Mixted Up

Last December I found a women's 12-speed bike at a thrift store. It was priced at twenty bucks, and even that seemed a bit high for a sad bike from 1985. It had two flat tires, a horrible aftermarket handlebar, and was covered in a layer of grime that I couldn't smear off with my thumb. 

Although it was a mess, the bicycle was made by Peugeot - a pretty decent bike manufacturer. The bike's components look like they were above average in quality, and the rims were very straight. So, I bought the bike. 

The bonus was that the bike had a mixte frame. According to the bicycle guru Sheldon Brown, a mixte bike is defined as:

I think it would be fun to find a really neglected bike frame - something with a lot of patina, and update it with spiffy mechanicals. Since the only difference between a men's bicycle and a women's bicycle is the shape of the frame, this bike looked like the perfect parts donor. I'd just strip it down to the frame, and throw what was left on Craigslist or in the dumpster.

Maybe it's just not my style, but I don't think this flimsy handlebar matches the bike at all.

These brake pads are rock hard, and it looks like they sprayed debris all over the fork. My fingernail couldn't put a dent in that junk.

When I decided it was time to start stripping and cleaning the components, I started with the pedals. I removed the pair, took them to the basement, and cleaned them while I watched TV. I use 000 steel wool and elbow grease. It's mindless work that I really enjoy. Returning a shine to a dirty and/or rusty piece of metal is one of my simple pleasures. 

When I was done polishing the pedals, I installed them back on the bike, and that's when my plan went awry. Just that bit of bright work made the bicycle look a lot better. Like, maybe it should remain a bike instead of becoming a pile of parts. I started feeling guilty about my plan. In the end I decided this bike deserved better. 

But if I was keeping this ride intact, something had to be done with that cheap handlebar. I bought a vintage Raleigh neck stem for sale on eBay and mated that with a mustache bar I had as a leftover from a previous bike project. That pairing looked much better. The modern brake levers weren't offensive, so I left them on. I also returned the foam grips to the bike because they were all I had.

I have no idea where this bike had been before I found it, but it was truly filthy. Soap and water removed the dust, but I had to step up my game if I wanted to get rid of that grime. I'm big fan of Goo Gone products, so I bought a spray bottle of Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser and a plastic scrub brush with stiff bristles. On the first nice afternoon of this spring, I turned on the radio, wheeled the bike onto the grass next to our driveway, and spent two straight hours spraying and scrubbing while Char was inside napping. 

After the chemical bath, she really started to look pretty. With the exception of a few blemishes, the 29-year-old paint looked awesome. I was surprised how much I liked that pearl white color. 

I spent another two hours polishing the rest of the bare metal with steel wool.

Since the original seat was ripped, I installed a nicer Schwinn saddle. 

Next came new tires and new tubes. I ordered Kenda gumwall tires because I like their vintage look. New brake pads, a new brake cable, and new shifter cables replaced their depleted counterparts. The chain was cleaned and then lubed. For function and style, I installed a short chrome fender to cover the back tire.

Here's the finished bike.

Even though the bike was manufactured in the 80's, it's surprisingly light and quick. I was tempted to keep the bike myself. One of my friends commented, "Even if you don't ride it, you could just look at it. It's so pretty." But that wouldn't be fair to the bike. It needed to be ridden. 

I offered the bicycle to Daphne, and she rode it around the block a few times. But she's more practical than me, "It's really nice, but I already have two bikes. I just don't need a third one." Fair enough.

And although I took it on several test rides through my neighborhood, I don't think I could bring myself to ride a women's bike for any real length of time. 

Craigslist, here we come:

Considering the condition of the bike and all of its new parts, I think the $150 price tag was more than reasonable. Other people thought so, too.

I had three offers in less than 12 hours. The gal who bought it is giving the mixte to her daughter as a 21st birthday gift. She told me that right after she sent me the email agreeing to buy the bike, her daughter texted my craigslist ad to her saying this is exactly the kind of bike she was looking for. She didn't know her mom had already purchased it. That's pretty cool.

I was a little bummed to see the bike leave in the back that mom's SUV. I had put a lot of time and thought into that bicycle. But it wouldn't be ridden if it lived at my house and that would have been the real reason to be sad. Instead, it's headed to the ISU campus where I'm told it'll be used to deliver Jimmy John sandwiches! Talk about spreading the love.

It's time to start my next bike project.