Here is my new road bike for 2004, what do you guys think?

Real nice bike

Very nice whats the official weight on it.

The bike comes in just under 16lbs. Could easily have made it lighter, especially on the frame. Had Seven make the frame very stiff for racing crits, it performs similar to an oversized aluminum with the comfort of ti. It is like the Seven they built for David Millar. If I would've put a 2lb frame on it, which is not difficult if I went carbon, it would've come in at around 14lb. The frame is not compact, seat tube length is 55.0.

What was custom on the frame, and how much does it weight

If i may ask, how much does seven charge for custom frames?

Everything about the frame is custom. When you contact Seven they send you a packet that you take to an authorized dealer. You answer many questions about your riding history and style. How long have you riden, hours train per week, masher or spinner, pedal through corners or coast, etc. You get measured at the dealer in great detail, they also take all the measurements off your existing bike. You submit the packet with a $1000 deposit. In less than a week Seven contacts you for a phone interview. They confirm your information and then discuss what you want the bike for(crits, road racing, climbing, touring, etc.). They discuss all your usual riding complaints about numbness in hands or knee pain or neck pain and how often they occur and to what extent. They discuss their rating system of 1 thru 10 on rigidity, handling, performance and comfort. They also need to know the components you will place on the bike(seat post set back and stem angle). They then meet and design your frame geometry and tube size demensions based on your size, weight and performance goals. The president and founder of the company signs off on it and then they fax it to you for your review. You review it and if you approve you and the dealer sign off on it and return it to the dealer and they build your frame. The specs tell you what length your stem needs to be and your fork rake. The specs also include where the saddle should be mounted in relation to your bars and bottom bracket using plum lines. Turn around on the frame is about 6 weeks and for the ti axiom frame it comes out to about $2800. The ti-composite is more. If you look at the photos you will see the curved seat stays and chain stays and a head tube extension with a slight 2 degree slope on the tope tube. They also can build it without any toe overlap if its important to you. If you have never ridden one of these frames you don't know what your missing. If you get to see one in person look at the welds, you won't see a better weld in the industry, period.

Forgot to tell you weight. Frame weighs 3.4lb. If I was just concerned with comfort and weight I could've had it way under 3lb.

Wow nice !

What was the number for your rating system ?

In general the lighter and more comfortable you make the bike, the more you lose on the bike's stiffness and snap for sprinting. I tried to make the bike a good sprinting bike that may also be used on some road races longer than most crits. Seven has a standard recommendation for their bikes which they consider a good overall compromise, but you can change it to accomodate your needs for the bike. The scale goes from 1 to 10 in four areas:
Handling Seven recommends a 6
1 10 My frame was made to be an 8
Stable Agile


Drivetrain rigidity Seven recommends a 7
1 10 My frame was made to be a 9
Lightweight Stiff

Vertical Compliance Seven recommends a 3
1 10 My frame was made to be a 4
Comfortable Stiff

Frame weight/Performance Seven recommends an 8
1 10 My frame was made to be a 9
Lightweight Optimized Performance


If you want more info they have a website (Seven cycles). They are also extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer questions concerning their manufactoring process.

Last year they haggled me with phone call and email thinking i was going to get one... its quiet expensive so is any other custom frames

Damn! Nice rig, what did you drop, 7g's into that? I actually know a person who bought the Ti/Carbon version and get this, also Campy Hyperion Carbon Clinchers, Stella Azzura Wing Bar, over 11g's! Cripes!

_________________
MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! HUH!

That looks awesome

Sounds like exellent customer service, to go with an exceptionaly nice product. Does its performance match your expectationions based on the stiffness/comfort rankings you gave them?

_________________
Success is how far you you bounce back up after being knocked down

yeah he can afford it... I mean look at all those palm trees... I think I spent more time looking into the ocean... but anyway... nice bike dude.. but I wonder why you have a set-back post if it's a custom frame?

Bold Precision makes a wicked light Ti and cool looking set-back post, might save you 100 grams!

Keep up the good work.

SURFS UP!

_________________
Toys-R-Us

Superlight, you know your rigs. I have very close to 7g's invested, and I got a good deal on the campy gruppo. The Mavic TDFs are overpriced but they are good wheels. Down the road I'll drop some weight and maybe try the new AC Magnesiums once there is some feedback on how stiff they are. That Ti-Composite bike you described sounds like a great bike, but for that amount of cash I would've thought a rig like that would ride on some ADAs or Carbonsport wheels.

Cyco, they do provide good customer service, however they do try to caution you from going balls to the wall on stiffness. The bike rides good so far but I want to get a couple thousand on it before I have a final opinion. Initially, I think I could've gone with a 10 on drivetrain. It sprints very well and is extremely comfortable, so I'm thinking I could've given up some more comfort for added stiffness.

ras11, I had the specs done in both set back and centermount to see the difference in geometry. The goal of custom is to put you in a perfectly balanced position on the bike for handling and the right spot over your BB and pedals for optimum power transfer. With the centermount seatpost my seat tube angle would've been 71 degrees instead of my current 73 degree angle. I also would've lost the slope on my top tube completely.
I like Thomson seatposts, they are bomb proof. Set it and forget it. The clamp is easy to adjust (unlike USE) and they are very stiff for good power transfer. I put the new masterpiece set back on there and when my saddle was mounted according to specs it sat perfectly on the rails. I think the weight difference from the Bold Precision is about 30 grams, but you would probably also lose some stiffness, ti does have some give in it.

Dude, those new Campy Ultra Carbon Clinchers cost $3500.

Have you ever seen the Carbon Ti version? It has to be the nicest frame and the nicest looking. If you see it in person you'll know what I mean. The carbon tubing has an irredecent finish to it, color changes from green to purple, super sweet! [/quote]

_________________
MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! HUH!