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The Ever Changing Evergreen

The Evergreen is a bit of a chameleon by nature, adapting and changing to best suit the terrain itâ€™s tackling. Day or night, loaded or unloaded, technical or rolling, with a few pre-ride modifications the Evergreen can be perfectly suited to handle it all. Below is a photo essay that demonstrates how a few modifications can transform the bike from a road worthy rig, to a loaded expedition bike.

Exhibit A:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Fast road rides. Keep up with any pure road bike and still be able to roll in the woods
How: Schwalbe One tires. Full on road performance â€“ and Iâ€™d still ride these on any mountain trail.

Exhibit B:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Mostly paved conditions with some dirt road sections.
How: Ruffy Tuffy 28c slick tire. As an aside, this tire and the Roll-y Pol-y are some of our favorite off road tires.

Exhibit C:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Fast wet or dry conditions in mixed terrain; more paved than dirt. Cyclocross style; fast handling for tight terrain. Works great with 45mm fenders for those fun wet rides.
How: Clement MSO 32 knobby with center ridge

Exhibit D:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Fast dry conditions in mixed terrain; equal parts paved and dirt
How: Clement LAS 33c filetread tires

Exhibit E:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Mixed terrain exploration; wet conditions; more dirt than paved
How: Clement MSO 40c tires

Exhibit F:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: Night riding mixed terrain exploration; wet conditions; more dirt than paved
How: Son28 generator hub, Edelux II headlight, Clement MSO 40c tires

Exhibit G:

Model

: Seven Cycles Evergreen SL
Purpose: All day â€“ and night â€“ riding in all conditions and all terrain; worldwide travel.
How: BTC couplers, PDX City fenders, Revelate Viscacha saddle bag, Revelate Mountain Feedbag, Ortlieb Ultimate 6 handlebar bag, Son28 generator hub, Edelux II headlight, Clement MSO 40c tires

This photo essay might make for a fun flip book.

David K’s Sola Pro

We received an email over the weekend from David K, who gave us an early review of his new bike.

He writes, “So, the day came in my life (I am 41 years old) when I started to think about yet another new bike. I bought my first mountain bike in 1986 and have had roughly 15 different mountain bikes. With each new bike comes anticipation that certain things will be differently better than the last bike. Hopefully it will corner better, track better, downhill with more confidence, be a little bit better at each task than the last bike. Some bikes live up to the expectation better than others. I started to look online for my new dream bike. I decided I would go with a titanium hard tail 29er. I saw a lot of companies out there making high quality cycles. I researched and researched, and researched some more and then came across Seven. I remembered that there was a local dealer right by me. I never gave much thought to Seven. I didn’t know a thing about them. All I knew at this point is that they build custom bikes. I liked that idea a lot. I went to my dealer and upon further inspection realized that these guys really know what they are doing. I started reading review after review and decided I was going to do it.

It was a high price to pay but, not much more, and custom! I was on the fence because I had never bought a bike I hadn’t ridden. I had to take a massive leap of faith and just go for it. I scheduled my fit and came back a few days later. I was blown away with the amount of information that I provided about what kind of riding experience I was looking for in a bike. The bike fit process was amazing as well. Measuring everything twice and checking angles over and over and then re tweaking and measuring again and checking comfort levels along the way.

Then, the 8 week wait started. I tried to keep it out of my mind. ‘It will be here when it gets here’ I tell myself daily. I research parts and read up on past Seven customer’s reviews. I can’t wait. I felt like a 7 year old boy waiting for Santa to bring me my very first bike. The bike shop called and it was finally here. I opened the box and then saw what was a true work of machined art. The bike was all I had hoped for. The attention to detail and craftsmanship was beautiful. I could hardly believe my eyes.

Then I rushed home and started the build. Once everything was finished, I dropped her out of the stand and took a look. Everything looked right. I was afraid to get on just in case something wasn’t going to fit right. I threw a leg over and hopped on. It felt RIGHT. It disappeared under me. It was part of me. I couldn’t dream of a better fit. Then I rode around the neighborhood to get everything dialed in. The cornering was magical. I had read someone saying their Seven was ‘telepathic’ and thought how right they were. I had never ridden a bike that felt like this. I couldn’t quit smiling. I knew I had found my soul mate.

