Our showroom, such as it is, is a beautiful space, with vaulted ceilings and a generous supply of natural light.  In the morning, the sun slants in through the blinds and bathes the few bikes that live there in a warm glow.

Invariably, we display our project bikes there.  The Berlin Bike is often in residence.  The Bicycling Magazine bike has been a frequent occupant. But, also invariably, those bikes want to go out to bike shops for display or for special events.

Today, just today, the bikes in the showroom consist of: Rex, the very first Seven, the primogenitor, the bike that spawned all others; Rob’s belt drive Cafe Racer with custom Tiberius handlebar and S&S frame couplers; Karl’s Elium SL, all carbon lightness in a pure-speed build.

We should make clear that employee bikes end up in the showroom quite a bit.  Back at home, garages and storage rooms struggle to accommodate all of our cycling predilections.  It ends up being a symbiotic arrangement.  The showroom gets beautiful bikes to display.  And our loyal Seven staff get more space for even more bikes.

There are a few frames hung in one corner, examples of our best custom paint work, and a pair of Elium SLXs with internally routed Di2 builds. They’re on their way out, demo bikes for shops who want the very latest in their own showrooms.

We joke a lot about the showroom.  What do you call a bike company with no bikes?  More than once, a passing tour has offered to buy an employee’s bike right off the display rack.  It’s good to make a product you can’t keep in stock.  It’s the problem you want to have.

Dave prepares to take on the Dolomites

Our good friend David traveled with his new Seven to compete in the Maritona dles Dolomites, a Gran Fondo that has been described by National Geographic as, “one of the biggest, most passionate, and most chaotic bike races on Earth.”

Before he departed for this adventure, Dave took time to sit down with us and talk about the bike Seven designed especially for this event.

What qualities of your Seven are most important to you in this particular event? I know that on my Seven I’ll be confident in what’s under me, so I can focus on the climbs, and on actually enjoying the experience!  I like the idea that I can ride this unfamiliar course and I’ll almost be able to ignore the bike.  Not that my Seven doesn’t have personality, but it is so light, it hasn’t weighed me down during my training rides prior to the Maratona.  All built up with the couplers, the wheels, the pedals, and 2 cages, the bike is only 16 lbs.

My new Seven is able to be uncoupled and shipped without sacrificing any ride or performance quality.  I know that when I get to Italy and reassemble the bike, my ride will be the same as when I am riding at home, and having that comfort, familiarity, and power is invaluable.

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Photo courtesy of Ken Rivard

Jody Adams, Seven rider, James Beard Award-winning chef, and owner of Rialto Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts has launched a new blog,  The Garum Factory.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the cuisine of ancient Rome, garum was once considered the “ketchup of the gods”.  The Garum Factory provides recipes and reflections on cooking from Jody and her husband, writer Ken Rivard, who has taken all of the gorgeous photographs therein.

Jody has also channeled her passion for riding into a good cause: she has created Team Rialto, which will participate in this year’s Pan Mass Challenge, a ride to raise funds for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  One of the ways in which they are raising funds for their team is through a spectacular raffle.  Prizes include cooking classes, dinners, and even some cool bike stuff.  Speaking of bikes:

Purchase a $100 raffle ticket and you get a chance to win a custom titanium bike from Seven!

Click here to purchase a raffle ticket from Team Rialto.  If you are local to the Boston area, stop by Ride Studio Cafe to pick a raffle ticket up in person.  They are going fast, and this is an excellent cause.

Kudos to Jody and Ken on the excellent blog.  We look forward to many more food history lessons!

More cyclists are pedaling for a cause than ever before. Now you can have the ideal bike for this year’s ride, let everyone know the importance of your cause, and raise funds to support your charity, all at the same time.

Choose your bike model, tell us your charity event and the ride date, and we will do the following:

Pricing for a complete painted bike starts at $3900, which means you will generate a minimum donation of $273 to your cause. In order to be fully accustomed to your new bike, we recommend placing your order at least twelve weeks prior to your event. However, if we receive your order at least four weeks before your scheduled ride, we guarantee to have your bike ready.

Charity Ride Participants: