Mixtie

Several years ago riding by JR's Salvage, JR waved us in to show us a bicycle someone had dropped off.

Unusual in that it was a mixtie frame and it had 27 by 1 1/4 wheels.  Those wheels got my attention -- the size most of my bicycles have.  The wheels were solid, not rusted, and true -- that concluded that!

Without much negotiation at all, I bought the mixtie.

It was complete, in need of a lot of TLC, but for its age (later discovered to be 1984) in pretty good shape.

Got it home, removed the wheels, changed tires, and used them on another bicycle, and stored the mixtie away for a very long time.  Never ever thought much about resurrecting it.  So it languished in the garage attic for quite some time.

Then for some reason, I got interested in a folding bicycle -- no good reason why, but I did.

Found a Zizzo Ferro on Amazon and gave it serious consideration and then thought -- why not put the Mixtie back on the road instead?

Note the seat post which is frozen in the frame -- THAT is a problem!
There it is -- a work in progress
The original drop bars replaced by more upright ones

Turns out the mixtie is a Centurian (which I had heard of) but didn't know much about.
Centurian has an interesting history.


So a couple days were spent getting it back in shape.  New cables, re-greasing the headset and bottom bracket etc.  The wheels needed nothing as they had been serviced and being used on another bicycle.

One problem existed:   A very stuck seat post -- which is a difficult situation to deal with.

The goal is to remove the post and not destroy the frame in the process.

It looked pretty hopeless.   Vice Grips, pipe wrench, nothing would budge that thing.

After many applications of penetrating oil, Bikemanforu's "special sauce"* (he said only 6 people in the world know what it is 😉  ) and oxalic acid it was time to try to move it again.

Vise grips and a mighty heave moved it a whole 1/4 of an inch and then it locked solid once more.

More soaking overnight.

Next morning another try and it moved! Not much, but it moved!  More twisting back and forth and more and more movement -- pulling up and twisting, it eventually crept upward and and OUT!   ðŸ˜„



There it is!
Along with all the rust freezing it to the frame


Re-assembly of the other bits and pieces, a new chain, adjust the derailers, pump up the tires and we are ready for a Road Test!



Later, while at a Dollar store, I happened to notice some nail polish that seems very close to the color of the Centurion
The price was right so gave it a try, and an exact match?  Of course not, but it is very very close.
Carefully applying the nail polish to the several blemished areas, it worked out very well.
From a distance it is very hard to tell any difference in color.
Always interesting to re-purpose one thing for another.

Photos  from April 2018















* Special Sauce is a 50/50 mixture of acetone and automatic transmission fluid -- and yes it does work wonders freeing rusted parts





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