New baby Seven...

[MM_QFC!]

I'm done with the "Crazy Driver" thread, as I want to move forward and far away from that whole, painful and frustrating experience.

I've just started the process of getting a new Seven, to replace the one that the ditwad driver destroyed right out from under me almost a year ago.
Nothing can really replace that sweetest of rides, however I am working on my comeback to the road and so I want a comeback Seven too!
lalalalala...figurative happy dance, till my still-kinda-sore-and-recovering-legs can literally bounce around w/o pain again :D
Tailwinds!
Mary

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What good news!!!!
We want regular progress reports on the new baby! :p

[Biciclista]

great news! what color, tell me tell me!

[7rider]

YaHooooo!!!
So glad to hear you're getting back on the bike again...and a new Seven to boot! Double-Yay!! :D:D
Congrats, and happy riding....

[Wahine]

Yay!!!!!! I'm so happy to hear it. Lots and lots of happy thoughts for you and your baby Seven.

:cool::D

[Trek420]

Congratulations! We want to see the ultrasounds ;)

Duck on Wheels and I were just at the LBS getting Ruby Tuesday a spa treatment and saw lots of puhrty Sevens there.

I love my bike(s) but hot dayuhm those are nice.

Progress reports, decision processes, color choices then many happy miles. :D

[salsabike]

Ah, excellent...I will be waiting at the bottom of Juanita Hill for you and the comeback Seven any time you desire.

[MM_QFC!]

Hey all - dang, you women are fassssssssssst!
I just went to my guy Zac yesterday, so let's slow down a bit!
Zac actually used to be the senior fit technician at Seven, but luckily for me, he moved back to Seattle some years ago (he was at the Seven HQ in MA, and did my fit interview for my first Seven!), so I will be talking to Seven next week, they'll design my bike, send the specs back to Zac to set up on a fit bike and we'll review it, tweak it and all, before anything starts getting built...
I'm going with an Axiom SG this time...probably not going to get a tinted clearcoat as with my Elium either, since I'm going to get s&s couplers, for ease of travel, as well as reducing expenses for same, considering how many ways the airlines have found to slap on extra fees!
So, the beautiful naked ti, some key carbon components, and maybe a dash or 2 of color...who knows!
And, Salsa...don't go out there to wait for me anytime soon...am still adding to my mileage on the trails, (and, for understandable reasons, kinda avoiding riding in crosswalks!), but I'm excited to get out there again this weekend...supposed to be gorgeous!
Anyone up for a "smudge" ride down on a certain stretch of the Interurban?:rolleyes:

[Eden]

I think Mary has been quiet about her other cycling pursuits too! I got to meet Mary last weekend as she was out as an official at our team sponsored race. We didn't have time to speak much, as it was a hectic day with atrocious weather (I decided to not race - I draw the line at SNOW! and I'm still fighting off a big saddle sore... - I chose to go in a lead car instead). We wouldn't be able to race at all without all of our great officials out there - so from me and all of the team thanks!

Congrats for getting started on your new bike. Hopefully by the time you get it the weather will have improved.

[MM_QFC!]

yer welcome, Eden and yeah, it was great to see you. I think you were smart to stick with riding inside on 4 wheels instead of in the elements on 2 that day!
It was a long, cold, snowy, tiring day, but I was glad to help out and support the sport I love; also glad that the 2 races that I officiated were able to be completed w/o any crashes or incidents. I bet there were collective groans from the racers when we had such a gorgeous day after on Sunday...

And, while I have no desire to race myself, I have gotten used to riding a verrrrry sweet bike, so I'll be antsy and impatient until my new Seven gets home to me!

[salsabike]

What the heck is a "smudge" ride?

And it doesn't matter when we do Juanita. It's just a ritual we need to do someday...

I am so glad you're starting the new bike process.

[NbyNW]

Woohoo! Can't wait to see the new baby Seven!


Hey all - dang, you women are fassssssssssst!
Anyone up for a "smudge" ride down on a certain stretch of the Interurban?:rolleyes:

Let me know when/where. I got a pretty flexi schedule these days!

[sgtiger]

Woohoo, Mary! That's awesome news about the Seven in the works. I'm glad to hear that you're riding again. I know it's not at the distances/pace that you're used to, but that will all be a matter of time. More healing vibes headed your way that you'll soon be able to do it pain free.

Salsa - Smudging, as I understand it, is a ritual to clear out bad or negative energy (kind of similar to an exorcism). So I think Mary wants to do a ride past the spot where the collision took place to help her past the negative feelings she has associated to it.

