Articles – Page 68 – Seven Cycles

CenterTrack Belt Drive System Review

belt drive in action — CenterTrack in action on the Sola SL

Just as the cold temps of late fall and the ever darkening dawn have crept up on us over the last few months we finally put a – somewhat – reliable group together for early morning mountain bike rides on the local wooded trails. It’s usually a small group, 3 or 4 of us, with one or two no-shows on any given day. Lately we’ve had about enough light for about 60 minutes of trail time before it’s time to head home for a toe thawing shower and then off to work. It’s always a good idea, if you want to keep on riding through the onset of the dark and cold time, to incorporate a new source of inspiration into your cycling arsenal. This past spring I was able to stoke my own enthusiasm by building up a custom Sola SL 650b single speed. Neil drew up the design and incorporated the future compatibility of a belt drive system. We knew that Gates had its new CenterTrack in the works, so I figured I’d run a chain for the time being and set up the strap once the new system was available. This bike is a purpose-built shredder designed for the rocky, twisty rolling hills of metro-west Boston’s various town forests and preservation lands. I opted for fat, tubeless tires and 120mm of travel up front to make bouncing through the rocky terrain as much fun as possible.

Nine months after my Sola’s maiden chain-driven voyage, I finally stepped up and got my hands on the CenterTrack parts. Gates recommended that I use a 46:28 setup with a 115 belt. It’s close, but a bit lower than my 32:18 chain configuration. Thanks to Neil’s design precision, and the Eccentric BB on my Sola SL, I’ll be able to run a 26t sprocket with the same belt, and will have a nearly identical match to my chain drive ratio.

Now that I have a few good belt-driven rides behind me, I struggle to find the words to describe why I feel that this is a very worthwhile upgrade. The feel at the pedals is very direct, there is less resistance than in a chain system, and it just runs quiet and smooth. The best part about it, though, is that even though the daylight hours are shrinking more each day, and every morning seems to be forecasted a degree or two cooler, I can’t wait to down a hot cup of coffee and head out on the next ride. At some point, and this will happen soon, someone will interrupt my otherwise peaceful ride through the woods, looking to talk for too long about my belt drive, and as a result I’ll have to cut my ride short or show up late to work. Other than those possibilities, I foresee no down side. I can’t wait to test it out on ice and in snow, and through whatever else Mother Nature has to offer in the next few months. See you on the trails!

-Joe W.

Eight Brochures Later

brochure cover - hand holding badge — 2012 Brochure

In September of 2004, I was fresh out of grad school and substitute teaching in order to afford my lavish lifestyle of living at home, eating my parents’ food, driving their cars, drinking their wine, and searching for full time employment on their computer. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but had a few traditional Monster.com searches that I checked daily, all the while wasting an exorbitant amount of time on fun searches using words that had no hope of yielding a legitimate job. One time I searched the word ‘bike’ which produced mostly garbage, but oddly enough, had an interesting hit. Seven Cycles, in Watertown, MA needed a customer service rep.

I had worked in three bike shops, led several biking trips for kids and college freshmen, and thanks to subbing, interning, and student teaching in a public school, felt like I had enough patience to cut it in the world of customer service. Before I sent out a cover letter, I thought I’d make the forty-minute trek to the nearest Seven Cycles retailer to see one in person for the first time.

The store was across from a town green, and their window suggested they meant business if not bidness. Once inside, I was overwhelmed; Merlins, Litespeeds, Looks, and a variety of other rare bikes littered the floor. I took a lap. When the salesman approached, I asked where the Sevens were, and he said something to the effect of, “Seven? Sweet bikes, but they won’t make you one until they know your astrological sign. We don’t have any on the floor, but I’ll grab you a brochure.” I didn’t mention why I was interested, but thanked him for the brochure, picked up an Apple Cinnamon original Powerbar and walked across the street to a bench. I probably spent an hour thumbing through the catalog while indulging in culinary perfection.

brochure cover - one bike. yours. — 2004 Brochure

The slate blue cover was understated and classy, and the mantra, ‘one bike. yours.‘ sounded like they might care about me or at least someone considering owning one of their bikes. The first bike to be featured in 2004 was an Elium. Without looking I can tell you that it was outfitted with Ksyrium SL’s, a Dura Ace kit, and a titanium stem. It even had a pie plate, which was just as odd then as it is now. I took in every detail. That night I fired off a cover letter and a resume to Seven and wondered if they’d respond.

They did. At the time, I never would have thought that just seven years and two months later I could say that I helped play a small part in each of the eight brochures we have produced since.

When 2012 edition went off to print I had a Proustian moment that brought me back to that day in the park. Last Friday afternoon, the first pallet of completed brochures was delivered, but you would have thought Tom and Gisele walked through the door based on the smiles and general jubilance.

This year’s brochure is especially exciting because nearly everyone had a part in its creation. I’m a team guy after all. Rob, Kirk, Jennifer, Matt, Stef, Krissy, Joe, John, Dan, Neil, and many others all helped to make it happen. No outside help, other than the printer, laid a hand on it. I think that’s something to be proud of.

We’ll mail you a free one if you fill out the request form online. For full effect, I recommend reading it while snacking on a Powerbar. Let us know what you think.

