Our good friend David traveled with his new Seven to compete in the Maritona dles Dolomites, a Gran Fondo that has been described by National Geographic as, “one of the biggest, most passionate, and most chaotic bike races on Earth.”
Before he departed for this adventure, Dave took time to sit down with us and talk about the bike Seven designed especially for this event.
What qualities of your Seven are most important to you in this particular event? I know that on my Seven I’ll be confident in what’s under me, so I can focus on the climbs, and on actually enjoying the experience! I like the idea that I can ride this unfamiliar course and I’ll almost be able to ignore the bike. Not that my Seven doesn’t have personality, but it is so light, it hasn’t weighed me down during my training rides prior to the Maratona. All built up with the couplers, the wheels, the pedals, and 2 cages, the bike is only 16 lbs.
My new Seven is able to be uncoupled and shipped without sacrificing any ride or performance quality. I know that when I get to Italy and reassemble the bike, my ride will be the same as when I am riding at home, and having that comfort, familiarity, and power is invaluable.
What sort of aesthetics were you looking for on this bike? I wanted the bike painted to commemorate the race and Italy, the country that is hosting the race; in consultation with Seven, we came up with a nice way to pay tribute to both Italy and to the event. And since Seven’s are so beautifully put together, welded and finished, I didn’t want to do a full paint job on the bike.
What were some of the details that Seven came up with to achieve this? Seven built and painted a white fork and white seat post with Italian colors, and customized the couplers and decals with some Italian references.
Why did you want to ride a Seven in this Gran Fondo? I and my wife both have Sevens and we’ve really enjoyed them. I wanted to bring a bike that I was extremely comfortable on, and I had such a wonderful experience with my other Seven, that it was just natural to me to go to Seven for this very special bike.
I’m truly excited to bring this bike with me and to to ride it in the Maratona dles Dolomites. There will be 100 people up front racing, and 100 people at the end having a great time. I plan on being in the latter group and having fun!
David’s Seven
- Model: Seven Axiom SL and 5E Fork
- Gruppo: Campagnolo Super Record 11
- Wheels: Campagnolo Hyperon Two
- Saddle: Fizik Antares
- Pedals: Speedplay