Before I wrote a review or even gave Seven my feedback, I wanted to ride her for a month. So the rides started. Each one as enjoyable as the last. I didn’t want the rides to end. I wanted to keep riding. I didn’t have any adjustment period or any need to dial in the bike. It was perfect from the first pedal stroke. I messed with stem height and ended right back where it was at the start, where my fitter said it was supposed to be. This ‘Sola pro‘ had many characteristics that I wasn’t used to. It sucked up bumps but was still stiff at the bottom bracket. It tracked absolutely straight as an arrow. It dampened the chatter beautifully. It downhilled like it was built to do just that. Never feeling sketchy or uneasy in the corners. Always feeling great and wanting more. The ride quality that this bike has is unlike any other bike I have ever ridden.

If you can get your equipment to ‘disappear’ from the experience, then it’s doing its job. If it disappears, then it’s working perfectly. If nothing is going wrong then you don’t notice the gear, what ever it may be. This bike does just that.

Thanks Seven for making my biking dream a reality.

David K”

Thanks David, we’re happy to hear it! Thanks also to the team at Millcreek Bicycles in Salt Lake for designing the bike.

Eilidh B’s Evergreen SLX

Eilidh recently received her Evergreen SLX, and says, “I wanted to drop you a line as I canâ€™t tell you how happy I am with my gorgeous new Evergreen. I have always loved to cycle but hurt my hip/back a couple of years ago and have never been able to cycle strongly or comfortably since. About a year ago I therefore started looking at custom bikes. In addition I am a keen mountain biker and like to cycle off road so cycling on the gravel roads around Boston is very appealing. Finally, Iâ€™m a materials scientist and appreciate careful engineering and materials selection

â€¦. and that all came together in the absolutely amazing Seven Evergreen.”

“The frame is a beautiful work of art, everything is just right from the shape of the geometry to little details such as the chain stays. It just gleamed when I bought it, although it is pretty dirty now after a few rides in our Carlisle MA slush, sand and muddy pot holes. It flies along and is stable and comfortable at the same time. I am sure it will be excellent off road when the snow and mud disappear. The best thing is the fit which is just right.”

Here’s to hoping that snow and mud will disappear! Thanks to Eilidh for the great write up, and to Patria Lanfranchi at the Ride Studio Cafe for delivering such a cool bike.

Hardly an Update on Karl’s Sola SL

The first bike I ever built was a Trek 800 mountain bike at Alpha-Lo Bicycles in Wallingford, CT when I was in 6th grade. I had applied to work at the bike shop weeks earlier, even though I had few skills in the realm of sales, merchandising, or mechanics, and yet they hired me anyway. Chalk it up to the sweetheart of an owner, and my obvious love for his store.

I worked on the weekends, and though I doubt I provided $20 of value, that’s what I was paid. Keeping the shop presentable was my number one priority, which sounds lame, but I couldn’t get enough of it. I took great pride in shifting the bikes to the big ring, pulling products to the front of the shelves, and vacuuming the floor. When the shop was clean, George, Aaron, and Matt all pitched in to help me learn the basics of bike mechanics.

The shop wasn’t enormous, but it felt like we hand an endless array of entry level mountain bikes to assemble. Building these bikes would become my second responsibility. At the time, I could operate a quick release and fix a flat, but that was the extent of my skills. I was a clean slate. The learning curve was steep, and I wasn’t the quickest learner, but the shop guys were incredible teachers, celebrating victories when I had them, and understanding when I failed. They’d gather round to inspect, coach, joke, mock, and help whenever I was stuck. They’d pull up stools and watch, or shout out advice from afar.

Life was good. What I learned at that shop wasn’t a mastery of bike mechanics, something I’m still searching for, but a love of the bike build and the fanfare that goes with it.

At Seven Cycles, we have a bike stand and work shop just beyond our bike commuter lot. Low on bells and whistles, but high on character, it has all of the essential tools to transform a frame into a complete bike, a well worn work bench, recycling bins, a vice, shelves, rags, a drawer of miscellaneous parts, and stools. Whenever a bike is being built, whether it be a new bike for a magazine review, or someone’s old beat up commuter, people gather. Opinions are voiced, jokes cracked. The stools fill with spectators. Assistance is provided, wanted or not. Should the build happen after work, the crowd grows along with the laughter.

The technology has changed, as have the tools, but the fanfare of a bike build today is no different than it was when I was a kid. I wouldn’t want it any other way, and I can’t think of a better place to build my new Sola.

Raymond Z’s 622 SLX

Raymond says, “Greetings from Reno, NV! My Seven 622 SLX is the best bike I have ever ridden! She climbs up the steep hills of Reno and Lake Tahoe and is snappy on flat roads. Pictured is my Seven 622 SLX Ultegra Di2 in ‘Swimming Pool Blue’ decals and my Boston Terrier ‘Goliath.'”

Thanks to Raymond for the kind words, and to Paul Williams at Perfect Fit for making it happen!