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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Pass Out The Cigars... A New SEVEN has Arrived!


Sister-in-Law and The New Seven

For the past couple months I have been drawing out the process of buying a new bike to replace the poor Las Cruces that has been sidelined with a fractured Head Tube.

Sad as it is to lose such a good friend, I also seized the opportunity to embark on a new set of adventures with a new steed. The process of choosing was not easy and I spent a lot of time weighing my choices and options.

In the end I decided to go with the option that could deliver an experience that would appeal to all of the reasons I love cycling.

I bought the Axiom SL from Seven Cycles in Watertown Massachusetts, USA.



About the company:

Seven is a smallish builder of custom bicycles that, like a story so often repeated in the bicycle business, was established in 1997 by Merlin's former head of R&D and Design, Rob Vandermark, and a loyal group of employees, who were eager to leave Merlin Metalworks following its titanic corporate acquisition by Saucony Inc.

Vandermark, who majored in sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art, sought to push the envelope of customization as well as ideas of functional design in his bicycles as opposed to the more watered-down mainstream approach.

Vandermark is quoted in an interview with Bike Rader as saying:

I decided to leave Merlin at the close of 1996 because the company began focusing on the mainstream market at the same time that I was becoming more interested in pushing the limits of bike customisation, technology transfer and the Toyota Production System of manufacturing. I really wanted to see how these three ideas could converge in a new and successful way. Four of us started Seven in January 1997. The business has grown steadily over the years.
In the years since Seven first started producing titanium bicycles, the company has continued to focus on R&D, by innovating new techniques for externally butting their Argen and Cirrus tubes for increased strength and reliability.

Furthermore, over the past several years Seven has developed a patented system for creating custom composite frames as well.

Seven has helped sponsor cyclists, including cyclocross champions, Maureen Bruno-Roy and Mary McConneloug. Seven has used the feedback from its competitive riders to refine and tune their designs to offer the ultimate experience.


Wow!

A major part of buying a Seven is the company's philosophy for providing a bike fit. Seven uses a combination of ergonomics, bio-mechanics and kinesiology to break down bike fit into quantifiable math. On the other end of the spectrum, a fit technician goes over your measurements, your age, weight and numbers from a previous bike, to provide a guide for a one of one telephone interview for some of the more qualitative expressions in bike fit.

You are grilled on handling, stiffness, weight, and how greatly you value certain aspects of your ride. It takes a very honest assessment of what kind of rider you are and what your achievable goals are for your new bike.

My fit technician was Neil, and he did a great job. It seemed I was able to imagine what I wanted and express most of it through the application, but the interview made sure nothing was left to chance.

During my interview it was all I could do to refrain from requesting a bike that was, "laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant."

I simply outlined the type of rider I am and the types of rides I do. I talked about my old bike and the characteristics I hoped to keep and those I thought could change.

My measurements were taken by a man named "Elephant" at the 7 Park Bicycle Shop in Taipei, and the order was handled through Shen Yang.

WCS Pedigree

The actual fabrication of my new frame was done by Jon, Stef and Lauren. Jon Henig did the machining to custom butt the tubing to match my precise specifications. Argen tubing allows for the greatest amount of flexibility in tuning the bike and I opted for a feeling on the racier side.

Stef Adams handled the welding, which looks exquisite. Seven uses a method of drop welding that was developed at Merlin and makes for a strong, but clean looking weld. With titanium, the weakest point is usually in the weld.

The finishing work was done by Lauren Trout, who is also a fine welder and experienced cyclist.

The combined effort from Neil, Jon, Stef and Lauren resulted in a frame that is a piece of functional art. The craftsmanship (or... craftwomanship in this case) is exquisite.

My Builders

Pabiah!! A Gentle Reminder To Myself

The Welds



I also picked up a custom Seven carbon fork. Seven will not only choose the best degree of rake for your bike, but also custom tune the fork for the desired performance.

Custom Fork

The Bottom Bracket

Sculpure

Full Frame

Here is what I chose:

I wanted a frame that would have a bit more snap to it for responsiveness and control when I am out on my hard rides. I was not concerned with lightness as I don't think the measure of bicycle performance is really in the weight as much as how the weight is used.

