Featuring Maverick’s groundbreaking Mono-Link™ suspension technology, the butted titanium Duo is ultra durable, yet light weight. The design pulls the rear wheel forward and down as it returns to a top-out position. This increases traction while preventing bobbing by counteracting the rearward weight shift a rider experiences while accelerating. Mountain Bike calls it, "The best titanium suspension bike we’ve ever ridden."
Submitted by
Pete Cresswell
a Cross Country Rider
from Paoli PA USA Date Reviewed: March 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Valley Forge Park Bridle Trails
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
Bean's Bikes, Paoli PA
Strengths:
This is a followup of my followup. i.e. My third review. Strengths remain the same: Almost zero bob, still feels tight after over 5,000 miles of riding.
Weaknesses:
This bike had been a disappointment durability-wise. After breaking the suspension bolt (7 mile walk home), I managed to break a weld down where one of the rear dropouts connects to the frame. Five-mile walk home....
Seven was good about the warranty on that one. Sent me a UPS sticker, I sent the rear triangle in, and they fixed it.
But now I've recently stripped all the threads out of the drive side of the BB. Didn't toast the frame because the monolink is where the BB lives and it's replacable. Although I'm 220#, I'm not a strong, fast, or hard rider.
But remember how I was ranting about the cheesy feel of the suspension bolts? Well, turns out that the monolinks/BB thing is made out of magnesium. Was it the material? I dunno.... but the thing sure was stripped. One day it was OK, the next day it started creaking on the way out and when I got it home the BB spindle assembly was rotating freely. Man, those threads were *gone*.
This time no warranty from Seven. But I called Maverick and the sales guy said something about a "bad batch of monolinks before I started working here..." and sent me another one. But, get this, the replacement's threads are partially wacked right out of the box.
I've learned that Maverick has redesigned thier monolink tb made out of aluminium/i-beam instead of magnesium/box and I think I'll just pony up the $200 for one of the new ones just to get back on the bike (it's been 3 weeks...)
Similar Products Used:
Original StumpJumper rigid, Cannondale Jekyll, Ellsworth ISIS, Curtlo custom hardtail.
Bike Setup:
Rohloff hub, flats, beeeeg Mutano Raptors, 180 mm Hope C2 on the front, 160 mm Avid mech on the rear, Brooks B-17 saddle.... 32 lbs, but it does what I want it to do.
I think it could easily be 28 with clipless, der gearing, plastic saddle, v-brakes, and so-forth.
Bottom Line:
Seems to me like one failure: "Oh well, stuff happens".
Two failures: "Geeze, aren't I the unlucky one."
But *three" (count 'em: 1-2-3) major failures?
But I still like the bike although my enthusiasm for SevenCycles has waned a little after they failed to pick up the warranty ball and run with it.
Dunno if it's because it's the only bike I've ever had that fit me (I'm tall, funny proportions) or it's something else.... but it *is* a joy to ride.... until it breaks.
Bottom line: knock off another chili for durability.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete Cresswell
a Cross Country Rider
from Paoli, PA USA Date Reviewed: August 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Valley Forge Bridle Paths
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
(frame only) Bean's Bikes
Strengths:
Almost zero bob, still feels tight after 4,000 miles of riding
Weaknesses:
The bolts used to mount the "monolink" are just plain cheesy. Some engineer's wet dream if you ask me.
If you remove/replace them to service the monolink on any kind of regular basis as recommended by Maverick, they are going to be damaged for sure. I've reverted to just applying a drop of Pro-Link into each side of each bolt when they start to squeek.
Removing them is no problem. Getting them back in is a bear. Aligning the monolink perfectly with the frame members it interfaces with is next to impossible "freehand" because the bolts are not shoulder bolts - i.e. the threads stick out to the exact diameter of the rest of the bolt so you can't tap the bolt in to force the final bit of alignment without damaging the threads.
