The theory of Creationism states that the universe was created by God in seven days. (Well technically six, because as it's said: "On the seventh day, He rested.") I'd be pooped too, I guess - so a nap is well warranted.
So the creation of a custom titanium cyclocross bike should be no sweat then, right? Not exactly.
In spite of the arguable divinity of Rob Vandermark and the crew at Seven Cycles, they do appear to be limited to
some of the finite abilities of mere humanity. Having worked on many custom projects with Seven during my time in Tennessee; I can say that they performed some minor miracles for me and my clients - but in general the custom process usually takes 4-6 weeks.
So even with the VIP status of Mo Bruno Roy's bike; the 1-week turnaround on this is rapid at least and borders on qualification for sainthood at best.
VeloNews.com recently ran a feature with some excellent photos and a little documentary text which nicely shows the custom-build process - something that much of the cycling world doesn't always get to see - from start to finish. Beautiful welds, hand-selected tubes, detailed and meticulous decal work and an over arching theme of pride and craftsmanship can all be seen in the photo gallery. (Click for larger photos. All photos: Rob Vandermark)
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| Tight welds - like a stack of dimes! |
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Frequent alignment checks
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| Hand-picked tubes |
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| Prepped for bonding |
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| Signature lug work |
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| Preparing to bond a seat stay |
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| Branding is important! |
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| Frame is complete - but we're not done! |
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| Bonding finished - time for detailing |
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| More branding - the signature headbadge |
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| Hand-made custom decals |
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| A steady hand and an artistic eye for detail |
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| Finished, and ready to win! |
For a rare and detailed glimpse at this process; hop over to
velonews.com's story and enjoy.
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