So, here is an essay that Bryce wrote for a contest.... the prize (as you can see) is a Seven bike. Not that I know what that is, but Bryce is so sincere and earnest about it, I know I would give it to him.
"Very few cyclists deserve a custom made Seven road bike. The fact is, most riders who spend the money on a high quality bike fail to put enough miles on the bike to make their investment worth the expense. It is a travesty and a shame that countless beautiful custom made bicycles sit in storage around the world. A bicycle is meant to be a dynamic work of art, and the rider is meant to be “bello in sella,” or “beautiful in the saddle,” as the Italians say. But the work of art is incomplete if the rider refuses to pour energy into the bike.
My introduction to the world of road cycling arose out of just such an example of a rider’s inattention to his bike. While helping a friend clean out a his garage, I stumbled upon a vintage 1984 Cilo 12 speed. The bike is a simple red steel frame complete with downtube shifters. An example of pure minimalist beauty that had been left to rust in a garage. At 22 lbs, the bike was light enough, but I was sheepish when I set out with it on group rides. Compared to the bikes surrounding me, my mount looked ancient. But a wise and accomplished ex-racer gave me sage advice, and when I complained that my performance would never measure up to the more technologically gifted riders around me, he replied, “That’s not the bike’s fault… its yours.” The truth of this statement became clear to me one day on a 40 mile hill work out. A rider was with us who for a year had owned a full carbon piece of art that seemed to weigh as much as my helmet. But in a year he had not put 50 miles on that bike, and we were forced to drop him at mile 20. I vowed never to make the same mistake, and decided I was not allowed to spend any more money on a bike until I did not suck. I have put 600 miles on my vintage bike over the past 5 months. I have worn my butt out on epic hill rides and heart busting speed work. I have fought to remain in draft with much better cyclists than I. I have pushed my Cilo to the limit, and now it is time for the next step. I need a bike that fits my geometry and that is geared to the geography I ride. I deserve a custom made Seven road bike precisely because I have learned not to need the latest technology. I have learned to depend on my own heart, lungs and legs before putting my faith in technology. I have proved that I will ride, that I will pour myself into the bike and thus complete the art which the bike was meant to serve. I will be bello in sella, and a Seven road bike in my hands will be ridden for the rest of its life and to the best of my ability. I deserve a Seven road bike because I ride from the heart!"