Some sort of mandrel would help a lot - something that can be tapped into the bolt's path to line everything up before slipping in the bolt.
But the real solution is to make these things shoulder bolts and make them out of something a *lot* less cheesey - so they can be tapped into place.
Putting a nut on each end instead of just one end would be a plus too because it would make them replacable in the field. As it is, you have to remove the drive-side crank to remove the bolts.
I've already broken one (seven mile walk to get home...). Seven said "bad bolt". I think it was me trying to learn to to tail whips.
The bolt thing probably looms larger to me not only because I've broken one, but also because makeing the bolts readily and reliably removable/replacable would make this a great travel bike - the parts left when the mono link is removed are smaller than anything you'll get from an S&S coupled frame.
Similar Products Used:
Original StumpJumper rigid, Cannondale Jekyll, Ellsworth ISIS, Curtlo custom hardtail.
Bike Setup:
Rohloff hub, flats, beeeeg Mutano Raptors, 180 mm Hope C2 on the front, 160 mm Avid mech on the rear, Brooks B-17 saddle.... 32 lbs, but it does what I want it to do.
I think it could easily be 28 with clipless, der gearing, plastic saddle, v-brakes, and so-forth.
Bottom Line:
This is a followup review to the one I wrote a little over a year ago when the bike was new.
Still love the thing. If it went "poof" today, I'd call up Seven and ask for exactly, precisely the same thing tomorrow.
Got a nice hardtail and I enjoy riding it from time-to-time...and currently use same as my commuter bike.... but I keep coming back to the Duo for the most pleasant ride, and will probably just put the commuter wheels on it during the week and more-or-less retire the other frame.
There is so little bob on this thing that I can feel my squared-off (i.e. poor) pedaling style almost as much as on a hardtail. Couldn't feel it even a little bit on any of the other FS bikes I've ridden.
Yet the SUS does it's job: firm, comfortable, but not punishing, stays hooked up on stutter bumps, no perceptable bot.... What more could I ask for?
I knocked off one flamin' chili because of the monolink bolt thing.
Called a few people at Seven and Maverick - but got the feeling that that they were being polite while listening to some lunatic rave.
I still think it's a 100% valid point - and apparently sooooo simple to remedy. Frustrating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pierson Bourquin
a Weekend Warrior
from Sausalito, CA, USA Date Reviewed: March 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Green Gulch
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$5500.00
Purchased At:
Mill Valley Cycleworks
Strengths:
This is the best climbing mountain bike I have ever owned. Sitting or standing I can stomp on the pedals and the bike goes straight up the hill! The rear wheel never spins out while climbing.
Weaknesses:
In comparison to a Santa Cruz Blur, this bike is not as plush. If you're looking for more of a downhill machine, get a Santa Cruz Blur, Specialized Enduro Expert or a Giant Reign squared.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Blur. Specialized Enduro Expert. Giant Reign Squared. Klein Palomino.
Bike Setup:
Full Shimano XT except SRAM X9 grip shift shifters and rear derailleurs. Mavic CrossMax SL SSC wheelset. I love grip shift and the wheel set.
Bottom Line:
In my opinion, I would much rather have a very light climbing bike than a heavier bike that downhills well. Several of my friends ride Santa Cruz Blurs and Specialized Enduros. I have ridden both of these bikes. I prefer my Seven. Although the Seven is harsher, I figure that I spend way more time climbing than I ever do going downhill. It is certainly possible to buy a less expensive bike, but I wanted the best, so I got it! One other note: the Klein Palomino is the same design in Aluminum for a lot less money. It is harsher, though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete Cresswell
a Cross Country Rider
from Paoli PA USA Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Valley Forge bridle trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
Bean's Bikes, Paoli PA
Strengths:
Decent fit for a non-standard bod. 80% to a hardtail on climbs, yet acts like a full sus when appropriate.
Weaknesses:
Seven Cycles' customer interface could be improved.
