« Man Enough for a Mixte »
January 3, 2010 
Don't call this a girl's bike.
It's not a lady frame either.
"Step-through frame" works. But I like mixte (roughly translated as unisex), usually pronounced "MIXty" in this country, "MEExt" if you're Continental.
Why ride a mixte frame? Simple.
- Easier to share the bike with riders of various heights and genders
- Stops and starts are simpler, and unexpected stops don't impact your fertility
- Carrying bulky rear cargo or a rear child seat is much easier when you don't have to swing a leg over the back of the bike
- Many of the new/retro mixte frames are gorgeous
- According to the Swedes, they're safer (especially for seniors)
The disadvantages are few, but they are harder to make and find, and thus can cost more, and they're often not as stiff as a diamond frame (although very sturdy step-through designs exist). For a guy, it can be a bit challenging to find one that isn't visibly feminine in color and trim, but this brown Live 2 is manly enough, as are the black Dutch "Oma" designs. In fact, in the Netherlands, where something like 40% of trips are by bike, the majority of men and women ride on such frames.
So don't let the guy at your local bike shop talk you out of a mixte frame. Or upsell you some clipless pedals you don't need, for that matter. If you must accessorize, I've got a gently used pair of TruckNutz I can send you ...
Bob Loblaw's Globlog is sponsored by Globe Bikes, who've furnished us with a Globe Live 2 Mixte in return for a series of posts on life with their bike.
Julian / Totcycle
My wife would like me to make it explicitly clear that this was a photoshop job. Done, and thank you.
Reader Comments (4)
the TruckNutz really add a certain je ne sais quoi to the Live.
totally. maybe for 2010 model year? run that up the fire pole over at Globe HQ. we may be onto something here.
and if the carheads win and start requiring bicycle license plates, I think trucknutz should be mandatory as well, at least on cargo bikes.
Have you noticed there's now a Live 3 mixte on the Globe website?
There's now a Live 3 Mixte?
This is my response (you can never have enough Senator Clay Davis).