Seven Cycles – Page 115 – U.S. Built Custom Bicycles in Titanium and Titanium-Carbon Mix

Seven Cycles in the “Let’s Talk About Bikes” Exhibit at the BSA

We are excited to participate in the “Let’s Talk About Bikes” exhibit at the Boston Society of Architects. The exhibit opens on Tuesday, June 12, with a party at the BSA from 6-8pm.

“Let’s Talk About Bikes” was conceived by the folks at the design firm, over, under to celebrate the history of framebuilding in Boston, and to explore the role of the bicycle in an urban environment:

“The expansion of urban biking raises broader transit-related questions about the relationship of bicycles to urban and environmental public policy. The exhibition examines this theme, from the Complete Streets movement to advocacy activism to concerns raised in Boston’s larger community about roadway use. Let’s Talk About Bikes presents many stories and outlooks in order to raise awareness and questions about the role of the bicycle in cities today.”

Seven Cycles was asked to loan The Berlin Bike and Seveneer Mike Salvatore’s Elium to the exhibit. Each bike represents a specific type of riding: the Berlin Bike is a commuter bike and Mike’s Elium was build specifically for track racing. Parlee Cycles and Friefly Bicycles also have bikes in the exhibit. In addition,Â Rob V. conceptualized and edited a family tree of Boston bike building for the exhibit. Many Seveneers are included in various aspects of the show: Matt O’Keefe’s and Jonathan Henig’s photographs will be displayed, and bikes built by Saila, Royal H., and the SCUL gang will also be part of the show.

We hope that if you’re in or around Boston over the summer, you’ll stop by the BSA to have a look at the craftsmanship on display. “Let’s Talk About Bikes” runs from June 12-August 31, 2012.

Serrano

This is our new Serrano Green on an Axiom S headed for the shipping dock. This, and a number of other new stock colors, are available now for paint-loving customization. See the full spectrum on our paint page.

Current Work – Diamas S, Axiom SL, Resolute SLX

Timelessness

This is Seven Cycles #10, the tenth bike we ever built. It is 15 years-old. It has been all over the US, all over Europe. It has a lot of trail miles under its wheels. We built it for one of Seven’s original founders, who has gone on, happily, to live and ride the world.

Last week, it came back for refinish.

With more than 20,000 custom bikes behind us, it’s hard not to think about the first bikes out the door, wonder where they are, what they’re doing. Seeing this bike again was a real treat, and maybe it validates a decision we made a long time ago to offer only one finish for our bare Titanium frames, one that is a bit painstaking to execute, but turns out a frame that can be easily maintained and refinished for the lifetime of the bike, which, as it turns out, can be very long time.

Part of the process of customizing a bike for an individual customer is thinking about the future. Often riders know what they want in the moment. Sometimes they have a longer range vision of what they want their Seven to be, but most of the time it’s up to us to help them think through what they’re riding needs will be five, ten, or even fifteen years down the road. The hand finish is part of that thought and vision. It’s part of the value of what we do.

This bike will leave here today, destined for some far flung trail, and we look forward to seeing it back again, fifteen years further on, if only to see how we’ve done.