Making my Ti bike a "trophy bike", deep cleaning, long-term storage, lessons learned
05-29-20, 01:42 PM
#76
serious cyclist
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It's going to be redone in my tri position, mechanical 11-speed, no brakes, no brake levers, would go 1x if it were actually cheaper, and will be permanently bolted to my trainer. The R2 and P2 will be the outdoor bikes; the R2 is going to need to be rebuilt in all likelihood because of the gallons of sweat I've poured into it during lockdown. The rear brake is stiff, and I assume the BB is in sorry shape. The FD might not be happy either. No more of that, and the S1 can continue contributing to my success.
05-29-20, 01:58 PM
#77
Frame-wise, it’s just a Seven that looks a lot like other Sevens I’ve seen. Not like it’s a one-of-kind Engin or something.
05-29-20, 02:00 PM
#78
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05-29-20, 02:01 PM
#79
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Taking a trip and/or shipping the bike and having some BF fun while he's at it.
Tell me....Is my bike protected and boxed up because I am putting it away in storage forever or because I flew to Italy with it?
BTW...Any idea what that BuxumBox retails for these days? Pretty pricey "tomb."
Tell me....Is my bike protected and boxed up because I am putting it away in storage forever or because I flew to Italy with it?
BTW...Any idea what that BuxumBox retails for these days? Pretty pricey "tomb."
Well, if this is the OP just having fun with us then I applaud him! Not that I'd ever start a misleading but fun thread... 
The pricey box pretty much proves the OP is serious. If he's never going to sell the bike (stated in the OP) a fancy protective box will come in handy many times.
Last edited by AlmostTrick; 05-29-20 at 02:05 PM.
05-29-20, 02:03 PM
#80
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I guess your definition of "basic" and "special" are different. Seven only makes custom bikes, so unless you and I are exactly matched up in body dimensions and riding preferences, mine is a unique bike and so will yours. But also, if you've observed Seven's welds, you would know why they are so special. Those welds are so perfect, no extra material, perfectly shaped beautiful crescent moons overlapping.
I've spent hours in bike shops looking at welds, and none of the mass manufacturers care about the welds. Even other Ti frames have ugly welds, either all smoothed out or big lumps. So I would say all in all, Seven frames are pretty special.
I've spent hours in bike shops looking at welds, and none of the mass manufacturers care about the welds. Even other Ti frames have ugly welds, either all smoothed out or big lumps. So I would say all in all, Seven frames are pretty special.
Last edited by Litespud; 05-29-20 at 02:23 PM.
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05-29-20, 02:05 PM
#81
Senior Member
OP: that bike really is beautiful. I just wanted to say that. I've got my own "trophy" ti bike that I'm into for probably as much as yours, and mine doesn't look half as nice, though I value mine for other reasons that make it extremely well suited to me. To my particular aesthetic sensibility I think your bike is stunning. As much as I recognize the human tendency to personify inanimate objects as objectively ridiculous, I find myself shedding a metaphorical tear for your bike to imagine it locked away like this. If a bike can be personified in some way above just being a collection of inanimate molecules, I'd say your bike "deserves" to be ridden and enjoyed, not locked up in some gilded cage.
There are many ways you could upgrade your bike to deal with different terrain, such as changing your chainrings to compact size (assuming your crank spider will support that, otherwise you could change the crankset). If you're into personification of inanimate objects it may feel like a personal betrayal of parts that have served you well so far, but if you need to take a moment of silence while swapping parts to thank them for their service, you'll get over it. The new parts will become a part of that bike's identity and history, and you can continue to enjoy riding that bike.
Oh, and with well over 5000 miles on that original chain, you should really measure it and see how much it's "stretched" due to wear. I'd say there's a 99.9% chance your chain has already stretched to the point where it's now actively wearing out the teeth of your chainrings and cassette. If those parts could speak, they'd be begging you for a new chain. Don't let them down!
There are many ways you could upgrade your bike to deal with different terrain, such as changing your chainrings to compact size (assuming your crank spider will support that, otherwise you could change the crankset). If you're into personification of inanimate objects it may feel like a personal betrayal of parts that have served you well so far, but if you need to take a moment of silence while swapping parts to thank them for their service, you'll get over it. The new parts will become a part of that bike's identity and history, and you can continue to enjoy riding that bike.
Oh, and with well over 5000 miles on that original chain, you should really measure it and see how much it's "stretched" due to wear. I'd say there's a 99.9% chance your chain has already stretched to the point where it's now actively wearing out the teeth of your chainrings and cassette. If those parts could speak, they'd be begging you for a new chain. Don't let them down!
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05-29-20, 02:28 PM
#86
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Thread Starter
I've worked for a shop that used Seven for customers that want a custom framesets(along with Moots and Pegoretti). They are nice bikes, but anyone can call up, and have one built for them. Yes the welds are nice, but can you see them now that they packed away in a box.
When I first got the frame, I took really high res pics that show facets of the frame that are hard to see even for the naked eye.
05-29-20, 02:49 PM
#89
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05-29-20, 03:12 PM
#91
Your Seven is a nice bike, but it shouldn’t be packed away for safe keeping, unless storage space is at a premium.
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05-29-20, 03:20 PM
#92
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It's a tool, not a jewel. I do have a couple bikes in the garage I haven't ridden in a long time. I would give them away to the right person, I've given bikes away before or sold them cheap. If I got a new road bike I would try to sell my Seven.
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05-29-20, 03:25 PM
#93
FTR, I keep a classic Italian bike in my home office/man cave, because I really love the bike, and want to see it regularly. I also have a couple of framsets in boxes because I tend to collect bike parts. I might use some of them again, but I don’t have the space to keep all the bikes I own assembled.
05-29-20, 03:27 PM
#95
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You should see the high end watch crowd - I dip into a few forums 'cos I like mechanical watches, but I'm no collector - I own one $350 well-patina'd watch. People there spend thousands/tens of thousands on uber-watches, freak out at any flaws visible only through a high-power loupe, spend their lives walking sideways through doorways to avoid the risk if knocking their watch off the doorframe, or laying napkins or cloths under their left wrists when they're eating or typing, to avoid scuffing the bracelets, and obsessing about the accuracy, when the irony is that a $10 Casio is inherently more accurate than a $10,000 Rolex. And don't even start on the obsessing about not getting built-like-a-brick-sh1thouse diving watches wet.....
Last edited by Litespud; 05-29-20 at 03:34 PM.
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05-29-20, 03:47 PM
#98
I’m not disputing the fact that it’s a really nice bike, I just don’t understand why you would bubble wrap it, and hide it away in a box.
It’s not a priceless show bike, that was blessed by the Pope.
It’s not a priceless show bike, that was blessed by the Pope.
Last edited by noodle soup; 05-29-20 at 03:51 PM.
05-29-20, 03:53 PM
#99
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Thread Starter
There is nothing to gain from dissing Seven just because someone picked a lesser-known builder because that would make them think they have a "special" bike.
Last edited by fuji_owner; 05-29-20 at 03:57 PM.
05-29-20, 03:57 PM
#100
So you're saying they are psychotic? They have the demand, but they want to keep people waiting? Seven started small and got bigger and so they are meeting the demand and keeping the wait times reasonably small. This is typical growth of free enterprise.
There is nothing to gain from dissing Seven just because they picked a lesser-known builder because that would make them think they have a "special" bike.
There is nothing to gain from dissing Seven just because they picked a lesser-known builder because that would make them think they have a "special" bike.