Seven – Page 96 – Seven Cycles

Video – Green Mountain Double Century 2012

The Green Mountain Double Century is a singular sort of endurance event. The 2012 version was 215 miles, 80% on dirt roads, with 26,500ft of climbing. There is a time cut off of 40 hours. Theoretically, it is a race, but such is the challenge that many ride just to finish.

The inaugural event, in 2011, saw about a dozen riders start, and only four finish. Three of them were from the Ride Studio Cafe Endurance Team, John Bayley, David Wilcox and Matt Roy. They finished in just short of 19 hours. The 2012 version saw the RSC team, all on Ti Sevens, “win” the overall again, shaving three hours off their previous best time. These guys are all randonneuring legends who keep raising the bar for the endurance cycling community. We were incredibly honored to have them all on our bikes.

Natalia Boltukhova of Pedal Power Photography, who shot most of our Love to Ride brochure as well as the photo above, traveled with the winning team in both 2011 and 2012, putting together this photo set and this video, which captures the brutality (and humor) of the event beautifully.

GMDC 2012 from Natalia Boltukhova on Vimeo.

Claire’s Axiom SLX

This is Claire’s Axiom SLX. We designed it with help from our good friend Chris Richardson at Bike Doctor of Waldorf, Maryland.

Claire sent us this picture of the complete build, and said, “I’m quickly falling in love with my new Seven! It’s an amazing bike. You were right, Neil; the paint looks awesome and I’m happy with the final choice. My initial impressions after 2 rides: light, agile, stable, lively, and effortless.

Seven featured on Bicycling.com

One of the things a custom builder can do better than most production builders is find the sweet spots in between the traditional cycling categories. Constance Winters of Bicycling.com recently tested our Cafe Racer SL in just such a special configuration, somewhere in the space between go-fast road bike and all-purpose commuter.

First, this bike has S&S couplings so it can be broken down for travel. Total time to assemble this one, straight out of the case, is about ten minutes.

Next, it has a custom Tiberius handlebar, which gives the rider multiple hand position options, both aggressive and more upright.

And finally, it features a super quiet, super clean single-speed belt drive. The belt keeps you from getting grease on your pants if you’re riding for business, and its elegant simplicity makes break down and reassembly that much easier.

All of this in a sub-15lb package.

Image: Constance Winters

Garry’s Axiom SL

Just the other day we were writing about the occasional build photos that trickle back to us, and how they can serve as vital motivation during the long winter months, when we are less on our bikes and more at our work. Lo and behold, Monday morning brought this picture of Garry’s new Axiom SL in Super Hero Blue with White panels and bare Ti stays. This one also has a 44mm head tube with a tapered fork and stealth carbon wheels. THIS is why you want to build custom bikes. Thanks, Garry.

Motivations

In winter, you have to keep your eyes open. The reasons to ride can be hard to find, like forage for small animals. Mostly you operate on the faith that riding through the cold and snow, the slush and ice, the sand and salt, will have a real payoff, even if you’re not always sure, as you step out into another icy morning wind, exactly when that payoff will come.

What happens is that you suffer. The wind chaps your cheeks. You get wet in ways you never thought possible, and you arrive on the other side, sometimes unclear on whether what you just did was brave or stupid.

Of course, sometimes, somewhere out on the road or trail, you get one of those transcendent moments that repays your faith, that spurs you on to ride another wind swept winter day. Maybe it’s just the tranquility of finding yourself out in the woods, maybe on the edge of a frozen pond where the trees stir in the breeze and the world slows down, or else it’s on the road with friends and someone has a good joke and you ride fast on the laughter for a mile or two.

We usually find that, as on the bike so on the shop floor. It is impossible to maintain 100% motivation year-round. Where inspiration can vary, we create systems and redundancies to be sure we are bringing the maximum attention to detail. When one of us is lit up with inspiration, the others can catch it like a cold. We pass it around and thrive off it.

But also, you never know when you’re going to paint a bike that comes out better than you ever would have hoped just looking at the scheme on paper. You never know when someone is going to build up one of your bikes in the most thoroughly beautiful way and send you a stunning photo and thank you for what you’ve done for them.

You have to keep your eyes open for these things in wintertime, or really any time, even as you have great faith in the bike as a tool and as a way of expressing your craft. This is how we stay motivated.