Bikes – Seven Cycles

Gravel Tire & Gearing Ranges

Seven’s Rider-Ready gravel bikes cover all the dirt-centric bases, with 14 models. That number is just for frame types; it doesn’t include parts kits, cockpits, or wheelset options.

Fortunately, deciding which is right for you is simple.

Generally, riders define gravel bikes by a few attributes:

Maximum tire size, minimum tire size
Gearing and range
Frame and fork mounts, cargo capability
Frameset geometry, handling
Tubeset, ride characteristics

The two most commonly researched attributes are tire size (how big can the bike go?) and gearing (does the bike have the right range for how I ride?).

Seven Rider-Ready bikes have a greater maximum tire size selection than any stock bike brand. We also offer the most gear range options of any brand. For example, our Gravel 743 model has 15 kits to choose from, 19 wheelset options, and other options and upgrades. You’ll find the perfect parts combination for your riding.

Here’s Seven’s current gravel Rider-Ready bike lineup by tire size range and gearing range. We’ve also included wheel axle widths, an unusual focus for gravel bikes, but it’s becoming useful because of the recent interest in larger tires. Our Gravel 761 and 761s (Slang geometry) are designed with boost axle spacing for a stronger, stouter wheel that can handle rougher terrain. The 761 and 761s are true mountain bikes with drop bars.

We offer six maximum tire sizes across our 14 gravel Rider-Ready models.

Why so many tire sizes?

As the rear tire gets larger, the chainstays must get longer, and optimal gearing tends to get lower.

The more specifically we can offer your ideal maximum tire width and gearing, the shorter we can make the chainstays.

Chainstay Lengths

No one wants chainstays longer than necessary. ^[1] There’s no reason to have longer stays if you don’t want a larger tire. Choose your max tire from our six offerings, along with your preferred gearing, and you’ll have a bike with optimal handling geometry.

Max-Min Tire Width Range

Equally important, when the maximum tire size changes, so too does the minimum tire size. Most bike specs are silent regarding recommended minimum tire width.

We find that for many riders, the min-max range is as important as the maximum tire size. Many riders are dual-wheel riding these days – having a wheelset for gravel riding and a second wheelset for road riding. So, knowing the recommended minimum tire size may influence your purchase decision.

Having a balance of tire size range is often the ideal. For example, the Gravel 747 is currently Seven’s most popular bike for tire range. The 747 is an excellent 30 mm tire road bike, and at the wide tire end of the spectrum, the 47 mm tire is nearly a mountain bike tire. It’s a combination that’s difficult to beat.

Gearing

In another example, our popular Gravel 758 gets you to 29 x 2.3″ tires (700 x 58 mm). On paper, the 758 is similar to the Gravel 761. However, there are two important differences: 1) Hub spacing and 2) gearing. These might seem like minor distinctions, but for some riders, it’s the difference between perfection and just another gravel bike that missed the mark.

The 761 is a true mountain bike with drop bars (and frameset geometry designed for drops). The 758 is capable of the same trails but is also designed for gravel gearing and has gravel hub spacing. This gravel axle spacing provides more wheel options, but they are not as tough and stiff as mountain bike wheels. Of course, everything is relative. Our 758 is tougher than any other gravel bike on the market. It’ll hold up; don’t worry.

Each of our gravel models, including our current special edition 747 and our MantaRay 743, has specific purposes. One of which will be ideal for you.

Life is short. Choose your own adventure, bike, and ride.

Footnotes:

Longer chainstays are not a bad thing. Riders tend to focus on short chainstays. The shorter, the better, right? In reality, after designing 35,000 bikes and doing endless testing, Seven knows that shorter stays are almost never the answer to improved handling. Regardless, if you want the shortest stays possible, Seven offers our chopped chainstay design that provides among the shortest chainstays possible for any tire size.

Cycling Independent Podcast 409

Patrick Brady & John Lewis Talk Seven Bikes on the Cycling Independent Podcast

It’s a good conversation. Check out the Paceline Podcast 409.

As is always the case with Robot and Padraig, they had a great conversation that covered a lot of ground. During one segment, they talked about the bike they’ve each spent the most time riding over the years. To both their surprise and Seven’s, both have ridden Sevens more than any other bike.

