Events – Page 4 – Seven Cycles

The Next Generation

Every year, for more than a decade now, Neil Mansfield – a very longtime friend of Seven –brings his metal working students from Assabet Valley Technical School for a day in our shop. At this point, Neil can usually conjure up stories about the start of Seven and his old friends here better than we can.

A group of about 20 13-15 year-olds joined us for a Q&A with shop manager Matt O’Keefe, lead welder Tim Delaney, head machinist Skip Brown, and our graphic designer Skunk who talked about the intersection between welding and art. We followed that with an extensive factory tour.

It’s always a joy for us to see young people getting excited and curious about what we do. Hearing Neil talk to his students about a possible future where you can have a job that allows you to work in a field creating something you love reminds us that we are doing something not everyone gets to do.

Fondo Manilla

Seven is lucky to send bikes all over the globe. Our international family is one we grow and make connections with, despite culture and language barriers. Recently, our Philippine partner, George Carag from VeloCity Cartimar/DaDa Sports, sent us a series of photos from the Fondo Manilla Anniversary Ride.

The Fondo Manila Team has been hosting rides and tours throughout the Alabang, Cavite, and Tagaytay areas. The team is always searching for new and innovative ways to spread the joy of cycling to revive the camaraderie and bonding brought by the collective passion of its enthusiasts. All riders are welcome to these fully supported rides.

In early March of this year, the team commemorated its one-year anniversary by hosting a weekend of cycling on the best roads of Baguio: the Fondo Manila Baguio Series. Baguio was the chosen venue for having the highest point in the Philippine highway system, making it a befitting location to literally celebrate Fondo’s “A Higher State of Cycling.”

A group of Seven Cycles bikes were present and participated on this beautiful three day journey. Seeing the bond that this ride created between people proud to ride our bikes makes an impression on us here in snowy Watertown, MA. The places our bikes get to see is a testament to our philosophy that custom is possibility: bikes have no barriers or borders.

Video – Green Mountain Double Century 2012

The Green Mountain Double Century is a singular sort of endurance event. The 2012 version was 215 miles, 80% on dirt roads, with 26,500ft of climbing. There is a time cut off of 40 hours. Theoretically, it is a race, but such is the challenge that many ride just to finish.

The inaugural event, in 2011, saw about a dozen riders start, and only four finish. Three of them were from the Ride Studio Cafe Endurance Team, John Bayley, David Wilcox and Matt Roy. They finished in just short of 19 hours. The 2012 version saw the RSC team, all on Ti Sevens, “win” the overall again, shaving three hours off their previous best time. These guys are all randonneuring legends who keep raising the bar for the endurance cycling community. We were incredibly honored to have them all on our bikes.

Natalia Boltukhova of Pedal Power Photography, who shot most of our Love to Ride brochure as well as the photo above, traveled with the winning team in both 2011 and 2012, putting together this photo set and this video, which captures the brutality (and humor) of the event beautifully.

GMDC 2012 from Natalia Boltukhova on Vimeo.

Gran Prix of Gloucester CX II – Photos by Matt O’Keefe

Seven at the Kearsarge Klassic

In addition to Quad Cross Team Seven Cycles was also to be found at this weekend’s Kearsarge Klassic Dirt Road Randonnee. Here is Seveneer Jake Bridge’s report on what is becoming another classic New England event.

Ever the sucker for long rides on dirt roads, I drove up to New London, New Hampshire for the inaugural Kearsarge Klassic Dirt Road Randonee, a benefit for the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust. The New Hampshire Cycling Club did not disappoint me. The route was pure New England wild goodness: stone walls, covered bridges, wild turkeys, brutal climbs, and exhilarating descents.

In the first few miles I met up with (read: was passed by) team member Jason DeVarennes, as well as Seven tandem pilots and local superheros, John Bayley and Pamela Blalock. We rode the rest of the route together as an impromptu Seven team.

And the support! There are times on a long road when nothing much is better than an ice cold coke. Or, sometimes, a freshly picked New England apple. Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Or a chocolate covered McVities biscuit. Or potato chips. Or homemade chili. Or a brownie. The amazing volunteers at the Kearsarge Klassic had all this covered.

Good roads, good company, good food, good cause. See you next year at K2R2!

-Jake B.