【MONDAYS】The Choice of a SEVEN Steel Frame.

　
　
"I want to order a steel bike from Seven."
　
Honestly, I couldn't believe my ears.
I replied, "Do you really need that right now?"
　
The reason I asked this is because the person who made this request was none other than Tomokuni Ohmura, a.k.a. Paisen, who is a familiar face from the RIDE IS LIKE HAIKU series irregularly published on SimWorks, and whose Instagram you can find here.
　
As those who read this blog might already know, he is a man who has already ridden his titanium Axiom into the ground.
　　
　
Of course, he is satisfied with the bike he currently owns. Even so, what drove him to do this was his attachment to iron / steel, a material he has been familiar with since he first started cycling. Perhaps you could call it a return to his roots. In any case, having previously commissioned two full-custom bikes from Seven, he has experienced firsthand the essential quality of Seven's bikes, which are built not just for size, but to suit the rider's purpose and style. There is no doubt that he had a curiosity about "what a steel bike made by Seven would actually be like."
　
"I want you to make me a steel bike that Seven considers to be as stiff as possible." His objective for this order was very clear.
　
In the first place, it's out of the question to ever disagree with Paisen. And so, we ordered the Axiom Steel.
　
　
As stiff as possible. And while we were at it, as light as possible, too.
　
Seven did a great job of balancing these two conflicting elements and bringing them into a single form.
　

Beyond their standard practice of in-house butting, they utilized their newly released Seven PureRoad Fork. They opted for a 44mm head tube to match, thickened the chainstays as much as possible to accommodate the size of the chainrings he uses, and created a solid drive-side finish that conveys the power of his pedaling into propulsion without waste. I felt Seven's obsession and excellence in manufacturing.
　

　
　
In all things, having a clear objective is very important. When someone comes to us looking for a bicycle, we always ask, "How do you plan to use it?" and "Where do you want to ride it?" It doesn't have to be detailed; it can be vague, but we want to hear what kind of goal you have in mind.
　
This is just as important even if you aren't doing a custom order. So please, let us know your goals when you come to consult with us.
　
Handmade frames are built for a specific person with a specific purpose in mind. Unlike mass-produced complete bikes found in a catalog, they are one-of-a-kind bicycles that will be a part of your daily life.
　
　
Paisen had just finished his first ride, and while he let slip a "Man, it's stiff" regarding the bike exceeding his expectations, the smile on his face as he talked about how he was going to break it in and get to know it was quite impressive.