When are you planning to do the ride, Mary?

[OakLeaf]

:D:D:D

Best news I've heard all day.

Best wishes to you and baby Seven!

[salsabike]

Salsa - Smudging, as I understand it, is a ritual to clear out bad or negative energy (kind of similar to an exorcism). So I think Mary wants to do a ride past the spot where the collision took place to help her past the negative feelings she has associated to it.

When are you planning to do the ride, Mary?

Thanks, SG! Hell, yeah, I'd like to join that smudge ride.

[Zen]

You have to burn a smudge stick.
It would be cool if you could attach it to your bike somehow.

[maillotpois]

Yay! I love family planning! :D

[MM_QFC!]

What the heck is a "smudge" ride?

And it doesn't matter when we do Juanita. It's just a ritual we need to do someday...

I am so glad you're starting the new bike process.


it's my pithy way of describing a "rid-the-evil-spirits-and-ditwad-drivers-ritual- from that section of the Interurban...we're only half-joking about burning sage and putting that whole "being mowed down in the crosswalk" behind us!


and yep, you/me + Juanita...it's a date TBD...

[MM_QFC!]

Woohoo, Mary! That's awesome news about the Seven in the works. I'm glad to hear that you're riding again. I know it's not at the distances/pace that you're used to, but that will all be a matter of time. More healing vibes headed your way that you'll soon be able to do it pain free.

Salsa - Smudging, as I understand it, is a ritual to clear out bad or negative energy (kind of similar to an exorcism). So I think Mary wants to do a ride past the spot where the collision took place to help her past the negative feelings she has associated to it.

When are you planning to do the ride, Mary?


ahhhh, yes, oh so wise SGTiger-woman! Linda and I are thinking of this Saturday...per the lovely weather forecast - but we're flexible!

[MM_QFC!]

You have to burn a smudge stick.
It would be cool if you could attach it to your bike somehow.

Zen - I've got plenty o' Moxa sticks from acupuncture...and plan to light one, afix to my back-up bike (a lovely steel custom Rodriguez) handlebars...

[MM_QFC!]

Yay! I love family planning! :D

MP - your post is a good prompt...as I also recently learned (from my sweet son and d-i-l) that I'll be a brand new grandparent in October...they used my "grand-dog", Macy, to formally convey the message to other friends; see the attached pic! baby Seven will arrive and be used first though! :)

[maillotpois]

Oh. My. God. That baby announcement is the funniest thing I have seen in a LONG time.

CONGRATS!! :D

[MM_QFC!]

Oh. My. God. That baby announcement is the funniest thing I have seen in a LONG time.

CONGRATS!! :D

Yeah, I've been teasing my d-i-l, that Macy looks suspicious about the dress-up and photo session. She replied that it took lots of peanut butter and tummy rubs to coax her, but all of our family and friends know that Macy is already their furry-baby, so it fit!

[sgtiger]

That is possibly the funniest and cutest announcement I've ever seen. Congrats on adding to your family.

[MM_QFC!]

thx...Macy is a long-haired mini-Dachshund...and has more cute sweaters than I do!

[NbyNW]

Congrats on the new addition to the family!

Weather looks awesome this weekend! Weather.com says 65 degrees on Sunday!

[MM_QFC!]

finalized the frame specs and components...now it's over to Seven to build my dream bike replacement, then for my Seven dealer here in Seattle (Zac Daab of http://cascadebicyclestudio.com/) to build it up for me...can hardly wait - but I'll have to!

On another note, Sunday afternoon, I rode (on my trusty steel Rodriguez) to the scene of the crash - which happened almost 1 year ago - just a flat, short ride on the trail, as I'm nowhere near the fitness nor mileage that I had before I was so painfully knocked off my bike. I didn't plan to ride to that spot, but, as it happened, it was a helpful experience. I wasn't sure how I'd feel to be in that place again, where I had such a painful, life-changing experience, but I was open to it and it actually felt fine. I leaned my bike against the trail marker and the crosswalk where the car nailed me can be seen in the background too.
Part of me kind of wanted to include a rude hand gesture (tell us your real feelings, Mary!) in the photo, but instantly thought better of it and chose to be my mature self :rolleyes:.
It was enough to stand there, look at it all (police markings are still visible as is the scuffed up curb at the median where I landed :( ), remember it all and most powerfully: to get back on my bike and ride away from it! Now THAT felt good! Here's to my body's restorative powers and looking forward to great rides ahead again!
Tailwinds to all!
Mary

[OakLeaf]

Wow. Congratulations on going back to the scene. I can only imagine how tough that must've been. I've never had a crash remotely as severe as yours (touch wood!), but I was afraid for YEARS of a turn where I crashed my motorcycle.

