The Story of Sola

The life of my Sola began in late 2004. I was fed up with replacing high end disposable race frames every year. Not that I am an abusive rider but the rigors of racing week in and week out over treacherous terrain can take its toll. Fancy paint schemes are alluring but durability takes priority in my book.

In the end I chose a Seven Olympic frame. Beautiful, simple, clean, and tougher than any xc bike I have ever ridden.

On my birthday every year I go on one of my favorite rides. It is a 3-1/2 hour loop and I always do it solo with my Sola. It has long climbs and some of the best singletrack in the area. Last year (2009) I noticed the front end was creaking a little louder than normal. I figured it was all the dust, during the dry summers,  that we get. Once home, I took a closer look and noticed something that was not supposed to be there.

Sola held it together when I needed her the most (and didn't realize it)

My heart sank. After 50,000 miles of riding trusty Sola had been injured. However Seven's have something other frames don't. A lifetime warranty.

Sweat, blood, and suffering wore away the Sola name but passion, strength, and commitment to excellence is in the frame

Had I been on the latest aluminum or carbon bike the headtube would have most likely sheared off and injury would have been likely. I contacted Seven and they took care of me. Honestly I was really worried that my bike would not be the same. To fix the frame the head tube and downtube would be removed and replaced. Coming off mass produced bikes that just seemed so odd. As one of my custom frame builder friends told me "Don't worry, you have a real bike."

 

 Seven fixed my Sola so quickly that it seemed like I had just torn it down and had it shipped back to them (Thanks to Karl for fielding my distress call)

The headtube is an older version that did not have the gusset for strength. As suspension forks have changed Seven has taken steps to strengthen areas that require it. They now offer their curved downtube that provides extra strength and optimal clearance for front forks.

This is a badge of honor

The new curved downtube

I write this not to tell you how Seven's crack or fall apart.....but rather that it held together from repeated seasons of racing and training. If you want the ultimate bike that will last then look no further. Strength, durability, and the ability to look brand new after every single wash are only a couple of the benefits a Seven offers.

From training in the snow and freezing rain in the winter to the deathly hot 118 degree summer days my Sola never complained. I had more expert (or Cat 1 now) podiums with my Sola than all my old bikes combined. My Sola helped me get on my first podium at Nationals and carried me all the way to the World Champs. My Sola had a lot of battle scars (on the decals that remained) and dirt from around North America. Never once did my Sola back down.

Some of Sola's hardware

My Sola has been revived and still is my favorite bike in the quiver. My loyalties run deep. We have a lot of history together.

We have suffered.
We have felt pain.
We have been at low points. 
We have bled.
We have triumphed.
And we still chase singletrack.

Thanks for the ride Sola and thanks to Seven for making my dream ride.

My name is Steve and I ride Seven.

 Sola back home on the singletrack