What it's like to buy a Seven Bicycle!

When I first began entertaining the idea of purchasing a Seven bicycle, I admit I was hesitant. Not only was it a financial commitment, but also a time commitment involving a thorough bike fitting, an in-depth interview process, and more than a few emails to clarify my riding goals and preferences before I signed off on the final design. I asked myself if it was all going to be worth it.

The answer became crystal clear as I headed up Snipe Hill on my new bike and descended down Barred Owl Boulevard in North Branch River Park: Hell yeah, it was worth it. From steep pitches to tight descents, my Treeline handled brilliantly and as the minutes turned to hours I couldn’t help but smile. I felt like a kid again - talk about a return on an investment! I had no back or neck pain. I felt great and the only thing hurting were my quads from a long winter off a bike and maybe over-doing it on my first ride out. But can you blame me?

So, you may be wondering: why Seven? For me, it comes down to the material, the fit and most importantly, the relationship. Over the course of the seven week process working with the folks at Seven, I began to see very clearly why each of these aspects confirmed that I made the right decision.  

Material

Today, the majority of bikes are made of aluminum, steel, carbon, or titanium. I would not consider myself an expert in materials and their properties, but what I do have is experience riding and racing on bikes made of each of those materials over extended periods of time, logging thousands of miles on each. Without question, I found the titanium bikes I ride to be the most supple and forgiving, which made those longer challenging rides much more enjoyable. As I get older, it's nice to know that my bike provides some forgiveness along the way for all the miles I want to ride and the many two wheel adventures ahead of me.

Fit Not Size

Today, most bike companies produce and market their bikes using the t-shirt size mode: small, medium and large. Some companies will offer additional sizes, but you will be hard pressed to find a company that offers more than 6 sizes, and for each of those sizes, the parts and components have been pre-specified, leaving you no opportunity to adjust your fit without aftermarket purchases. One of the great things about Seven is that they strive for a different model. Prior to purchasing a Seven, a customer goes through an in-depth fitting process. As a result, customers are not limited to a select range of sizes. Why is this important? All bodies are not the same and as result you could have two riders who are the same height who would be fitted differently because of torso length or arm reach. While at a glance these might seem minor, they do impact the rider's individual fit and elements such as top tube length, stack height or stem length.This could lead to potential issues of discomfort or pain, taking away the joy of riding one's bike. As another Seven customer explains: 

“Seven’s Fit Methodology™ (SFM™) is a comprehensive, data-driven system resulting from a 15-year study of ergonomics, biomechanics, kinesiology, and the overall state of bike fitting. After about a dozen plus body measurements, some range of motion tests and an inventory of my bike related pain issues the folks at Seven had the data to begin my fitting process.” 

In the end, the fitting process allowed Seven to build a bike that is just for me.

The Relationship 

One thing that is clear to me after going through this bike-building process is that Seven invests in its relationship with its bike owners. In addition to the two page Rider Fit Data document, Seven has its customers fill out a design guide that collects information about your riding goals, style, and handling preferences, among other elements. With this information in hand, the real process begins, and a Seven bike designer reaches out to set up an interview. Yes, you read that right: the person who is designing your bike wants to talk with you and hear what you want in a bike. When Neil, the designer from Seven, reached out to me we ended up talking about my riding history, my styles of riding, bikes I owned, what I like about them and didn’t, and my goals and hopes for my new bike. It was great to talk about bikes with someone super-knowledgeable and friendly. Over the course of the entire process, I spent close to three hours talking, asking questions, and discovering what I was really looking for in a bike. It’s like therapy for cyclists! After this stage was done, the folks at Seven had what they needed to begin designing my new bike. 

About two weeks later I received my complete spec sheet for my new Seven. A final conversation with my Neil closed out the design phase and my bike moved into production. Within four weeks, my bike arrived at Onion River Outdoors for assembly. Using Seven’s data sheet, the mechanics made sure the saddle and handlebar positions were correct and off I went. 

I thought my relationship with Seven had concluded, but recently I got an email from my designer asking how I was enjoying my new ride. It wasn’t an email from some template, but a personal communication that referenced our conversations and what I was hoping to get out of my new bike. It’s one thing to get a check-in email from a bike shop where you purchased your bike, it’s a different level when it comes from the folks who designed and built your bike. It’s clear the folks at Seven not only care a great deal about making awesome bikes, but also about the people who ride them. If you want a bike that is designed and built by people who are invested in you, you need not look any further than Seven Cycles, where every bicycle is handmade and built to your specifications. 

Onion River Outdoors is proud to be the only Seven dealer in Vermont. Interested in purchasing a Seven bicycle? We’ll help guide you through the consultation and fitting process, connect you with the Seven team, and build your bike when it arrives! 

Seven Cycles will be at Onion River Outdoors on Friday, April 26th to help us kick off our Muddy Onion celebration! Sign up to ride their selection of demo bikes - including gravel, dual-wheelset, road, travel, and mountain bikes both hard-tail and dual-suspension. 

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