At Seven, we adhere tightly to the philosophy that form follows function. That’s why when designing a bike, we start with its mission and work back to the frame material selection.
We believe there are no bad materials, just bad applications.
We recommend the same approach when choosing your bike. Instead of first deciding upon a frame material, consider, “What do I want from my bike? How do I ride?” Crit racing, charity rides, touring, fast club rides, randos, solo rides, mixed surface explorations, all of the above? The answer can help lead you to the right material—and it may surprise you.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber has been in the Seven line-up since our inception, and we helped pioneer its use in mixed material frame design. Carbon provides superior light weight and stiffness, which are properties critical when every second counts. Thus, it’s a great material for racing, especially crits, where explosive acceleration is required.
For longer rides and recreational outings, where a more forgiving ride and stable handling are priorities, those same properties can become performance robbing. And if durability and versatility are high on your list of what you want in a bike, carbon may be ruled out entirely.
Titanium
Titanium is well-known for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and service life, but where it really excels is in its versatility. Seven’s founders and veteran manufacturing team have been designing and building titanium bikes for as long as anyone in the industry. In fact, we introduced many of the advances that have come to define the modern titanium bike.
Perhaps more so than with any other material, titanium is only as good as the framebuilder. In experienced hands, titanium’s unique properties can be leveraged to yield a wide range of ride characteristics to suit a broad spectrum of riding—from racing to touring, and everything in between. Titanium is the preferred material for those who are looking to invest in their ultimate bike.
Conclusion
We believe there are no bad materials, just bad applications. Knowing how to leverage a material’s strengths and mitigate its weaknesses is integral to the art and science of bike design at Seven.
