# Dawes Cambridge Mixte - errand bike



## Hebe (10 Dec 2020)

I keep looking at my errand bike and thinking about how much it could be improved with grippier pedals and tyres and how all the plastic clashes with the steel frame ( which I love). And how much I dislike the fake rattan basket on the front, though I am not sure what I would replace it with ( or how I would do so). I changed the saddle a while back but there’s so much more I’d like to change. It was not an expensive bike though, and I’m not sure if that makes it a good choice to work on, or whether I’d be trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear (it will always be an errand bike after all). I keep thinking that the bike could be just a bit nicer and a bit less plasticky, and a bit less slidey in the drizzle and that I could be building my skills in the process, then I wonder if I am deluding myself on all counts.

Anyway, it is a Dawes Cambridge Mixte - it had a great service last year and has not been ridden much since then but brakes gears etc all work fine. My fettling is extremely basic but enthusiastic- I change tubes and have changed saddles and pedals in the past. I really enjoy working on bikes, even when it takes forever and needs several goes because of my poor spatial awareness. Does this sound sensible, as a learning exercise? Thank you for reading.


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## DCBassman (11 Dec 2020)

I love mixtes. Doing up a Revell, very slowly.
Pedals: something like this, maybe?
What tyres are on at the moment?


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## Chris S (11 Dec 2020)

What exactly is 'plasticky' about it? It looks like a nice bike.


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## DCBassman (11 Dec 2020)

Chris S said:


> What exactly is 'plasticky' about it? It looks like a nice bike.


Agreed, although I'd change the pedals as above.


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## MichaelW2 (11 Dec 2020)

MKS make nice pedals. The Sylvian Touring are grippy and flat.


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## TheDoctor (11 Dec 2020)

Personally, I'd keep the front basket. Or you could replace it with a metal one, or a rattan one, or get rid entirely and fit a front rack.
Definitely get a rear rack and some panniers - a decent pair will hold a weeks worth of shopping if you don't get too carried away with BOGOF / 25% off six bottles or what have you.
Pedals are such an individual choice, but there's a lot of metal ones.
It does look a nice bike. I'd happily go touring on that.


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## CanucksTraveller (11 Dec 2020)

That's a really nice town bike, I can't see much about it that I'd describe as plasticky. I love the saddle and the grips, very smart. 
You can get black metal front baskets that look a little less "twee" although I personally think that rattan style one is lovely and really suits the bike. 

New pedals, yes. I'd probably go for some basic metal pedals from Wellgo (probably in black, though they even do purple blue ones that match the colour of your bike): 
https://www.wiggle.com/wellgo-lu-987u-flat-pedals
Not a bad upgrade for a tenner. 

Maybe tyres might be the next upgrade, not sure what you have on there right now but I'm always unsure about white tyres!


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## Hebe (11 Dec 2020)

Wow, thank you all for replying. Lots to think about there. Let’s see if I can get multi quote to work. I am reassured that it is worth putting some time and money into tweaking the bike, thank you.



DCBassman said:


> I love mixtes. Doing up a Revell, very slowly.
> Pedals: something like this, maybe?
> What tyres are on at the moment?


I shall look up your Revell thread and follow. Thank you.
Tyres are Innova 26 x 1 3/8 they came with the bike (photo below). My only reference for tyres is the ones on my Vita, which just seem to engage with the ground a bit more predictably when it’s wet. I’m thinking about Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Thank you for the pedal suggestion too, they look much better than what is currently on there.







Chris S said:


> What exactly is 'plasticky' about it? It looks like a nice bike.


Thanks Chris, it is a nice bike, there’s just a few bits that make me wonder about changing it. So in terms of feeling plasticky I would say the pedals first, the chain guard second (so much black plastic) and possibly the shifter, although I know that’s probably nit-picking. It works fine.

















MichaelW2 said:


> MKS make nice pedals. The Sylvian Touring are grippy and flat.


 They are pretty! And metal, thank you.