Here are some Seven selfish highlights.

Some of what Robot (John Lewis) said about his Axiom SL:

“It’s simply the best bike I’ve ever owned. It is a whisper over pavement. It is a telepathic extension of my body. Everything I want a bike to be and nothing I don’t.”

“I thought I understood what [Seven] did and why it was good. [Within the first] maybe 50 yards, everything was perfect. You feel that in your body.”

“Everything was more perfect with this bike, right out of the assembly stand, than any other bike I’d ever thrown a leg over before.”

“It is something else. I knew intellectually all the information, but to feel it in my body, I was gobsmacked. It’s all true.”

“It was my everything bike for a while. I rode D2R2 on it.”

“Getting a Seven was like going through the wardrobe into Narnia. Like moving from normal everyday life into another realm.”

“It was like Spiderman, the first time he’s clinging to the side of a building and looks down. It was that sort of like, oh, this is a new reality.”

Some of what Padraig (Patrick Brady) said about his Axiom SL:

“The best bike I’ve ever ridden.”

“The Seven was the yardstick by which I measured other bikes. No bike ever came close to measuring up.”

“A fair amount of stiffness for a Ti frame. Stiffness is often something that gets underdone with titanium.”

“Another thing the Axiom taught me was the value of a stiff top tube. Too flexible a top tube hurts the way the bike tracks and turns.”

“On occasions when someone would ask to check out my bike, what I heard repeatedly is they loved how calm the bike was at speed, and yet it always turned without hesitation.”

“I could race any crit against people on more aggressive bikes.”

They both have owned many bikes over the years. To have them both ride their Sevens the most means so much.

This is why we build bikes every day, all day.

Thank you both!

Patrick Brady on his Seven Axiom SL. 1997.

Evolving Gravel Bike Tire Sizes

Gravel bike tire sizes are getting wider, fast. We see a lot of interest in 50+ mm tires. Some riders say bigger tires are faster. Some say it’s bunk. It partly depends on the terrain you ride. The rougher the terrain, the faster a wider tire will typically roll. It also partly depends on the harshness of your ride; a wider tire will help mask the shortcomings of your frame and fork.

The chart below shows 10 of the most popular and respected gravel bikes compared with Seven’s Rider-Ready gravel bikes. Our three gravel designs (plus our allroads) cover every kind of performance offroad riding.

Seven’s Gravel 758 is designed for 2.3″ (58 mm) mountain bike tires. This machine is a proper mountain bike with drop bars. Ideal for rough trails and rocky terrain.

Seven’s Gravel 753 has room for 53 mm (2.1″) mountain ready tires. The 753 is our riders’ current most popular balance of capability and speed.

Seven’s Gravel 743 is our classic gravel bike. It’s what most people think of when they think gravel.

Seven’s Allroads 738 is as capable as some popular gravel bikes.

Seven’s Rider-Ready gravel bikes are not warmed over mountain bikes.

Control or Fatigue?

Interest in wider tires has a lot to do with harsh riding frames of carbon or aluminum compared to well-designed titanium.

Do you want wider to help smooth out the ride and take the edge off, or do you want wider to give you more control at higher speeds and in more demanding conditions? If it’s the former, a Seven titanium frame is a great answer; this will provide you all the shock absorption you could want without the need for a wider tire. If it’s the latter, Seven offers more wide tire options and sizes than any other bike brand.

Whatever gravel you want to ride, Seven’s got it covered.

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All data was taken from the respective bike company websites.

Review: Axiom XX Road Bike

Everyone knows that cyclists love Sevens. But did you know that Cyclist seems to love Seven, too? They just tested our Axiom XX Rider-Ready Performance road bike for their June 2024 print issue.

“It’s a bike that has been built for going far and fast.”

In brief, Cyclist’s words can be summed up with this mashup quote:

“Feel powerful when climbing. Lean confidently into corners and descents. Be powerful on the flats. Float over the rough stuff.”

