Mixte build

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I was going to do this bike after the annual build off, but there's another frame in the wings I want to do also, so this one will get done. I picked up this unused frame, like my others, from a junkpile in town. The big bike shop in town went out of business and chucked the unsold frames. So they sat for at least a few years until I showed up and bought 7 of them at about 5 bucks a pop. 3 have been built, 2 chopped up, leaving just this one which will be easier to build. One of the chain stays was bent from having a ton of junk piled on top but I think I have that fixed.
mixte frame.JPG

I'm going to try to touch up the paint with some acrylic paint and see if it can stay with the original paint.

At the bike shop I had the rims trued up. I just laced them up the other day with a set of red hubs that were in the pile of parts.
 
I picked up some brakes, a cluster, shifters, and a chain today also.
new parts.jpg

This frame was made for a 27" wheel, the pads don't reach. But the front fork is a 26, it'll get v brakes. Maybe a band brake in the rear.
brake.jpg



I think it's an 87 model, was at the bike store for years, never sold. Anyone know how to read these serial numbers?
mixteserial - Copy.JPG
 
I like the big choice of tires for the 26" rims and it didn't have a fork. These Kendas are 26 x 1.50 but 2.125 will go on the rims also. This bike will probably stay with the 1.50 smooth tread, as it may be the exercise trainer bike also. It also will be the fastest bike I have.

I noticed the wheel was close to one side of the seat stays. At first I thought the frame was still crooked somehow, but then remembered it was trued today with a single cog, the cluster adds a half inch alignment to the left. It will need to be dished. I've read where it could be done by loosening all the spokes on one side and tightening the opposite side evenly, a little at a time. I'm going to try it, a half turn on each spoke. If it doesn't work it will go back to the shop for another truing and proper dishing.
 
To make this rideable for the wife, I need to shorten the seat tube. Since I have a welder guy who makes house calls, and my first attempt at modifying a frame actually worked, I'll take a 4 inch section out of the seat tube (shown in purple) and have the top part welded back on and make it a 17" frame instead of the 21" it is now.
mixte frame - Copy (2).JPG

The plan is to cut the upper seat stays at a point where it they can be tacked back on to the lower seat stays, if that's possible. Maybe they will need to be curved or kept longer. Or can be removed completely, as the lower ones will work fine. But the brake can mount up as usual keeping the upper stay. The seat will tighten up ok because it's using the upper portion with the collar. Then smoothing and sanding followed by a paint job.
 

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