TheDoctor said:


> Personally, I'd keep the front basket. Or you could replace it with a metal one, or a rattan one, or get rid entirely and fit a front rack.
> Definitely get a rear rack and some panniers - a decent pair will hold a weeks worth of shopping if you don't get too carried away with BOGOF / 25% off six bottles or what have you.
> Pedals are such an individual choice, but there's a lot of metal ones.
> It does look a nice bike. I'd happily go touring on that.


thank you. I’m torn really. Fake rattan survives the garage and the rain much better than a natural basket. But I like the idea of a rack, and also on the back. I have panniers. I prefer how a bike handles with panniers on the back than a basket on the front.



CanucksTraveller said:


> That's a really nice town bike, I can't see much about it that I'd describe as plasticky. I love the saddle and the grips, very smart.
> You can get black metal front baskets that look a little less "twee" although I personally think that rattan style one is lovely and really suits the bike.
> 
> New pedals, yes. I'd probably go for some basic metal pedals from Wellgo (probably in black, though they even do purple blue ones that match the colour of your bike):
> ...



thank you, lots to think about there! I actually find the grips a bit big, but they do work nicely visually. I swapped the saddle for the Brooks soon after I got the bike, I love it. I like the idea of racks that @TheDoctor suggested. I never imagined that coloured pedals existed - they are brilliant! I think pedals are going to be my first change. I quite like the pale tyres on this bike but would look at others too.


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## DCBassman (11 Dec 2020)

Hebe said:


> I shall look up your Revell thread and follow. Thank you.


And to you. For what it's worth, I couldn't live with the chainguard either... 
I would resist messing with the shifter unless it intolerably, erm, grinds your gears. Could be far more trouble that it would be worth, and if you lose the chainguard, that's excess plastic reduced by about 90% already!
However, if you absolutely must lose the shifter, and you're set on losing the chainguard, consider putting a triple clanger up front. Then ther are a myriad options for changing the shifter and brake levers into a pair of combo levers, which, to be fair, are still mainly plastic, but are altogther less messy that separate brakes and shifters.
BUT... it's just an errand bike, so you probably don't want to do all that!


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## Hebe (12 Dec 2020)

DCBassman said:


> And to you. For what it's worth, I couldn't live with the chainguard either...
> I would resist messing with the shifter unless it intolerably, erm, grinds your gears. Could be far more trouble that it would be worth, and if you lose the chainguard, that's excess plastic reduced by about 90% already!
> However, if you absolutely must lose the shifter, and you're set on losing the chainguard, consider putting a triple clanger up front. Then ther are a myriad options for changing the shifter and brake levers into a pair of combo levers, which, to be fair, are still mainly plastic, but are altogther less messy that separate brakes and shifters.
> BUT... it's just an errand bike, so you probably don't want to do all that!


I’m glad the chain guard isn’t just me! I can never quite equate the big slab of bendy plastic proclaiming Dawes quality with the steel loveliness of the frame  It does look like it wouldn’t be expensive to get a new one, probably in alloy. It might be beyond my rookie skills to fit however. I have found two possible tyres on eBay - the Schwalbe Delta cruisers in cream, or Michelin New World in black/gum wall. When anyone asks what I’d like for Christmas the answer is now cash, so I can tweak my bike. So my first priorities are to choose tyres and pedals and I’ll see where I can go from there.

I think the shifter will stay, given your comments. What is a “triple clanger” though please, out of interest?

Thank you.


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## DCBassman (12 Dec 2020)

Hebe said:


> I’m glad the chain guard isn’t just me! I can never quite equate the big slab of bendy plastic proclaiming Dawes quality with the steel loveliness of the frame  It does look like it wouldn’t be expensive to get a new one, probably in alloy. It might be beyond my rookie skills to fit however. I have found two possible tyres on eBay - the Schwalbe Delta cruisers in cream, or Michelin New World in black/gum wall. When anyone asks what I’d like for Christmas the answer is now cash, so I can tweak my bike. So my first priorities are to choose tyres and pedals and I’ll see where I can go from there.
> 
> I think the shifter will stay, given your comments. What is a “triple clanger” though please, out of interest?
> 
> Thank you.


