Zahid Sardar
Seven Cycles founder Rob Vandermark and his team have been making custom-butted and straight-gauge seamless titanium bike frames, alongside high-modulus carbon-fiber, filament-wound carbon fiber, and steel road, track, mountain, and tandem frames in Massachusetts since 1997. A custom titanium stem and mountain bike handlebar, a carbon-fiber road fork, as well as aluminum handlebars, stems, and seatposts made on site distinguish Seven bikes, which can be ordered off the shelf or customized. Options such as cable routing, water-bottle mounts, paint color, and decal color at no additional charge make the offerings unique. Seven selects the right tube diameter and wall thickness to suit a rider’s weight, age, and riding terrain, and builds every frame to order. Reaming, chasing, machining, welding, finishing, and painting are done under one roof. All this explains why Seven bikes are not cheap; even the Seven Parcour S, a beautiful fixed-gear commuter bike with Integrity straight-gauge titanium framing and handlebars, carbon fork, fenders, track dropouts and special sandblasted decals, comes with a heavy price tag. It won’t rust, even if you leave it outside all year long. A Brooks saddle, Mavic 26-in or 29-in wheels, Michelin tires, and SRAM Omnium cranks are other options.