and seat post sizing. The Le Tour - I believe >> > > there was another as well, conform more readily to modern parts. >> > >> > > And it has the nice center seat tube join design. I bet it rides >> > > pretty well. >> > >> > > On Sep 1, 5:07 pm, John Aydelotte <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > Another vote for the Schwinn idea -- I took this Craigslist special: >> > >> > > > 1981 Schwinn Le Tour Mixte< >> > >http://www.flickr.com/photos/aydelotte/2577031655/> >> > >> > > > ...which had a nice Japanese lugged frame, but otherwise rusty >> and/or >> > > broken >> > > > components, and turned it into this: >> > >> > > > Birthday Mixte <http://www.flickr.com/photos/aydelotte/2577051527/> >> > >> > > > ...for my daughter. I wouldn't call it "Riv'd Up" so much as "Velo >> > > Oranged >> > > > Up" but I think the outcomes might be similar. The frame was >> stripped & >> > > > powder-coated locally, and my total cost was less than $400 plus >> some >> > > parts >> > > > (saddle, pedals, brake levers) I had around the garage. >> > >> > > > I didn't want to spend a ton as she's gonna outgrow it in another >> year or >> > > > two, but she loves the bike and gets more compliments on it than I >> do on >> > > my >> > > > Atlantis. >> > >> > > > Good luck! >> > >> > > > On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 3:19 PM, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> >> > > wrote: >> > >> > > > > > Its a middle ground between a Betty and a Beater but have you >> > > > > > considered Soma's Buena vista? >> > >> > > > > Certainly good looking bike, and I really like the fork. For >> whatever >> > > > > reason, Soma went with the double skinny tube design with only a >> brace >> > > > > attaching to the seat tube. >> > >> > > > > If the rider is not a tiny little thing or carries any sort of >> loads - >> > > > > and a mixte is meant to be an errand bike - the ride will be less >> than >> > > > > ideal. >> > >> > > > > I have seen a lot of people on these bikes. But with all my 165 >> lbs >> > > > > to carry around, those I have ridden just did not feel right at >> all. >> > > > > Maybe I am fussy. >> > >> > > > > On Sep 1, 3:29 pm, RoadieRyan <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > > > Its a middle ground between a Betty and a Beater but have you >> > > > > > considered Soma's Buena vista? A quick google search shows them >> > > > > > between $375 and 475 for the Frameset. I don't have personal >> > > > > > experience with them but it seems like a sweet frame and good >> bang >> > > for >> > > > > > the buck. >> > >> > > > > > I am actually building up a Mixte for my wife right now from a >> older >> > > > > > CroMo Schwinn that I actually found for free at the side of the >> road. >> > > > > > After taking it all apart its going to need some lovin' but I >> can't >> > > > > > argue with the price of the bike. In Seattle I frequently see >> > > "Ladies >> > > > > > 3 speeds" for decent prices on Craigslist an older english >> ladies >> > > bike >> > > > > > will be plenty strong (IMO) but not light. >> > >> > > > > > R >> > >> > > > > > On Sep 1, 12:41 pm, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > > > > > > > - Rene Herse >> > > > > > > > - Alex Singer >> > > > > > > > - Jack Taylor >> > >> > > > > > > Well, yeah, I'll concede those three ;) >> > >> > > > > > > But the chances of finding a Herse or Singer on Craigslist or >> on >> > > eBay >> > > > > > > with a starting bid less than $1k are virtually nill. Jack >> Taylor >> > > > > > > does not have quite the cachet in the U.S. as its French >> > > counterparts >> > > > > > > (though indeed, it ought to), so you might get lucky. More >> once in >> > > a >> > > > > > > blue moon type of thing. >> > >> > > > > > > There are any number of bike boom French mixtes, Japanese >> came at >> > > the >> > > > > > > tail end of the boom. Some good and some not so good. >> Schwinn >> > > made >> > > > > > > some nice middle weight mixtes. I would hesitate to recommend >> them >> > > > > > > here, as the proprietary sizing will make squeezing in Riv >> parts >> > > more >> > > > > > > of chore than with the French and Japanese. >> > >> > > > > > > On Sep 1, 1:16 pm, Steve Palincsar <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > > > > > > > On Tue, 2009-09-01 at 09:57 -0600, PATRICK MOORE wrote: >> > >> > > > > > > > > On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 7:45 AM, JoelMatthews < >> > > [email protected] >> > >> > > > > > > > > wrote: >> > >> > > > > > > > > Off hand, I cannot think of one brand better than >> > > another. >> > >> > > > > > > > OK, here are three: >> > >> > > > > > > > - Rene Herse >> > > > > > > > - Alex Singer >> > > > > > > > - Jack Taylor- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > - Show quoted text - >> >> > > > -- > Cheers, > David > Redlands, CA > > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, > scientist guy > > > > > -- Patrick Moore Albuquerque, NM Professional Resumes. Contact [email protected] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