Triple chainring and derailleur a la mountain bike. The only reason I've said that is that it's easy to get a set of 3x7 shifters and a Shimano mtb front derailleur. These will give you more gear options should you want them, and they are also designed to work with V-brakes like yours. And although not in spotless condition, I've a set you can have if you so decide. But it does take a bit of putting together. Not rocket science, but not changing-a-plug simple either.
My mixte, which I've got off my butt and finished to a ridable standard, has a double chainring up front, but it's much more difficult to get shifters for 2x7 thean 3x7.


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## Hebe (12 Dec 2020)

Thank you, that’s a very generous offer. There is only 18feet of elevation between my house and the shops though, so I should really be good with just the 7 gears. Though it would be fun to ride it a bit further. I think I should probably start with the simple fettling and work my way up. Though in my head I am like this  at all the possibilities.


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## DCBassman (12 Dec 2020)

Other thing I meant to ask is what is the ISO tyre size? 26x1 3/8 might be a different 26 from a mountin bike. There are other figures on the tyre. A mountain bike tyre might be 38-559, for example, where 559 is the diameter of the rim in mm. The 'other' 26 is 590 or some such. I know this by trying to buy the wrong ones! Hard lessons...


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## DCBassman (12 Dec 2020)

This tells you way more than you'll ever need to know about rim sizes...
All hail Sheldon


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## Hebe (12 Dec 2020)

DCBassman said:


> Other thing I meant to ask is what is the ISO tyre size? 26x1 3/8 might be a different 26 from a mountin bike. There are other figures on the tyre. A mountain bike tyre might be 38-559, for example, where 559 is the diameter of the rim in mm. The 'other' 26 is 590 or some such. I know this by trying to buy the wrong ones! Hard lessons...


It’s 37-590, marked on the tyre. Definitely not a mountain bike 26, I was put straight on that at the last service . The eBay store that I’m looking at has the metric sizes listed too as a cross-check. so much to learn


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## SkipdiverJohn (13 Dec 2020)

The pedals are old-school rubber block types and are what you would expect to find on a 3-speed roadster. They are entirely appropriate for a town bike and I would definitely not change them.
As regards the tyres, again they are traditional 3-speed roadster size, 26" x 1 3/8". I like them myself as they give a comfortable ride, and save a couple of inches on bike length compared to 27" or 700c metric wheels. I run some Schwalbe Delta Cruisers and Schwalbe Marathon greenguards in 26" x 1 3/8". Not much between them in terms of grip, you probably aren't ever going to be cornering fast and hard on a town bike anyway. When tyres are new they have a manufacturing residue which is a mould release agent. This does not do any favours for grip, but as the tyres clock up some miles and get exposed to the elements the release agent gets worn off and they generally hold the road better. I don't really see much need to mess around with that Dawes apart from routine maintenance and giving it a wipe down. It's built to do a certain job and it will do it well just as it is. A fake basket will deal with getting damp better than a natural one. As a bloke, they aren't my thing, but if it's useful to you I would leave it as it is. It doesn't look out of place on a bike like that.


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## Hebe (13 Dec 2020)

Thank you @SkipdiverJohn that’s really helpful, especially about the residue on the tyres. I think it’s baskets on the whole that I’m unsure about, I don’t mind metal ones though. It‘s interesting to learn more about the choices that were made, including the pedals. Lots to think about.


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## Hebe (15 Apr 2021)

Hi, just updating this as you were all so helpful. I think I may have had the lockdown blues colouring my judgement... when the sun came back out and I got back on the bike it just seemed perfect again and I have really enjoyed riding. The only things I would change now would be the tyres, for something with a bit more puncture resistance, the chain guard for aesthetics and possibly the mudguards for the hammered velo orange ones. But none of that actually feels necessary for me to enjoy the bike. Here it is on a click and collect run into town.








What all this did show me is that I really want to learn more about how bikes are put together. I am working my way through some books accompanied by looking hard at my bikes to understand them a bit more, and wondering about the possibility of a very basic project at some point. So thank you again for your honest and helpful comments.


