U.S. Built Custom Bicycles in Titanium and Titanium-Carbon Mix
U.S. Built Custom Bicycles in Titanium and Titanium-Carbon Mix
This is Loc’s 622 SLX. He is a ride leader at Pleasant Hill Cyclery in San Francisco’s East Bay, and he wanted a stiff, all-out speed machine. He chose a 44mm headtube with a tapered fork and thru-axle rear dropouts, as well as a BB30 bottom bracket. He opted for our custom Ti seatpost and stem, too, which made this a very clean, refined final build with no decals, just a head badge to let you know it’s a Seven.
By Dain Zaffke
High-talking “Jamming Jackie,” who enjoys hard work and fast cars, knows a righteous product when he sees one. He says the Seven stem is as classy as a vintage Ferrari.
While most of us can’t afford to shell-out more than $2,000 for one of Seven’s meticulously crafted frames, we can reach for a more attainable goal—the company’s new Custom Ti Stem. I know, 350 bucks is a boatload of money, but it’s the closest thing to perfection available. Best of all, each one is completely custom. Seven won’t start your stem until you choose the length, rise and stiffness. Plus, the bolts thread-in from the back, which prevents premature fatigue and keeps them tight.
I spent six months thrashing a 115-mm stem with 5-degrees of rise. Since I weigh 160 pounds and am fairly aggressive, Seven recommended the medium stiffness version. The stem followed me on several test bikes and tackled everything from all-day epics to light-duty freeriding. Only when I installed it on through-axle forks did I feel a hint of unwanted flex. However, I can’t say I noticed the wanted flex either. Titanium’s main selling point is its damping characteristics; but with the medium stiffness version, I didn’t feel significant damping. But the beauty of these stems is that Seven can custom build one for a more forgiving ride—all you have to do is ask.
Just be sure to order the right size, because the stem will probably outlive your bike. The stick-on decals will surely wear off and the brilliant shine will tarnish with time, but the stem will likely outlast its owners’ affinity for riding. It’s constructed of seamless 3-2.5 titanium, the binders are rugged 6-4 Ti, and over-tightening the handlebar bolts will only damage the replaceable aluminum faceplate. And in the unlikely event that something does break, Seven offers a lifetime warranty.
There are lighter stems on the market than the 167-gram Seven, and Lord knows there are less expensive options. But the Custom Ti could make your bike fit and look better than ever and continue doing so for a lifetime.
by Joe Lindsey
Weight: 158 grams (120mm)
Sizes: 1-1/8-inch threadless only; custom rise and reach
Colors: Brushed titanium; custom paint available
Buy it if: The idea of a fully custom titanium stem appeals to you.
Forget it if: You put more emphasis on the performance/cost ratio than anything.
Contact: 617/923-7774
If you’re not familiar with Seven Cycles, here’s a quick rundown: the company makes steel and titanium bikes and are the only bike maker fully immersed in the idea of mass customization: the creation of each and every frame as a distinctly original unit, but built with the same standardized processes to ensure quality every time. No two Sevens, not even two titanium hardtails built for 5-foot-9 riders, are alike.
That design philosophy extends to Seven’s line of components, which at this point includes stems, seatposts and mountain bike handlebars. The Seven stem, built from 3Al/2.5V titanium, is a custom job only—any rise, any extension length, road, mountain, whatever. The only caveat is threadless inch and an eighth steerer only—no quill or 1-inch models. It’s not cheap, but the Seven stem does dispel some of the theories about titanium stems, like they’re noodly.
You can choose from three stiffness levels: S1, for riders under 140 pounds, S2, for a stiffness approximately the same as a good aluminum stem, or S3, for big riders or those who want the stiffest stem possible. I chose an S2 mountain, 120mm, zero-degree rise stem and it is an exceptional piece of equipment.
The S2 proved plenty stiff for my needs, even with a pair of torque-happy 23-inch wide riser bars. It steers well, installed easily and the quality is top-notch. Weld passes are smooth and even, and the stem, like the company’s frames, arrived with a note identifying its welder and polisher—Seven’s way of noting pride of workmanship and accountability. And it comes with a lifetime warranty.
For 2002, Seven is looking into offering a detachable faceplate mountain stem, which would alleviate the only concern I had with the stem: the older single-bolt clamp wasn’t as friendly to install riser bars with. It worked with most risers, but some 2-inch rise models with a sharp bend weren’t easy to pass through the clamp. The Seven is exorbitantly priced; more so than a stem has a right to be. But this isn’t about having the lightest or the best performance on the dollar—there are lots of good stems for much less than this. The Seven is about having the best, and like their bikes, if you want to pay the price, you’ll get a great stem.