U.S. Built Bicycles in Titanium and Carbon-Titanium Mix
U.S. Built Custom Bicycles in Titanium and Titanium-Carbon Mix
Last month, together with our good friends at Velosmith, we delivered an Axiom S to professional photographer Leon Ikler. And before Tony and Andrew at the shop could work their magic on the final build, Leon took the frame away to photograph in his studio.
Leon said, “My idea was to capture the form and detail of the frame more as sculpture then just a shot of the bike from the “drive side” and I’m pleased to share my vision with you.”
Here is some of Leon’s vision:
Our friends at Landry’s Bicycles are hosting a special one-night-only event at their Natick location entitled “Meet the Makers,” this Thursday, March 20th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Two makers will be in attendance, our very own Rob Vandermark as well as Bob Parlee from Parlee Cycles.
Many topics will be covered, but Rob will spend some time sharing his thoughts on frame materials, and what makes titanium such a great choice for bicycles in particular. Both Rob and Bob will discuss the bike business, their companies, their products, and take questions from those in attendance.
The event is open to all, so there is no excuse to miss it! We look forward to seeing you there.
We built this 622 SLX for our friend Adam at Get-a-Grip Cycles in Chicago last season, but he just gave it the fresh bar tape, fresh saddle treatment, so he sent us a picture. We love the Swimming Pool Blue he chose for the carbon tubing, and the Campy EPS build out turns it into something of a show bike. Fortunately, we know the Chicago winter is coming to a close, and we expect this one to leave the showroom and get back on the road shortly.
“Pretty Metal Warshipâ€
I have been on a quest for the perfect bicycle since 2005. I tried several. If the bike was not too stiff, it was too flexible. If it was comfortable it was heavy, and when it was light, it had twitchy handling. When the bikes handled well in the corners, they accelerated slowly, and those that were responsive to stomping on the pedals handled poorly on the descents.
I wanted it all. I wanted a geared bike with the option of running a single speed. I wanted a cyclocross race weapon that could keep up on a 60 mile group ride while giving me the stopping consistency of disc brakes. I wanted a bike that was light, stiff AND comfortable. I wanted a bike that no one else had.
After taking a detour through the years of carbon fiber-mania, eccentric bottom brackets and hefty 4130 steel bikes, I approached my pals at Team Active. I told Dutch and Mike of my vision for the perfect pedal machine, and they knew the only possible way to “have it all†would be a project with Seven Cycles.
This was not my first custom build. I had worked with redacted, redacted and redacted on other frames. The difference and attention to detail was evident in the first steps of the process. The multi-page application and fit procedure covered everything from the length of the stem I rode last season to the distance between my clavicle and shoulder. Once my body measurements were taken, checked, and double-checked, Mike and I discussed my riding preferences as they related to the position on the bike. Flexibility, handling preferences and component selection were all considered. A couple of phone calls later and I was signing on the dotted line ready to start my custom build.
This is where my experience in custom frame building ends. My previous builds ended with the fit document, and 3 weeks later I had a fancy machine on my front porch.
The experience of Seven Cycles went beyond this traditional approach, and started with a phone conversation with Dan, their designer. This interview covered every bike I had ridden for the last 5 seasons, cyclocross course conditions in Michigan, tubing selection and ride quality. We talked about the advantages of an oversize head tube, pressfit bottom bracket and component selection options. Tire clearance, disc brake tab position, cable routing, frame angles and chain ring clearance were debated. We discussed the dropouts at length and compared the advantages of titanium over steel. The conversation put my mind at ease, and before seeing the frame, I knew it was going to be everything I was looking for.
A few days later I received the CAD sketches of my proposed frame design, along with tube length and angle measurements. Dan and I emailed back and forth, making some minor adjustments based on handling preferences, before settling on a final design that was tailored to my riding preferences and Seven Cycle’s meticulous fit methodology. The sketch was faxed to Mike at Team Active for another signature, and I was officially in the build “queue.â€
The waiting was horrible. Even with the snow covered asphalt and bitterly cold temperatures, I still dreamt of riding my new bike. I had the build kit, headset and wheels staged on the work bench with all the necessary tools for the build. I googled images of similar Seven builds, and checked my build progress on the Seven site daily.
5 weeks and 3 days later the frame arrived. I was stuck home with a napping toddler when the call came, so Dutch at Team Active delivered it to my house so I could start the build. 1 x 10 SRAM drivetrain, Velocity USA hoops, Thomson cock pit, 3 New Belgium Fat Tire Ales and a Fizik saddle complimented the titanium finish nicely.
By biggest take away from working with Team Active and Seven Cycles was my role in the process. It was very much a team effort to to build a machine that exceeded my standards for performance, while maintaining an efficient and comfortable riding position.
– Dan F – Battle Creek, MI
We were very proud to be represented at the recent Taipei International Cycle Show by our good friends at Shenyang Bicycle International, who make the trip from the south of the island, near Tainan, to the north, for this big event on the international calendar.
Traditionally, Taipei serves as a meeting place for cycling industry insiders. It’s where the big companies meet with the factories who produce their bikes, and where component makers fete bike makers in an attempt to get them to include specific parts on their stock builds for the coming season. A lot of new products debut there, and the season’s trends begin to emerge.
A few things from the show piqued our curiosity this year. First of all, a surprising number of builders brought Ti bikes, confirmation that one of the materials we’ve been working with for decades is in something of a renaissance among riders who treasure its durability and superior ride quality. The other thing we noticed is the preponderance of drop bar bikes with disc brakes.
Thanks to William at Shenyang, we are present in Taipei each year, making the reverse trip most American bikes make. Instead of being built in Taiwan and shipped to the US, we are built here and shipped to Asia. Given the nature of the show, our partnership with Shenyang seems both supremely important and also a little subversive.