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## DCBassman (15 Apr 2021)

Here's mine as I am currently riding it:


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## Hebe (15 Apr 2021)

I do like that! There’s something about a mixte frame, that combination of lines and circles and touch points , that just makes me want to understand everything about them.


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## DCBassman (15 Apr 2021)

Goes really well. Doesn't stop too easily though...


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## DCBassman (15 Apr 2021)

Hebe said:


> I do like that! There’s something about a mixte frame, that combination of lines and circles and touch points , that just makes me want to understand everything about them.


They are such good-looking frames!


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## Hebe (15 Apr 2021)

DCBassman said:


> Goes really well. Doesn't stop too easily though...


That’s not a feature of mixtes in general, is it? The rear brake on mine is quite leisurely compared to the front, but is much better than it was. It’s only 7 speed though and not exactly built for speed so hasn’t really been an issue so far.


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## DCBassman (16 Apr 2021)

Hebe said:


> That’s not a feature of mixtes in general, is it? The rear brake on mine is quite leisurely compared to the front, but is much better than it was. It’s only 7 speed though and not exactly built for speed so hasn’t really been an issue so far.


To an extent, yes, although you have V-brakes, so I wouldn't have thought your braking would be anything but good. My problem is down to poor calipers which are difficult to upgrade. Workin' on it...


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## sheddy (16 Apr 2021)

Will it be getting a rear rack ?


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## Drago (16 Apr 2021)

An unlugged, tig welded mixte. Unusual. I like mixte bikes, and its sad that in the English speaking countries there's this culture of them being "girls" bikes, when theyre supposed to be unisex machines.


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## DCBassman (16 Apr 2021)

Drago said:


> An unlugged, tig welded mixte. Unusual. I like mixte bikes, and its sad that in the English speaking countries there's this culture of them being "girls" bikes, when theyre supposed to be unisex machines.


Glad to see I'm not alone in this, it makes my teeth itch...
Mine was almost certainly sold by Madison as a girl's drop-bar roadie...


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## Hebe (18 Apr 2021)

sheddy said:


> Will it be getting a rear rack ?


I don’t think so, my Vita has a rack so I tend to use that if I’m carrying more than will fit in the basket.


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## Hebe (18 Apr 2021)

Drago said:


> An unlugged, tig welded mixte. Unusual. I like mixte bikes, and its sad that in the English speaking countries there's this culture of them being "girls" bikes, when theyre supposed to be unisex machines.





DCBassman said:


> Glad to see I'm not alone in this, it makes my teeth itch...
> Mine was almost certainly sold by Madison as a girl's drop-bar roadie...



Is this gendering of mixtes a modern thing? I’d love to know more about the history of the Mixte. I was under the impression that the frame style had been around for some time.


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## DCBassman (18 Apr 2021)

Hebe said:


> Is this gendering of mixtes a modern thing? I’d love to know more about the history of the Mixte. I was under the impression that the frame style had been around for some time.


It's an old French design for a general town bike, and now and again it makes a come-back in that exact genre, as it were. Here's an article:
Mixte


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## All uphill (18 Apr 2021)

They have a certain style; I'd like one in a pale metallic blue, please.


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## Hebe (18 Apr 2021)

DCBassman said:


> It's an old French design for a general town bike, and now and again it makes a come-back in that exact genre, as it were. Here's an article:
> Mixte


Thank you, that was an interesting read. There were some lovely Charge mixtes a while back, I think.



All uphill said:


> They have a certain style; I'd like one in a pale metallic blue, please.


wouldn’t that be beautiful 🤩 There is a Pashley one in a pale green, but I like your pale metallic blue idea more.

Just did my local 4 mile loop with my daughter on her new bike. Turns out I’ll never win any races with her if I’m on the mixte! I can carry a tub of jelly babies in the basket though.


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## DCBassman (18 Apr 2021)

All uphill said:


> They have a certain style; I'd like one in a pale metallic blue, please.





Hebe said:


> wouldn’t that be beautiful 🤩 There is a Pashley one in a pale green, but I like your pale metallic blue idea more.


