- Joy Beeson / Sun, 24 Jan 2016 04:51:51 +0100


Way back when, I thought that when I got to this age, I would buy a
mixte.

You are lucky in one way: Others never even thought of
becoming that old.

Turns out that mixtes went extinct before I did; the name is
still around, but more often than not it's applied to a drop-frame
bike, rather than to a bike that replaces the top tube with a pair of
mixte stays that run from the head tube to the rear drop-out.

I lately repaired such a bike to give it on to a girl who
needed some old stuff for the city which won't get stolen
probably. And of course, I did a test-ride. It was the more
rigid design, where the top-tube replacements go straight
to the rear-wheel axle mount. But still, this isn't comparable
to a diamond outline. Damn physics.

This frame-geometry wasn't really fun, althoug it was good quality.
Wobbly, doesn't run straight on when rolling free after acceleration.
'Deep-entry'-frames usually have the same flaw, even worse.

My solution: Test an 's'-size MTB with old (BMX-style)
frame outline. There the top-tube rises to something like
70 cm only (for royalists: 28"), and still has a solid
'diamond' type frame outline. The shorter wheelbase of such
a bike is much less a problem than a wobbly structure
(in fact, you might like the handling very much ... it is
like driving a small car with lot less inertia than a big one)


But it also turns out that I can still ride my diamond frame. I
simply have to remember to put my leg over the top tube knee first
when mounting, and go foot first, knee last when dismounting.

And I've stopped being embarrassed about needing to grab my ankle with
my hand to help my foot clear the saddle.

Safety and functionality first.

1. I drive trucks occasionally. When I have to maneuvre with low sight,
I get out if the cabin, walk around, look. Spectators sometimes
ridicule, but damage account turns to zero with this plan. Damage
account zero is good.

2. I hurt my knee last year. No, not by sports, by a very silly thing
(not worth talking, very cold outside, trying to catch a bus whereas
the next one would have been there 10 minutes later -- stupid).
My first tries to mount a bike again looked rediculous. So what?

Most of the sporty happy young people have grandpas and grandmas
they really love.


jk


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