At Seven, we are fortunate to have many friends, both around the world, and close to home in Boston. One of our pals is world-renowned chef, and restauranteur, Jodie Adams. Jodie is an avid cyclist, and so it comes as no surprise that Sean Griffing, one of her business partners in her new venture, Trade Restaurant, is also somewhat obsessed with riding. Sean was among the Boston celebrities that was recently asked by The Boston Globe what his greatest wish was for the holidays. We were extremely pleased, but not totally surprised, that Sean mentioned he’d owe Santa big-time is he found a 622 SLX road bike under his tree.
We hope to help make Sean’s wish come true in 2012. In the meantime, we will give thanks for all of the great friends we’ve made during the 15 years we’ve been in business. All the best to all of you in the new year!
“My first project bike was as basic as my development, a fixed gear with tubeless tires and a slammed stem.”
Nine months of confinement would break a lesser man’s spirits, but pile another four months of New England winter on top of that, and only a select few have the will power to avoid insanity. The day was December 21st, 1977, winter had just begun and so had I. Forty-six days later the blizzard of ’78 covered my world in white and I credit that storm with my profound imagination. Swaddled in a crib, next to the fireplace, I dreamt up my very first project bike.
For those who have experienced a perilous winter, you can probably relate to my fragile little mind’s wanderings, and may have even dreamt up a project bike of your own.
If you are reading this 7, surely you are aware of the “project bike” phenomenon, but just in case it’s news to you, I define a project bike as such:
Project Bike: (n. proj-ekt bahyk): A bike that is contemplated, devised, planned, or implemented over a harsh New England winter. Traditionally a large or major undertaking; especially one involving considerable money, personnel, day dreaming, and at times outright lusting. So long as the bike has been theorized, the project can be considered “underway” irregardless of how many provable steps have been taken in the bikes physical creation. Project bikes have shown to help maintain the sanity of those trapped indoors for multiple months out of the year.
My first project bike was as basic as my development, a fixed gear with tubeless tires and a slammed stem.
I suppose that it should come as no shock that on the day of my thirty-forth birthday, and winter underway once again, that I have begun another project bike. This bike, unlike the thirty-three before it, comes from a place that none of the others have, raging jealousy. In a recent 7 entry, John Lewis discusses the late night cross ride in which he and others have been participating. Well, he failed to mention that they have also been going on morning mountain bike rides too, in bigger numbers. What feels like every other day, I listen to the glee and general jubilance of my office mates laughing and sharing stories from their early morning mountain bike ride. “Do you remember when Neil crashed!?” Followed by uproarious laughter. “Or when Dan’s wheel spun out?” They even refer to it as “shredding†which sounds even more fun. It goes on all day, and I just know I am missing out on good times. I love good times.
My issue, at least the one I’ll discuss today, is that my stable is missing a mountain bike. Just yesterday my jealousy reached new heights when John took delivery of his brand new Sola SL, much to the delight of the rest of the group.
So consider my 34th winter project bike officially underway. I have determined a few things thus far, including:
Frame: Sola SL
Fork: Shock, but which make/model is still undecided.
Wheels: 650b
Bar: Flat, but the 90’s are calling and you best believe I’ll be rocking some stubby bar ends. Count on that.
Brakes: Hydro disc with humongous rotors. Make/Model are still undecided.
The real issues?
Geared or single?
44mm head tube or standard?
Set back or standard post–I’m still up in the air on the aesthetic.
Cable routing locale, though I’m leaning towards under the top tube.
Time frame.
As you can see, I am well underway, though I have nothing to show for it at the moment. Unlike thirty-two of my previous project bikes, I think this one has a good chance of coming to fruition.
How about you readers, any exciting project bike’s this year, any good stories of projects bikes from the past?
Since opening in 1997, Massachusetts-based Seven Cycles has produced everything from belt-drive commuters to carbon-fiber time-trial bikes. But Seven’s beating heart has always been custom titanium, a legacy of founder Rob Vandermark’s long tenure at one-time industry leader Merlin Metalworks. When he left, he took his vision and expertise (not to mention several employees). If you want a Merlin today, you buy a Seven. The Axiom SL, Seven’s most traditional and versatile frame, is a study in the company’s philosophy: Fit and ride quality are paramount, while character and performance are almost infinitely malleable. A dream bike is not just a machine: it’s a deeply personal expression of a rider’s self, entrusted to master craftsmen to interpret and make real. We do not choose lightly whom to entrust with those dreams; with our test Axiom SL, as with thousands of frames before it, Seven has earned that trust.
The Axiom is not going to be mistaken for a top-drawer carbon race bike. It flexes, but in doing so shows it’s alive. Seven can tune even more stiffness into the bike, but I wanted a more balanced ride. This bike proves that you don’t need carbon for performance. Like other custom shops, Seven can build in a BB30 bottom bracket, but this bike is wonderfully reverent, with a traditional 68mm BB shell and a straight 1 1/8-inch steerer tube with a standard King headset. Though the bike isn’t the lightest, at 16.04 pounds for a 54cm, it climbs as well as, or better than, bikes that weight much less.
This Axiom uses a very neat Di2 setup, with just three holes in the frame—near the head tube for the wiring harness, and at the seat tube and chainstay for each of the derailleur wires. The battery is housed in the seat post, which gives the bike a clean and stealthy look. Should you ever decide to go back to mechanical, you could get cable stops on the frame even after the fact.
The first weekend in December found us at Get-a-Grip’s Fulton Street Fit Studio for an evening of bike chat and wine tasting. Seven founder Rob Vandermark spoke about our customization process and fielded questions on topics ranging from steel forks – we’re working on it – to full-suspension mountain bikes – we’re working on that too. Customers brought their Sevens, and we talked about all the decisions that go into a custom bike.
While we were there we met Erick Geer Wilcox, who makes custom bike shoes, and Mike Cacciabando, who rides the most Chicago-y bike in Chicago. We drank wine. We ate cheese. It was a party.
