Seven Cycles will be displaying two bicycles at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT as part of their Bike Rides: The Exhibition, which begins on Sunday, October 4, 2009 and runs until January 3, 2010. Organized by Aldrich curators Richard Klein and Mónica RamÃrez-Montagut, with the advice of musician, artist, and bicycle advocate David Byrne, the exhibition explores the growing relevance of bicycles in contemporary art and culture.
The two Seven models on display are:
- The Viridian Bike, previously known as the Limited Edition Earth Day bike; this model was selected to demonstrate proof of concept that carbon footprint reduction can apply not only to the bicycle rider, but to the manufacturing techniques used to create a sustainable, durable transportation option.
- The 2010 Axiom SL; this model was chosen for the exhibit to showcase the aesthetics and broad performance applications of a full titanium road bike. The butted titanium tubeset allows for an unmatched range of ride characteristics, from stable all-day comfort to aggressive, race-tuned responsiveness. The Axiom SL also features a special custom paint scheme on the frameset and wheels.
Of the more than 20 world-class artists and groups taking part in the exhibition, Seven is the only company invited to display bicycles in two different categories. We feel very honored to have this distinction.
Here is an excerpt from the event program:
In the latter context, artist, designer and devoted cyclist Rob Vandermark’s Viridian Bike, a commuter bike from his company Seven Cycles summarizes several of the issues at hand. Having majored in sculpture in college, he left to pursue his two combined passions—cycling and and building sculpture. Vandermark initiated his career at Merlin Metalworks, a high-end bicycle frame builder and one of the first to work with titanium. Vandermark’s own durable titanium bicycles like this Viridian Bike are completely customized to the specific body measurements and riding habits of each commuter, affording maximum efficiency and performance. For this bike, Vandermark’s efforts have also gone into reducing the carbon footprint in the production and distribution of the bike—recycling, and, for example, using green materials such as cork for the handle grips. Curiously, the effort to reduce the use of energy during manufacturing has made it necessary in some instances to rely on more time-consuming and labor-intensive handwork, rather than high-end technology.
Fabricators of the Viridian Bike, Massachusetts based Seven Cycles is the largest custom bike manufacturer in the world and is recognized internationally in the cycling industry as one of the most innovative designers in titanium frames. Their bicycles use custom frame geometry and rider-specific tube diameters and wall thickness in order to complement the rider’s weight, riding style, intended use, age, and riding terrain. The use of titanium in bicycles such as the 2010 Axiom SL helps reduce unwanted vibration yet provides an underlying sensory connection to the environment while riding. Titanium is an ultralight, extremely strong, high fatigue endurance, and corrosion-proof metal alloy that is used in the aerospace industry. Many Seven Cycles’ bicycles have been specifically designed for world-class athletes, including Olympians, national champions, and Tour de France winners. And Seven Cycles’ President Rob Vandermark has also designed the first performance wheelchair that incorporates titanium as an integral design element.
The exhibition will include artworks or bikes from Lance Armstrong; Bamboo Bike Studio (Justin Aguinaldo, Sean Murray, and Marty Odin); Guy Ben-Ner; Jonathan Brand; David Byrne; Cai Guo-Qiang; Cannondale Bicycle Corporation; David Gelfman; Subodh Gupta; Bari Kumar; Jarbas Lopes; Miguel Luciano; Mexican Pride (Francisco Javier Ceballos, Rogelio and Braulio Martinez, and Vicente Olivares); PARLEE Cycles; Carolina Pedraza; Puerto Rico Schwinn Club (Martha Clavijo, “El Gallo,†and Orlando Rivera); Richard Sachs; Tom Sachs; Secret School and the K.I.D.S. (Colin McMullan [aka EMCEE C.M.] and Huong Ngo); Seven Cycles; David Sowerby and Danny MacAskill; Studio Tractor (Peter Kirkiles design + fabrication and Studio Tractor Architecture); and Rob Vandermark.