Hope they get the new bike built for you quick! Never quick enough though is it. :D

[Biciclista]

wow, you're brave! I don't know if i could do that.

Cute birth announcement too. Lucky you, getting to be a grandmother!

[MM_QFC!]

thanks, Mimi and yep, but the baby Seven arrives before the first grandbaby:D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Congratulations on all counts! :)

[MM_QFC!]

Wow. Congratulations on going back to the scene. I can only imagine how tough that must've been. I've never had a crash remotely as severe as yours (touch wood!), but I was afraid for YEARS of a turn where I crashed my motorcycle.

Hope they get the new bike built for you quick! Never quick enough though is it. :D

yes, it was tough and I knew that the day I'd be standing there again would come, so I'm grateful that I could do that; am still pretty freakin' skittish in crosswalks though - even while walking! Family and friends are understanding and we can all laugh and kid about it; how great is that?!! :)

The artists at Seven are building me a custom bike again; I do not want them to rush any part of it!
I am lucky to have a back-up bike and will enjoy each part of the whole process, as I'm mindful how lucky I am to be here!
(will end this pollyanna-ish post before I gag or worse!) :D

[NbyNW]

Mary, Congratulations on another milestone in the healing!

I can understand the crosswalk trigger . . . while I will probably never have the chance to return to the scene of my accident, there are plenty of places/situations that bring back that moment in slo-mo . . . and it took me a while to feel confident crossing the street, too. Finding a way to laugh about it can certainly help.

Hope you are feeling good and strong when the new baby Seven comes!

[Blueberry]

Mary-

I'm so glad to hear you're progressing - both mentally and physically. That must have been tough - I can't imagine:(

That's a pretty sweet back up bike:)

CA

[MM_QFC!]

That's a pretty sweet back up bike:)

CA

It sure is, isn't it? I had it "commuter-ized" , with fenders and a rack, when I got my Seven in 2004, but that sweet ride has taken me thousands of miles in all of my previous AIDS fundraising rides...

[jobob]

... will enjoy each part of the whole process, as I'm mindful how lucky I am to be here!
(will end this pollyanna-ish post before I gag or worse!) :D

LOL! Cheers. :cool:

[MM_QFC!]

Seven has a "where's my frame?" link, so that I can monitor the progress of my wildly anticipated soon-to-be-new-Seven...my frame is in machining!


"Machining
After cutting and butting your frame's tubes, we carefully cut (cope) the ends of the tubes so that they'll fit together properly. We also create the sinuous bends in your frame's seat and chain stays at this stage, using a custom designed hydraulic press and tooling.

We're now ready to take the first step toward making your tube set look like a bicycle frame. But before we do, we carefully clean the tube set to eliminate any contaminants such as grease, dust, cutting oils, and fingerprints. From this point on, your tubes are handled only by craftspeople wearing cotton gloves. :D love it! (friends kiddingly asked me if I had a silk robe for my Seven)
Next, we stamp the inside of your frame's dropout on the drive train side, or right side, with a serial number for identification. We suggest that you record this serial number in your files when you receive your frame. Also be sure to include this serial number on the warranty registration card that we send to you with your frame.

Back in manufacturing, using your CAD drawing as the guide, we set up the fixtures on our custom-made jig to accept your tube set. The jig holds your frame's tubes together in the proper orientation and with the correct angles as we tack the frame. Tacking can be thought of as spot welding; each of your frame's joints is held in place by a very small weld bead. Once tacked, your frame is removed from the jig and its alignment checked.

Super-clean, tacked, and aligned, your frame is now on its way to welding. "

I've asked forSeven's master welder to personally weld my bike, as he did my first one, and I met him last year when I visited the 'Seven shrine'...

So, it's moving along...(probably moving easier and more smoothly than I am - still - at this point! :eek:).
Thanks for putting up with me and my updates!
Mary

[Blueberry]

Thanks for putting up with me and my updates!
Mary

Mary-

Thank you for sharing them with us! You are truly an inspiration!!

CA

And how cool - cotton gloves?!

[MM_QFC!]

Should be soon!! My Seven dealer is building up my frame right now so I may be faced with a hard decision: cancel my follow-up appt. with my doctor re: my injuries from the crash (;):D;) ) that's been scheduled for Friday afternoon, to go get my new baby Seven.................or
be a responsible adult and see my doctor, while postponing the new bike pick-up....sigh, what to do, what to do?? :confused:

[NbyNW]

My 2 cents, since you are planning to ride on Saturday:

You will likely feel the same on Saturday whether or not you go to see your doctor. If you reschedule now, it won't be irresponsible . . . you'll still be following up, and you will have given your doctor's office plenty of notice to put someone else in that time slot.