I had some questions that were probably inane to somebody who knows this stuff - but which were important to me. They were not answered satisfactorarily by the people I spoke with. My impression is that the guy on the other end had some sort of a CAD diagram with a stick figure of me on the frame and they just selected the nearest proven design and then fine-fitted me to it by adjusting saddle height, bar height, and stem length. They were unable to answer my "What If...?" and "Why is this like that?" questions. One guy even ended a conversation with something like "...that's why we have local dealers..." - as if I were paying this kind of money for a custom frame only to play whisper-down-the-land with some third party.
In the end, I managed to provoke somebody into just saying "Trust Us". I did and it worked out. I'll give them points for integrity.
I will also be the first one to say that the probably saved me from myself by not entertaining suggestions for modifying the frame's dimensions.
However, they would have done better in this area if they'd been upfront with something like "Here's the deal: you do the FitKit thing, we design the frame, and that's it."
Also, perhaps a small thing - but seemingly so easy to fix... They mix metric and English measurements on their spec sheets. Given that they are printed by a computer, it seems like they could give measurements in both systems all the time.
Similar Products Used:
Nineteen-eighty-something rigid StumpJumper, Cannondale Jekyll/Fox Float, Ellsworth ISIS/Romic, and two custom hardtails.
Never rode a 4-bar link setup - and I'd really like to know how the Maverick sus stacks up against one.
Definately won't win any races at 32 pounds, but it does what I want it to do.
Seven/FitKit's bar reach was right on the money for riding on level ground, but I couldn't live with it on descents. Consequently I moved the bars back 2" and put the bar ends on. This gives me a comfortable feeling when going down steep hills, yet lets me extend myself to the right position when climbing or riding level ground.
Bottom Line:
First off: I need a $2,800 frame like I need another hole in the head. If my wife ever finds out I spent enough on a freaking bicycle frame to feed a Somalian village for two months I'm dead meat.
Having said that, I perceive a significant safety issue with what I have to do to get the bars on my ISIS up to where I need them for reasonable riding comfort.
So, in that sense, I really did need a custom frame. It looked to me like *any* custom FS was going to be around 2k. The first guy I tried to contact did not respond and the second guy's design was just to un-aesthetic for me. That left Seven at "only" $800 more....so I went for it.
At this moment, I can't untangle the factors of proper setup (i.e. stem/setback), the Maverick suspension, and Seven's frame geometry.
All I can say is: - It climbs better than anything I've ridden. The front wheel float I experienced on all my other bikes is gone and there's seemingly zero bob in the rear sus - whether I'm in or out of the saddle. - It's good on the flats, and the rear wheel stays hooked up when pedaling hard over many small bumps - whether in or out of the saddle. - It's *much* easier to balance than the ISIS or the Jekyll when doing track stands or very slow-speed maneuvers. The overall feeling is one of extreme tightness - like a hardtail.
Remember that I'm outside of the standard body sizes served by production frames and that's the ONLY reason for a custom bike for me - otherwise I'm more of a Walgoose-level rider - although now I'd say that even somebody at my level can appreciate a really-good ride.
Having said that, if I'd just sprung for one of these things on Day 1 instead of buying the Jekyll (way too small), the Ellsworth (still too small), and one of the two hardtails (tried to tell the builder how to do his job...) I'd be considerably ahead of the game in terms of dollars spent.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jamie ford
a Cross Country Rider
from chappaque, NY Date Reviewed: December 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Graham Hills & Ninham
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$7100.00
Purchased At:
Briarcliff Bike Works
Strengths:
-Out pedals everything under the sun, absolutely NO bob what so ever -Fits me perfectly, THANK YOU SEVEN -Little maintenance -Extremely agile -I couldn't break it even if I tried -Carves up singletrack like nobodies business
Weaknesses:
-Most people who ride this design say the front derailleur but I got mine working flawlessly. You just need to have the right equipment and the right mechanic.