What more could you want? A super light bike? Why not. The test bike tipped the scales at 7.6 kilos (16.75 lbs) with pedals, full internal routing, and standard SRAM Red parts. That puts this Seven among the lightest full carbon bikes. You get carbon lightness with Seven’s titanium performance, control, handling, and toughness.

Read the complete review here.

Full Aero Internal housing routing. An option on most of our Rider-Ready bikes. Photo credit: Cyclist Magazine

Here’s some of what Cyclist had to say about the ride:

Climbing:

“Climbing is where Seven has built the Axiom XX to excel. And, yes, it is great going uphill.”

“I found the Axiom XX coped happily with even the most beastly slopes.”

“[The Seven has] rigidity to make anyone feel pretty powerful when climbing.”

Descending:

“When rolling downhill, the Axiom XX picked up speed easily, and I found myself leaning confidently into corners, benefiting from the balanced handling and even weight distribution.”

Acceleration:

“[The Seven has] core rigidity to make anyone feel pretty powerful on the flats.”

Handling & Performance:

“The lightweight Axiom XX seemed to float over a lot of the rough stuff and, compared to the carbon bikes I normally ride, the vibration damping was evident.”

“[The Seven has] less inclination to bounce and skitter over road debris compared to its carbon acquaintances.”

“The natural compliance of the titanium tubes made for a more comfortable and assured ride.”

“I found myself leaning confidently into corners, benefiting from the balanced handling and even weight distribution.”

Thanks to our friends and partners at CycleFit for setting this up, supplying the bike, and managing the process.

Even the “low” points chosen by Cyclist Magazine are easily eliminated. Cyclist chose common “objections” about Sevens:

Price: Their setup was $18,000 (£14,300). This was a project bike from Seven’s partners at CycleFit; it was not designed as a price point bike. Our full titanium models start at about 1/3 of the test bike’s price: $6,700 for a complete bike. This is well within the price of any full carbon performance bike.
Long lead time: This is a UK magazine, so the lead times are a bit longer than our US retailers typically see. Our Rider-Ready bikes (which this bike is) are available within three weeks. That’s quite competitive with many high-end carbon bikes.
Less durable when compared to our heavier titanium frames. True on paper. Not so relevant in most riding situations. Regardless, if a rider values toughness over other features, Seven builds bikes for that, too. And it’s even less expensive. More importantly, compared to any full carbon frame, any Seven titanium bike is significantly more durable, so perception of “less durable” is relative.
Less versatile because this is a pure performance road bike. It’s true that pure road bikes are less common this season because “allroads” are in trend. Fortunately, we offer multiple allroads versions of this bike, gravel versions, dual-wheel size versions, etc. Seven’s Rider-Ready bike categories offer more than any stock carbon bike. And if that’s not enough, we offer full custom designs, too.

Who says you can’t have it all? Not Seven.

Read the complete review here.

Seven’s Rider-Ready Road Performance bike. Speed, climbing prowess, and descending confidence. Photo credit: Cyclist Magazine

Seven’s S-bend seat stays, a hallmark of our designs, provide improved wheel traction and climbing prowess. Photo credit: Cyclist Magazine

Every Seven is made in Massachusetts from raw tubing and plate. Each frame is built one at a time. Photo credit: Cyclist Magazine

Seven’s dropout and brake mount system enhances drivetrain stiffness and brake performance. Ride faster, stop quicker. Photo credit: Cyclist Magazine

Velosmith Performance Allroads Bike: Titanium XX with In-Route System

Designed and built with Velosmith Bicycle Studio, a Seven Cycles retailer in Wilmette, Illinois. Velosmith brought the Seven to the Chris King Open House. The Radavist took some fantastic photos at the Open House along with many beautiful bikes. Seven was fortunate to be part of it. Thank you, Velosmith, Chris King, and The Radavist! Photographs by The Radavist.

Velosmith Allroads blue beauty. Photograph credit: The Radavist

Full In-Route system for clean and hidden housing presentation. Photograph credit: The Radavist

Symmetry. Photograph credit: The Radavist

Dropped chainstays and Fastback dropout interface. Fast, stiff, clearance. Photograph credit: The Radavist

Seven paint designed by Velosmith. Photograph credit: The Radavist

Love to watch it go. Photograph credit: The Radavist