World-class bicycles are made in Watertown

In the sunlit factory of Seven Cycles Inc., workers craft customized bicycles that can fetch $10,000.

Inside their Walnut Street headquarters, the buzz of sanders, sparks from welding flames and spray-painting hisses of colorful design work have become the components of what make this Watertown-based company a well-oiled machine.

Director of Marketing Jennifer Miller sits on a coach surrounded by exposed brick walls and completely built bicycles ready for the road in the Seven Cycle showroom. She said their high-end frames are handmade and made-to-order. Plus, their list of clientele — ranging from avid bikers to high-profile executives and celebrities — isn’t too shabby, either.

Even three-time national champion and Olympian Mary McConneloug doesn’t hit the streets without sitting on a Seven.

“There are very serious enthusiasts out there,” Miller said. “The bike is what matters most.”

For those who work there, a love of the bike is what keeps them manufacturing quality products to more than 200 retailers in the country. Boston, New York and California are the company’s strongest markets.

Typically, complete Seven bicycles can range from $5,000 to $10,000, thanks to the intensely detailed design work and fitting process. The bikes are guaranteed to last a lifetime.

What else is made in Watertown?

Rob Vandermark, founder and president of Seven Cycles, said the number of bike commuters is on the rise, and that more people are willing to invest in a custom-made bike.

“We want to continue to grow,” said Vandermark, who grew up in the bike industry before getting Seven started in 1997. “The technological application for bikes has really accelerated. It’s a completely different industry.”

Seven Cycles did not start in Watertown. Incorporated in January by a team of cycling enthusiasts and bike designers, the rookie company shipped out its first titanium bicycle frame in April of that year.

Now they send out close to 2,700 hand-finished frames a year.

Seven Cycles was initially based in Topsfield, and then moved to Watertown in February 1998, said Miller.

Since then, their team has grown nine times in size to a staff of 35 employees, including designers, engineers, welders, machinists and finishers, along with marketing, sales, and general and administrative staff. 

And every employee behind the numerical name has one thing in common.

“Workers take responsibility,” said Production Manager Matt O’Keefe. “There’s a sense of ownership. They definitely take pride in their work.”

Tucked away in the East End of town and behind a door labeled merely “Entrance B,” Seven operates in 15,000 square feet of industrial space with 9,000 square feet dedicated to manufacturing, and 4,000 square feet to office space.

Most employees take their bike to work — some aboard Sevens — said Miller, and have ample space to park their rides.

“We just picked a number,” said Miller. “We thought we could have fun with it.”

You could say that Seven Cycles’ bike frames go through the ultimate pampering process before hitting the stores.

Each frame is handcrafted one at a time, at different stations inside the manufacturing garage, and built to order. 

Before being mounted in a room where they wait for a final inspection, the frames are verified with a quality assurance card that is signed by the machinist, fabricator, welder, finisher and painter who created it.

“It’s the most comprehensive custom job in the industry,” said Miller.

Customers are asked to fill out a custom form and questionnaire that includes elements like frame size, geometry, tubing diameters and wall thickness, and other options like cable routing, water bottle mounts, paint color and decal color. 

“We do a pretty elaborate paint job,” said Miller about the stars, circles, bright colors, blacks and grays that can adorn the bike’s frame. “The level of detail and artistry is very important.”

Each frame’s tube set is chosen specifically for the rider to suit the rider’s weight, riding style, intended use, age and riding terrain. A Seven fit specialist is sure to contact the rider before the final product is constructed.

Titanium tubing hails from mills in Louisiana and Washington State; carbon fiber is delivered from Salt Lake City. Frame styles are offered in a wide variety to suit different riders — road bikers, triathletes, criterium or short track racers, mountain bikers and tandem riders. Frames can weigh as little as 4 pounds.

Quality checks are key when the frames are being developed, said O’Keefe.

“A worker in each department knows what they have to do next,” he said. “Having order and arrangement gives the production balance and flow. We don’t want any frame to leave the building [with a kink].”

Seven now works with nearly 200 authorized dealers in the United States. Close to 25 percent of their sales have gone international through 30 distributors, said Miller, in places such as Europe and Asia.

Over the past 10 years, their name has become a mainstay in the cycling community.

“Even though we are pretty small, we think of big companies as competitors,” said O’Keefe.

Miller said a growing interest in the high-end bike market, and higher levels of health consciousness, has turned more people to invest in their name, and more specifically their frames made right here in Watertown.

“I think we are all really proud of what we are doing here,” she said. “To think that right here in Watertown we are building a world-class product with an international reputation.”