Similar Products Used:
-I test rode an ML-7, Reposado, Palomino and my buddies Duo
Bike Setup:
Seven Duo, King ISO on 618, Thomson, Seven handlebar, XTR. All the goodies
Bottom Line:
This is the best bike that I have ever ridden. Every ride I have been on has felt like a magic carpet ride because the bike fits be so well. I have a nasty tendency of breaking frames and this bike has lasted 14 months with no issues. I won't be surprised if it lasts another 14 years because of the craftsmanship and precision that it was built with. With the front derailleur; the best set up that I have found, for any mono-link design, is to buy the braze-on mount from Maverick American and put a Dura-ace Triple front derailleur on. Then put on an Avid Rollamajig and a Shimano flat-bar road shifter. The suspension does take a little time adjusting but once it is done the bike handles like none other, and the rebound knob does do something unlike many people claim in the palomino reviews. This bike handles and rides like you want it to. If you tell seven to make the steering VERY quick they will design the bike in such a way that if you even think left, the bike will turn left. I had mine built up very beefy yet agile so I would break it. The whole bike weighs in at 27 3/4 lbs. and I love it. I have never worried about breaking anything on it because it is so strong and reliable. Even at that weight it still can out accelerate and out maneuver most every other bike I see (and I do see a lot considering I work at a local bike shop). The best way to describe the ride is that it is a hardtail with four inches of travel that isn't afraid of anything. It ascends and descends with the greatest of ease and it carves through singletrack like a laser guided missile. It has been the best investment of my life!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TIM
a Cross Country Rider
from Cary N.C. USA Date Reviewed: April 18, 2003
Favorite Trail:
any singletrack
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
CYCLING SPOKEN HERE
Strengths:
CUSTOM FIT IS PERFECT. BIKE CLIMBS LIKE NO OTHER. I DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BREAKAGE. NO BOB.
Weaknesses:
EXPENSIVE...BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
Similar Products Used:
ELLSWORTH TRUTH, SPECIALIZED FSR, INTENSE
Bike Setup:
FOX FLOAT, XTR, KING HUBS, MAVIC TUBELESS WHEELSET, FSA CARBON CRANKS
Bottom Line:
THIS BIKE IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. BROKE MY FIRST ELLSWORTH, OS WHEN IT WAS REPLACED, I WAS RIDING TIMID DUE TO WORRY ABOUT BREAKING NEW FRAME. I WEIGH 255LBS AND THIS WAS CUSTOM BUILT TO MY NEEDS. BEEFED UP IN THE RIGHT PLACES. THIS BIKE DOES NOT BOB AT ALL. THE SUSPENSION IS AWESOME ON SMALL AND BIG HITS.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wolffmann Endo
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario Date Reviewed: April 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Whistler single track
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$8000.00
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction
Strengths:
The bike is a great climber on steep and rocky, rooty, technical trails. It soaks up bumps well. The suspension is efficient. It sprints well out of the saddle. The manufacturing and welding is outstanding.
Weaknesses:
The bike was heavy for a bike that I spent this cash on and had it decked out with light components. It felt slow and was slow climbing long steady inclines. The bottom bracket height was low at 11.75", and continually caught on things until I adjusted my riding to accommodate for this. The pivots creaked terribly and had I had to send the bike back to the shop numerous times as well as being sent back to Seven which left me without a bike on regular occasions (once for a month). It is tough to race when you don't have your bike. No one seems to know what the shock pressure should be at. I was told 20 psi when I orded the bike, 40 psi when I received the bike and 65 psi when I noticed that the bottom bracket height was lower that was specified on my initial order. Increasing the air pressure effectively raises the bottom bracket height, but also effects the suspension.