If there's ever enough money, maybe I'll have this one pwder coated in just that colour, how'd that be? At the same time, maybe an extra bridge across the lower downtubes to mount a decent brake on!


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## Hebe (1 Jun 2021)

DCBassman said:


> If there's ever enough money, maybe I'll have this one pwder coated in just that colour, how'd that be? At the same time, maybe an extra bridge across the lower downtubes to mount a decent brake on!


I am outrageously late replying, but yes, that would work beautifully!

Another question please. One of my brake levers has snapped off at the end. I think the bike must have fallen somewhere or been knocked when parked. I was going to have a go at replacing just that one as it doesn’t look too hard according to you-tube (wide eyed innocence/naivety) but haven’t found a perfect match online yet. So I might have to do them both with a different lever. Do I need to know anything else apart from the diameter of the handlebar and the type of brakes? Photos follow. Thank you.
edit - not sure why that last photo is upside down..


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## T4tomo (1 Jun 2021)

Yes virtually any pair of flat bar levers will work, they should say "direct pull" or "V brake" compatible but 99.9% of levers like that are for v brakes, and yes check clamp diameter.


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## Hebe (1 Jun 2021)

T4tomo said:


> Yes virtually any pair of flat bar levers will work, they should say "direct pull" or "V brake" compatible but 99.9% of levers like that are for v brakes, and yes check clamp diameter.


Thank you!


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## DCBassman (1 Jun 2021)

And a gratuitous reason for another pic of mine, now with shiny silver wheels and almost no spokes!




Edit: and with bottle cage mounts too!


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## Hebe (1 Jun 2021)

DCBassman said:


> And a gratuitous reason for another pic of mine, now with shiny silver wheels and almost no spokes!
> View attachment 591726
> 
> Edit: and with bottle cage mounts too!


Pure geometry. Beautiful. I like it with the reduced spoke count. And bottle cage 😄


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## SkipdiverJohn (2 Jun 2021)

Wheels with that few spokes are just wrong!


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## raleighnut (2 Jun 2021)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Wheels with that few spokes are just wrong!


Nah, low spoke count wheels are ace, hub flange is too small though.


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## DCBassman (2 Jun 2021)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Wheels with that few spokes are just wrong!


They are quite thick spokes...


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## SkipdiverJohn (2 Jun 2021)

DCBassman said:


> They are quite thick spokes...



That makes it even more wrong!.


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## DCBassman (3 Jun 2021)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> That makes it even more wrong!.


I do get where you're coming from, I really do!
It's essentially just the way things have worked out.
Abd both these R550s and the R500s on the Scott have seen far tougher action than designed for, without any problems. So I've kind of got used to them!


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## SkipdiverJohn (3 Jun 2021)

Don't get me wrong, if I had a buckshee set of such wheels knocking around, I would use them on something - but probably only on a beater bike I didn't care about the appearance of. I really can't find any love for wheels that look like half the spokes are missing.


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## Hebe (3 Jun 2021)

Every day’s a school day in this place 😀 New brake levers ordered. I shall do some spoke counting later.


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## DCBassman (3 Jun 2021)

Mine now a 2x9 speed. Riding it tomorrow!


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## Hebe (4 Jun 2021)

DCBassman said:


> Mine now a 2x9 speed. Riding it tomorrow!


Two and a bit times the fun! Is it better on steep hills now?


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## DCBassman (4 Jun 2021)

Given that the previous low was 36 to 34, it was bearable, given the hills around here. This mod makes it 36-36, and knocks a single tooth iff the top gear. Apart from more even spacing of the gears, I might well not notice! The whole mod was really to get the other bike usable, and if that hasn't worked out, then I'll swap it all back again.


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## Hebe (12 Oct 2021)

Here’s the covid recovery machine with new mudguards and brake levers, all done for my birthday. I didn’t do the work… but I did find the brake levers online 😀


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## DCBassman (12 Oct 2021)

Hebe said:


> Here’s the covid recovery machine with new mudguards and brake levers, all done for my birthday. I didn’t do the work… but I did find the brake levers online 😀


Very nice indeed!


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## annedonnelly (12 Oct 2021)

I like those mudguards!


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