Seven Is More Than Just A Number: Seven Resolute SLX

About this time last year I made the bold, and somewhat unexpected purchase of a new Seven Axiom SL. As with I have experienced with a few fine products, the sticker shock wears off when the value is revealed.

The circuit between the rider and the bicycle, when properly achieved, is a balance that has the potential to produce an array of emotional power that can be nothing short of religious.

I learned that one way to find this balance was through a custom build. For me, Seven Cyclescould best provide what I was looking for and they delivered in spades. From the customizing sheet to the interview, the process pinpointed how I imagined my ride and Seven then used the quantifiable and qualifiable metrics I provided to fabricate a frame that would be the bees knees of bicycles.

Several weeks ago I received a message from Dom, one of my regular riding buddies. He had decided to go with Seven for his new bike.

Although Seven built its reputation in titanium, the company also has depth in custom steel and carbon fiber fabrication.

Dom has a soft spot in his heart for classic steel, and Seven offers the Resolute as their dedicated steel frame.

One of the real great things about Seven's process, is that they are not bound to any one set of tubing. Seven can use any type of steel from True Temper, Reynolds, Columbus or anything else, if it is the best match for the rider. They custom butt the tubing using an external butting technique to produce their Origin line of tube sets.

Dom went to New York to visit family, and after consulting with the Seven dealer from Bicycle Planet, he felt confident enough to fill in his Custom Fit Sheet with the numbers he wanted to help Seven sculpt a bike around Dom's own taste for steel, and for the type of riding Dom likes to do.

When I first saw Dom roll up on his new ride, the first thing that struck me were the seat stays... or rather the lack of seat stays.

Titanium has about twice the elasticity of steel, and therefore, titanium tubing must be thicker or have increased diameters to reach the same level of stiffness.

For Seven's Resolute, the spaghetti-thin S-bend stays are the pinnacle of frame craft. They are elegant, functional and downright gorgeous. The rear triangle achieves a mesmerizing sense of design that is a little more understated than my thicker titanium stays.

After looking the bike over for a few minutes... and after my sense of euphoria had abated somewhat... I was struck by the nearly invisible welds joining the tubing together.

My titanium Seven has some of the finest TIG welding I have ever seen on titanium. The welds are a source of pride as welds are the mark of quality on a titanium frame.

For the Resolute, there was almost no indication of welding what-so-ever. I have seen finely joined steel tubing before, but this looked painstakingly intricate.

With any steel frame, Seven includes a paint job in the purchase price. You can go with a custom paint option or choose from a catalogue of stock designs.

Dom went for a metallic black with white highlights.

It was an excellent choice. The metal flakes add depth to the black and the contrasting white really pops. It really has a classic look about it while showcasing Seven's philosophy on design.

For the group set, Dom decided to splurge a little bit for the Campagnolo Chorus 11spd group. Although Campy is known to be pricy, Chorus delivers the same function as its pricier stablemates, with just a minor weight penalty. This makes Chorus one of the best values on the market. It is both snappy and ergonomic. Campagnolo has the best hood shape by far among the big three (Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo).

I happen to be a big fan of Campy's use of the thumb tab. I find it easier to shift gears from any part of the bars. I have shorter fingers, so it is great for reaching over, under or to just extend a pinky out to shift gears.

Dom ended up choosing the Compact crank (50/34) matched with a 12-27 tooth rear cassette to better tackle Taiwan's hilly terrain. There are days I wish I had done the same.

Seven prescribed a fork with 42mm of rake to provide a ride on just the agile side of neutral in combination with the 73 degree HTA. Most stock designs use a cheaper "one fork fits all" approach that can result in a bike that is either too twitchy or too sluggish for the rider. Stocking only one fork saves money, but it results in a bike with less than ideal handling.

For the rest of the build, Dom made the smart choice of putting his budget where it counts, and went with a selection of FSA seat post, bars and stem. The narrower bars should help Dom stay a little more aerodynamic and not act as a giant wind sock against those awful Taiwanese headwinds.

The wheels are Gipiemme Techno 1.55 wheels.

For tires Dom went with the Maxxis Detonators; an unfortunate name for supposedly bomb-proof wheels.

I took a few minutes to ride Dom's new Seven. Although it is too big for me, I could only describe it as a light, creamy icing. It seems to float without feeling squishy. Each pedal stroke, no matter how gentle, pushed the bike forward with little effort.

The tautness of steel was an ever-present sensation, very unlike titanium. It felt like a very refined version of the Speedone I tested. It had a lot more liveliness than I was expecting. It almost mandates smiles from the saddle.

Dom seemed bemused by the sensation of riding a new bike like this one. He looked perfectly at home on the bike as we ate the afternoon miles. We pushed out into another headwind, the soreness of the pocketbook and the eight weeks of waiting had completely blown away and the soreness in the legs had yet to appear.

That is the thing about a Seven. You can get off after a long ride feeling fresh in the right places.

I am happy for Dom in that he can now enjoy riding the bike he wants to ride. I am also happy to share the Seven experience with a friend.

Now, I just hope I can entice Dom to join me for a couple races this season.

If you are thinking about buying a new bike, I would encourage you to consider the longer term and keep Seven in mind. They give a whole new meaning to enjoying the ride.

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:

Seven Axiom Customer Reviews