Written by Karl B

New Seven Cycles Cross Bike: The Mudhoney PRO

Mudhoney PRO bike — The 2012 Mudhoney PRO

We knew we could build a better cross bike, but it was a big challenge.The Mudhoney line has served us, and the riders who race them week-in and week-out, very well. What we know from years of experience though, is that the top step of the podium isnâ€™t always the last step up you can take.

Cyclocross demands a lot from a bike frame. Finding the way forward meant balancing performance against durability. The massive torque generated by cantilever brakes made redesigning the seat stays difficult. The big impacts sustained on the fiendish obstacles race organizers throw at riders have to be absorbed somehow. We wanted to use enough carbon to make the bike light, but to incorporate enough titanium to give proper torsional stiffness and to remain supple through the pounding of race day.

We came up with the Mudhoney PRO.

The PROâ€™s seat stays are titanium at the top to improve braking efficiency, but carbon at the bottom, where lightness and vibration dampening are important. There is titanium in the drive train for maximum power transfer, and titanium in the lugs to absorb shocks. The Ti also leaves some finesse in the frame. Itâ€™s livelier than an all carbon bike. No other cross bike tracks so well or maintains traction quite the way the Mudhoney PRO does. Carbon top, down and seat tubes make the Mudhoney PRO our lightest cross frame and one that shrugs off the chatter of uneven ground.

This is a race bike, pure and true.

Seven Retailers Named to Complex.com’s Top Ten

We were thrilled, but not surprised, to see three of our retailers named to the â€œTop Ten Best Bike Shops in America,â€ by Complex website.

Cascade Bicycle Studio in Seattle was lauded for its ability to custom build a bicycle for any customer. CBS aims to create a rider-centric atmosphere, as evidenced by their dedication to working with each cyclist on a one-on-one, appointment-only basis. This level of customer service creates a shop that the Seattle cycling community has come to trust as one of the most reliable and highest quality bike studios in the city.

Boulder Cycle Sport in Boulder, Colorado had a podium finish!Complex.com gave BCS high marks for its â€œdedication to finding the perfect â€˜body-to-bikeâ€™ connectionâ€ and excellent repair service that the shop offers. Their efforts are paying off, as they have sold more Sevenâ€™s this year than ever before.

How did Bespoke Cycles in San Francisco improve the customer experience when they already had forty-eight years of combined fitting experience, customer first mentality, and an incredible selection of custom bikes, apparel, and gear? By moving into a beautiful new studio on Clay Street! We had a chance to check out the new digs a few weeks back and thoroughly impressed with the lay out and charm. We suspect Bespoke will be part of the top ten for many years to come.

Each of these Seven retailers shares a common trait: focus on the customer experience. A trait that, when embraced, has some profound effects. Making a top ten list is great press, but the real benefit is more happy customers, more evangelism, and of course, more sales. Weâ€™re privileged to work with retailers that set the bar so high.

Seven’s Mary McConneloug Takes the Podium at Providence

Mary races 'cross — Photo Courtesy of Natalia Boltukhova Pedal Power Photography 2011

It was sunny and hot at the Providence Festival of Cyclocross this weekend, which everyone found disorienting and dusty.We managed to see several of our favorite riders do well despite the trying conditions.

On Saturday, Mary McConneloug of Team Kenda/Seven/No Tubes finished second in the elite women’s field, and then outsprinted the Day 1 winner, Laura van Gilder, for top spot on Day 2.

These were extra impressive results for McConneloug who is only just back from racing the World Cup circuit in Europe for the summer. Making that transition from mountain to cross can be difficult, but it’s a testament to Mary’s sheer class that she can hit home soil, swap bikes and come up with a big win and a second place. Laura van Gilder, who topped Mary on Saturday, said of McConneloug after Sunday’s race, â€œthe ideal cross racer is a mix of mountain biker and roadie. Mary has those both, sheâ€™s incredible.â€

Bob’s Red Mill and Seven racer Mo Bruno Roy took 10th on Saturday and 7th on Sunday, a pair of results that bring her to 5th on points with two weeks break before Downeast Cross in Maine.

Andrea Smith of Ladies First Racing rode her Seven Mudhoney SLX to 7th on Saturday and an impressive 4th on Sunday. Smith won the Verge Series last season and stands 3rd on the New England points list for 2011, just behind van Gilder.Since winning at Monson in her opening race of the season, and finishing 11th in a super tough field at Cross Vegas, she’s been solid and consistent, big keys to winning any series.

With Mary, Andrea and Mo doing so well, that’s three Sevens in the top ten in Providence, BOTH DAYS!!!!!

Carl Ring was there to represent the Seven Development Squad on the men’s side:

“I lined up both days, I got stuck behind a bad start line crash on Saturday, fought my way up to the front half of the field, then lost all my spark. Back slid all the way back to the tail of the field. Sunday was better. I managed to advance pretty well in the first two laps, but I’m still lacking the fitness I need after knee surgery early this year. I hope to be back to full strength in 3-4 weeks. Still it was fun racing and a great venue…(it) was great to see Mary McConneloug line up. I noticed that Andrea Smith and a few of the other Ladies First riders are also on Seven’s now. Looking forward to seeing you at the Maine VergeSeries races.”