Similar Products Used:
GT NRS, Merlin XLM
Bike Setup:
Full XTR, Sid Race, Hayes disc brakes, Mavic CrossMax disc tubless
Bottom Line:
The bike is a very good trail bike when it is working. The suspension works well and is efficient. The bike climbs well in technical accents. However, there are a few definite draw backs with the bike and the way I had it set up. The bike seemed slow and was slow on long steady accents. It was definitely a sacrifice in race situations. Continually having to bring a bike in for service of its pivots is frustrating, however they are not creaking at this precise time. The lack of knowledge of the manufacturer on proper shock pressures is hard to understand. The Sid is a poor choice for a bike with disc brakes. I am 160 lbs and noticed significant amounts of flex with braking that was not evident with rim breaks. The tubeless tire system is heavy and puts weight exactly where you do not want it, the farthest from the hub. I am making a few changes to the bike that will hopefully improve some of the weaknesses. I will comment on thse at a future date
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale, AZ Date Reviewed: March 31, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Mcdowell/ Pima Dynomite
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$5500.00
Purchased At:
Sabino Cycles
Strengths:
Craftsmanship that is truly something to see. Custom fit, exactly how I wanted it. Not super plush but after coming off a Ti hardtail, its a good thing. I could not be happier. It climbs like a hardtail, and handles like a dream. NO BOB!!
Weaknesses:
as mentioned earlier, front derailluer is a bit tricky to set up. Although it works well, it's a tight fit by the shock.
Similar Products Used:
this is my first F/S bike. Came off a Merlin hardtail
Bike Setup:
XTR, King hubs, Avid ultimate brakes, Thomson bar/stem, and a few other tasty items
Bottom Line:
It's the perfect bike. It was a tough decision to buy a f/s mtb, but I feel I made the right choice. The quality is superb, the service from 7 was outstanding, and it was built to fit me perfectly. Buy it for the ride, fit, and quality. The oohs and aahs are just the icing on the cake. As far as the price goes; you get what you pay for.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shlomi Malka
a Cross Country Rider
from Raanana, Israel Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Rocky mountains
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Purchased At:
Tzir Merchazi
Strengths:
Plush ride, the greatest climber I have ever used. The long wheelbase & the slack seat angle worked great for me.
Weaknesses:
Front derailleur sucks ... Not so plush on the descent. very very expensive $$$$$$$$$
Similar Products Used:
Maverick Reposado, SantaCruz Blur
Bike Setup:
XT drivetrain, Cane-creek WAM Ti wheelset, Seven Ti stem etc
Bottom Line:
I fall in love with this bike, it's the best climber I have ever experienced plus it is such a beauty that I have put them near my bed (which my wife didn't like very much ...) and have very hard time returning them off to the bike shop.
It might be expensive but what the hall are we living for ! The blur is much more plush than the Duo but the Duo climbs better and ride like a dream.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Terry Vanden Heuvel
a Racer
from courtice,Ont.Canada Date Reviewed: March 9, 2003
Favorite Trail:
technical ones(no road)
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$15000.00
Purchased At:
Toronto
Strengths:
First off I borrowed this 2002 bike off my doctor friend.The bike was decked!Strengths; good plush efficient peddler,good traction,doesn;t show scratches,looks like a pc. of jewllery!
Weaknesses:
When landing from a jump the bike feels much stiffer,due to the fact the wt. of your body is on the cranks when you stand.The magazines are quite accurate when saying it is an awesome epic ride,I did a 4hr. 70km. ride on this thing and liked it very much.My razorback or fuel may be better race bikes but don't get me wrong this is a very deceptively fast bike! PRICE!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used:
K2 FUEL I-DRIVE Element T.O. Pro-flex MANTRA GT RTS and hardtails(outdated)
Bike Setup:
His bike was full XTR tubeless, hayes,carbon sid etc.I am a 180lb 33yr old 6'2 expert racer.
Bottom Line:
The Klien would be cheeper.I wouldn't be afraid to buy this technology but I prefer a more active FS bike that feels snappier.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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