Weather on Saturday is looking to be beautiful. Which bike would you rather ride?

[Biciclista]

yeah, what Jocelyn said!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Re-schedule the doctor's appt.
Let's keep our priorities straight here! :D

[MM_QFC!]

:D I KNEW that I could count on the wise women of TE! :D

appt with doc: cxl'd!
appt to pick up new baby Seven: now set for a recently-opened (coincidence, eh?!) time on Friday afternoon:D

[sgtiger]

You've made a wise decision, MM, following the sage advice of these TE women.:D Of course, I may be a wee bit biased on the matter.;) Have fun on your new Seven!:cool:

[ASammy1]

We had better get pics from your ride with your "new ride" from Saturday! :p

[MM_QFC!]

My 2 cents, since you are planning to ride on Saturday:

You will likely feel the same on Saturday whether or not you go to see your doctor. If you reschedule now, it won't be irresponsible . . . you'll still be following up, and you will have given your doctor's office plenty of notice to put someone else in that time slot.

Weather on Saturday is looking to be beautiful. Which bike would you rather ride?

thanks...as you can see I took your advice/ 2 cents now raised to 7 :D

And, Jocelyn, it seems fitting that you should be present this Saturday, as you (along with a visiting SevenRider) saw my dearly departed (destroyed by car :mad:) Seven last year, so we can celebrate a new and safe-to-ride bike 1+ year later.

[NbyNW]

Photos from yesterday's ride on the Centennial Trail with MM_QFC's new baby Seven!

[7rider]

And, Jocelyn, it seems fitting that you should be present this Saturday, as you (along with a visiting SevenRider) saw my dearly departed (destroyed by car :mad:) Seven last year, so we can celebrate a new and safe-to-ride bike 1+ year later.

Woot!!!
Congrats on a successful delivery and ride.
Many happy miles with your new buggy.
Perhaps I'll get to see a fully intact baby Seven when I visit again this June.

[MM_QFC!]

Yes, f'sure! Do you have either tentative or firm dates yet?
Mary

[Biciclista]

those are tiny pictures. Can you show a bigger one?

:p

[MM_QFC!]

sure, will try to post some later...Jocelyn was our rider/photographer with her iPhone the other day...and both her Rodriguez and Salsabike's Bianchi completed our trio of beautiful bikes in the pic!

[7rider]

Yes, f'sure! Do you have either tentative or firm dates yet?
Mary

Well....
If my travel orders get approved...
I fly out June 14th.

[NbyNW]

Yeah, I had some trouble uploading before, so I went a bit too far in the other direction to get the file size to cooperate.

The iPhone picture quality is only so good, but hopefully these will be better than the last.

[OakLeaf]

Ahhhh! Very nice. Very subtle. :)

Many happy miles!

[7rider]

Very nice.
Have you tried breaking it down yet?

[MM_QFC!]

Very nice.
Have you tried breaking it down yet?


Hey! I just got it - not going to take it apart yet, as I plan to ride it!
Also, I'm nowhere near riding it for much mileage yet, but have big plans for the future :)
My dealer will walk me through the disassembly and packing before I travel to NYC for the start of my AIDS ride this year...it'll make the travel, connections, lugging and assorted logistics much easier, as I won't have to look for a van-taxi for a big bike case and all...liking that already!

[MM_QFC!]

Well....
If my travel orders get approved...
I fly out June 14th.

that should work - unless I'm out of town on business travel then too; but, keep us posted so we can work on another TE gathering while you're here.

[MM_QFC!]

Yeah, I had some trouble uploading before, so I went a bit too far in the other direction to get the file size to cooperate.

The iPhone picture quality is only so good, but hopefully these will be better than the last.

thanks for re-posting, Jocelyn...and, Mimi, does that work better for you?

[Biciclista]

yes! now I can see the colors and the details. Looks like a real smooth ride,
nice angles, very sweet bike. COngratulations!

[TxDoc]

Oooohhh! That is one cute baby Seven!!!
Are those S&S couplers? Do you also have the cable splits or do you just re-route the cables when you travel?

[MM_QFC!]

Thanks...and yes, I had Seven build the couplers when they were building my frame and I'm using the integrated cable splitters too, so that I don't risk messing around or screwing up the cables while traveling!