Title
Production welder and paint department manager at Seven Cycles in Watertown, Mass.
Duties
Welding and painting titanium and carbon-fiber road and mountain bikes.
Her Background
Adams has been working at Seven Cycles for seven years. She heard about the job after working at Ti-bike maker Merlin just before that company left town.
Qualifications
Before working at Merlin, Adams learned welding at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and then took a class in TIG welding at Wentworth.
The Pros
Working on bikes in a fun atmosphere. “Everyone loves what they’re doing. When people really like what they do and they like coming to work, there are no fights about anything,” says the 32-year-old Adams. “I love it here. It’s everything that I want to do. I love welding.”
The Cons
Burns from hot tungsten rods and hot frames. “Everyone’s going to have at least one burn,” says Adams.
Perks
Discounts on frames and parts, and of course the fact that Seven employees can make bikes for themselves. Adams has made bikes for herself and her husband, as well as a custom tandem for them both.
Advice For Aspiring Bike Makers
“If you’re not patient, you don’t want to do it. We have really high standards and you have to work very hard,” she says. “You have to be very precise, and there’s a lot of detail work that goes into every aspect of the bike industry. People think, ‘Bikes, it’s cool, and it’s fun,’ and it is cool and fun, but it’s also very demanding. It’s a real job, and it’s a career.”
