by Dana Gordon
You may never get to don the maillot jaune of a Tour de France winner, but you can share one thing with cycling’s elite: a custom-made bicycle. Massachusetts-based Seven Cycles makes racers, mountain bikes and even tandems from ultralight titanium and carbon fiber, but its best-sellers are comfortable, distance-friendly road bikes. Company founder Rob Vandermark was a metal sculptor before turning his blowtorch to bike frames, and Seven’s attention to craftsmanship shows in such details as hand-selected tubing, hand-welding and a zealous regard for fit. The company sells worldwide and will exhibit at the EUROBIKE trade show this fall in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Leaving the peleton behind on a Seven isn’t cheap, however. Prices start at $3,000 for a basic steel-framed model and climb to an Alpine $12,000 for a fully tricked-out version of the Elium Race.