The rear triangle is built to be stiff, but the stays are a little long for better descent. I also wanted to be able to do long, hard rides in comfort. I bet on the wheels handling a lot of the comfort and thus felt confident I could keep the frame pretty stiff.

When I am fighting through traffic I need to be agile and thus I chose a racier feel. I am accustomed to jockeying through traffic and thus I am confident I can handle an agile bike.

The entire set up is like a well balanced stage racer. It should be like a more comfortable version of the Axom Race Seven used to sell a couple years ago.

Titanium is perfect for me as I can be hard on bikes. I also get nervous about pain chips, dents and imperfections. Titanium should be perfect.






To be honest, I have been stalking Seven Cycles since 2007, when I was looking for cyclocross bikes available in Taiwan. I was impressed with their fit system, philosophy, commitment to technology and the degree of customization they offered. I also felt the bikes were produced with a sense of artistry as well. Every detail is deliberate.

So far, I am completely blown away by the frame. It feels like an a crafted instrument.

This should be a bike that will last me the rest of my riding days and vanquish any bike lust that was ever in my heart.

I am also glad I did this now, while I am young enough to enjoy all the benefits of a custom frame.

Hopefully it will be fast enough to get me to my mid-life crisis and back before lunch.

Thanks to 7 Park, Shen Yang, Seven...

Most of all, I need to thank my wife for being so supportive of my sport. She has been a big help in allowing me to feel I can take this bold step into getting the bike I always wanted.

I'll post more when I build it all up.


See:

Marketing Missteps: Time To Hire Professionals

I recently stumbled across this little gem of a bike. Steel, disc brakes... I like.
Unfortunately, this is a marketing FAIL.

Exhibit A:
LiveStrong coloring is a bit cliche for a bicycle that is trying too hard (No Todd... the Yellow Fever doesn't count).

Exhibit B:
If you are marketing a bike from Germany, a country with a recent history of ethnopolitics that resulted in the atrocities of genocide, I would probably avoid calling my product the Pure Blood. Sadly, there is still a strong association between Germany and ideas of racial purity.

Exhibit C:
The marketing department took a few too many liberties with the term "aircraft steel" for 4130. As most people know, 4130 is an alloy of Chromium and Molybdenum a.k.a. Chrome Moly. The term "aircraft" is more frequently used by marketing departments to sell aluminum as the word "aircraft" implies lightness. Consumers are aware of the wide use of aluminum in aircraft, but less so of steel. Yes, 4130 has been used as aircraft tubing, but the connection between steel and flight if far from the consumer's imagination.

  • Superlight custom drawn 4130 aircraft steel - double butted & heat treated
  • combined Fillet brazing and TIG welding, wishbone rear end
  • segmented DiscO straight disc fork
  • FIXIE Inc. Weenie CNC dropouts saves weight
  • Direct Postmount Standard: no adapters needed
  • forward moved bottlecage position offers room for shouldering
  • tapered seattube offers superior comfort

Taiwanese Cycling Engineer Is In The Money and Other Links



In the run up to Tapei Cycle, a Taiwanese college student, Liu Yi-chun, has just signed a licensing deal worth NT 2 million dollars for her patented LED lighting system, which is completely powered by electricity generated through pedaling.

Whereas bicycle lights are usually installed separately and require regular battery changes, her invention has LED lights installed on the pedals that are powered by a pedal-propelled mini generator and equipped with a rechargeable battery, Liu explained.

Forget about blowing the payday on booze, drugs and a party that would make Charlie Sheen blush, Liu plans to spend her earnings on travel and education.


Also...


GIANT looms over China.

Here is a blurb from Taiwan Trade:

Taiwan’s GIANT has been actively positioning in China’s bicycle market. Besides constructing its ninth factory in the world, sixth in China, in Kunshan in 2010, GIANT has also been enthusiastically creating a new cycling culture in China. The company has been promoting long-distance cycling activities as well as building a cycling tour system around Lake Yangcheng area by investing US$1 million each in setting up a GIANT travel agency in Jiangsu and a GIANT cycling service company in Kunshan.



Taiwan Links:


World Links: