Mixtes

Sheldon Brown describes a mixte frame as: "A style of... frame in which the top tube consists of a pair of small diameter tubes running more-or-less straight from the upper head lug, past the seat tube, and on to the rear fork ends. A mixte frame thus has 3 sets of rear stays, instead of the usual two. A variant on the mixte uses a single, full sized top tube running from the upper head tube to the seat tube, but retains the middle set of stays. A .....bike that lacks the middle pair of stays is not a mixte."

The Mixte style has been around for a while, and there are some bike companies now making their versions of the mixte. Noteably Rivendell Bicycle Works and their Betty Foy....

Soma Fabrications' Buena Vista. This is a sporty build for a customer who would like to use it for long rides and light touring. Some people prefer the double top tube as being more authentically old school. The Rivendell has a single top tube. 

The Betty Foy obviously was made for women, but the style is not always gender specific. In fact Rivendell makes the Ives Gomez, A manly mixte or manmixte.

I have a customer who scours the internet for vintage mixte frames from makers like Nishiki and Panasonic, then allows me the privilege of sourcing the parts and refurbishing the bikes. Sometimes a challenge, but always rewarding. These bikes are often good candidates for conversions to 650b wheels, a wheel with a diameter in between 27", which the older bikes came with, and 26". Doing a 650b conversion means there is more room for fatter tires with fenders.

Pink Nishiki with 27" wheels.

Red Nishiki with 650b wheels

Panasonic- 650b