Seven Cycles sits in a squat, red brick building in Watertown, MA, six miles from downtown Boston and a stone’s throw from the Charles River, which ribbons through the city and out into the western suburbs. Just up stream from us is the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, and not even a mile further on is the former site of the Waltham Manufacturing Company.
In the 1890s, Waltham Manufacturing was at the epicenter of America’s first bike boom. They built singles, tandems, and even larger bikes, some of which could accommodate 5 and even 10 riders. The Museum of Industry and Innovation displays many of these bikes.
More than a century later, we carry on the tradition of New England bike building. Our own factory is located in a mill building from that same era. The mills and lathes on our shop floor come from the beautiful old manufacturing spaces that cluster along rivers all over the region. Vaulted ceilings and tall windows characterize these buildings, making them as attractive today as they were in their prime.
It was the age of disco, the 1970s, when bikes boomed again in America, and a few intrepid souls resurrected the New England bike building trade. Peter Weigle, Richard Sachs and Chris Chance were among those visionaries who came before us. Merlin Metalworks, where many of us here at Seven began our life’s work, was part of the second wave, and of course, what we do is built on that foundation.
Even now, young builders who have worked here in our shop have gone on to establish themselves in their own spaces. Many came before us, and many will come after us.
Maybe there is something in the soil, something in the water, an urge to build things that carries on from centuries past. Maybe we could build bikes someplace else, but we know they would be different.
We believe that where something is made matters. We believe that something of this place and something of our people inhabits each bike we build in our red brick factory along the river. And we feel very lucky to be playing our small part in this big story, the story of bike building in New England.