Birthday Bike
Fat white-walls, swept back bars, and massive sprung saddles provided all the luxury of a 70’s Cadillac as they rode down 1st avenue and gazed at the waves crashing on the beach. The bikes were rentals, used and abused, poorly fitting and absolutely perfect for the flat, slow roads of the Jersey Shore. They’d been renting bikes for years, but only when paired with a summer vacation, and had not a single bike to ride at home.
photo courtesy of imdb.com
Last year, however, something changed. Something happened. Their son, now six, got a bike. One bike in a family of four simply isn’t enough. Last summer proved to be the tipping point when they again went to the beach, again rented bikes, and again had a blast. The wheels started turning, in more ways than one. Ideas swirled in their heads. If they had bikes at home, think of the fun to be had. Rides to the park. Summer jaunts to the ice cream shop. Exploring bike paths and river trails. Plus, in addition to family fun, they’d have an invigorating new exercise alternative to the gym and something to get out further than a run. Their shed was two bikes and a child seat light.
By the time they came to True Cyclery, the only question was what style would be best for the wide variety of ways they’d use them. They wanted bikes that would be at home lugging extra layers, snacks, juice boxes, and locks to picnics. Bikes that would be comfortable for slow rides with the kids and thrilling for exercise rides. Bikes that would be dropped accidentally as often as things dropped on them. Bikes that would last a long, long time, and require minimal maintenance all the while. And of course, bikes that would be perfect for beach cruising.
I wrote about Ben’s, “his,” a while back, and though it shares much in common with Jackie’s, “her,” there are some subtle differences, namely, the geometry. Jackie is shorter by several inches, has a compressed disc in her back, and doesn’t have the same history with bike riding as he does, in fact, she hasn’t owned a bike since she was a kid! These factors influenced the size of her bike, the geometry, the positionals, and the componentry.
- Geometry Notes: Jackie wanted to ride without worry, so we kept her bike stable but fun even with the addition of a child seat added to it.
- Positionals: Working hand in hand with the Seven Cycles design team, then testing out the saddle height and reach on a demo bike, we dialed in Jackie’s fit. To help her remain comfortable on longer rides, we put her in a slightly more upright position than someone without a disc issue.
- Components: Jackie hasn’t shifted a derailleur, or squeezed a hand brake since her childhood ten speed. To ensure she would use all of her gears, we wanted shifting to be easy and intuitive. To do so, we chose a dependable Shimano 105 5800 drive train paired with Shimano’s very matter of fact RS700 trigger shifters. Shifting will be so easy, I fully expect her to get the most out of her 22 speeds. Jackie has never used disc brakes, and though Shimanos XT 8000 could certainly be described as overkill, I think they pack a lot of value for the price. They feel smooth and are so effortless that she’ll be able to use a single finger to come to a screeching halt.
When the last detail was decided, we signed off on the design and waited. Seven is absolutely cranking out bikes at the moment with lead times around five weeks. Jackie’s frame arrived soon after I had delivered Ben’s, and his bike was fresh in my mind. His, also a Cafe Racer S, was big enough for his six foot frame, and had red decals to go with his red headset. In comparison, Jackie’s frame felt small in my hand but looked perfectly proportional in the stand. She went with custom color decals, flying True Cyclery’s house periwinkle with white outline, which proved to be a perfect match. The build party was fun and satisfying, Seven once again delivered all the small parts to make my job a breeze. Ben’s bike was delivered in time for Christmas, Jackie’s in time for her birthday!
Without further ado:
